Starlink Slow Speeds
Connected but throughput is poor.
Starlink speeds that drop well below the typical 50–250 Mbps range usually trace back to obstructions, network congestion, cable issues, or Wi-Fi problems. This page helps you isolate which one is affecting you and what to do about it.
Key takeaways
- Obstructions are the #1 cause of slow Starlink speeds.
- Network congestion at peak hours affects everyone in your cell.
- Cable faults cause throttling that looks like slow speeds.
- Wi-Fi, not Starlink, is often the real bottleneck on wireless devices.
Isolate where the slowdown is
Before changing anything, figure out whether the slowdown is the Starlink link, your Wi-Fi, or network congestion. Test from a wired device if possible, and compare speeds at different times of day.
- 1Run the in-app speed test (Statistics → Speed) — this measures the satellite link, not your Wi-Fi.
- 2If the in-app speed is good but a wireless device is slow, the issue is your Wi-Fi, not Starlink.
- 3If the in-app speed is low, the issue is the satellite link, obstructions, or congestion.
- 4Test at off-peak hours (early morning) vs peak (evening) to check for congestion.
Check obstructions
Even small obstructions cause the dish to drop satellites, reducing throughput. Open the app's obstruction map — anything above 2% will slow you down, and above 5% will be noticeably slow.
Check for congestion
Starlink cells share capacity. If your speeds are fine at 5 AM but slow at 9 PM, you're experiencing network congestion in your cell. This is normal and outside your control — the only mitigation is to schedule heavy downloads for off-peak hours.
Congestion varies by location and time. Densely populated cells are slower at peak; rural cells are often faster. If you're consistently slow at all hours, it's likely not congestion.
Inspect the cable
A damaged or overly long cable can cause the dish to throttle due to voltage drop. Inspect the full run, reseat both ends, and ensure you're using the included cable or an official extension.
Optimize your Wi-Fi
- Move the router to a central, elevated location.
- Add mesh nodes for larger homes.
- Hardwire bandwidth-heavy devices (TVs, consoles).
- Use the 5 GHz band for close, high-bandwidth devices.
Verify your plan tier
Roam and Mobility plans are deprioritized behind Residential. If you're on a lower-priority plan in a busy cell, your speeds will be lower than a Residential user in the same cell. Check your plan in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Starlink so slow?
What time of day is Starlink fastest?
How can I tell if Starlink is throttling me?
Try these common fixes first
Power-cycle the whole system
- 1.Unplug the Starlink router from power.
- 2.Wait at least 60 seconds.
- 3.Plug it back in and wait 2–5 minutes for reconnection.
- 4.Run a speed test in the Starlink app.
Rescan for obstructions
- 1.Open the Starlink app.
- 2.Go to Settings → Obstructions.
- 3.Wait for the 12-hour scan to populate.
- 4.Move the dish to a spot with less than 2% obstruction.
Check for cable damage
- 1.Inspect the dish cable for kinks or cuts.
- 2.Reseat both ends firmly.
- 3.Replace any damaged cable with an official Starlink replacement.
- 4.Confirm the dish shows 'Online' in the app.
Still stuck? Ask SkyBeam Helper in the bottom-right chat for a fast answer.