Most of us are interested in how to read the Starlink speed test. It’s a useful skill when you need to find out why your internet runs slower than a snail.
But doing this from the app isn’t obvious because it measures three different speeds. This article covers everything to get you on track. So, let’s dive right into it!
What Does A Speed Test Do For You?
If you’re experiencing low to heavy internet slowdowns, a speed test is perfect. It lets you know how fast it’s running and whether there’s enough bandwidth.
You can also use it to compare the ongoing speeds with the data plan you picked. That way, you can determine if something’s happening with the Starlink internet.
Reasons You Have Internet Slowness
Starlink satellite in space.
Of course, you need to remember that certain things will affect your internet in a big way. So make sure you look through these when trying to pinpoint the issue:
Poor Weather
Heavy rainfall can disrupt Starlink.
Ultimately, bad weather can play a big role in Starlink download/upload speeds slowing down.
Heavy rain or snow can stop your dish from getting a strong satellite signal since it blocks the path.
It’s almost like hitting a wall — but if you’re curious enough, perform a speed test during rough conditions. It’ll tell you that the weather is making a huge impact on the internet.
Bad Hardware
Image showing a router.
Sometimes hardware — your router or satellite dish, for example, stops working properly. And that usually hinders your ability to always gain the best Starlink speeds.
You have to contact Starlink support and order a new one. But first, they’ll remotely look at the hardware to locate the root of the problem.
Network Congestion
Starlink users face a massive drawback — network congestion. That just means traffic is too high for the internet service to handle simply because there aren’t enough orbiting satellites.
So, when the peak hours hit (5 pm – 10 pm), you’ll notice a change in speed and bandwidth.
Doing a speed test before or after peak hours will help determine if network congestion is at fault. Be sure to test your speeds during peak hours to get a better impression of it.
From there, you can look at both results and see the best time to use Starlink.
Wi-Fi
An example of WiFi.
Pretty much everyone uses WiFi for their internet these days. However, that could also be why your Starlink is slowing down.
To test this out, open the Starlink app and press ‘Network.’ You’ll see a WiFi meter that checks each device’s signal strength on the screen.
If the signal is weaker in different rooms, you will most likely have a worse WiFi range. And that causes slower internet speeds around those parts of the house.
Go near your router and launch the speed test. This will indicate whether the signal is to blame if you get higher speeds.
Buying and setting up Starlink mesh can make the WiFi range better in your home for a stronger connection.
Speeds Offered By Starlink
Checking Starlink’s internet plans will help you decide where you should be regarding speed.
Users only have three choices: Standard, Business, or RV, each with different speeds.
For example, the standard provides 20-100 Mbps (download) and 5-15 Mbps (upload).
Meanwhile, business comes with 40-220 Mbps download/8-25 Mbps upload.
Finally, the RV option is a bit slower — downloads of 5-50 Mbps and uploads of 2-10 Mbps.
Starlink subscribers have reached speeds of 60-100+ MBPS (download) and 5-20 MBPS (upload) on average.
That’s pretty much the number you should get or aim for when running the speed test.
Checking The Speed
Speed checking is very easy.
Did you know you can use the Starlink app for speed tests? Just select that option from the main page after opening the app.
Then, wait a few minutes for everything to finish. All these results split into three circles: blue, green, and white.
Blue
The blue circle (middle) is the most important because it measures how much total bandwidth your home receives.
And all devices on the network share the bandwidth. That means they will use it up, so less is available, affecting your internet.
Green
Your device receives the download/upload speed and latency from the router.
The green circle displays those numbers, which might shrink/grow due to obstructions in your device and router’s path.
Furthermore, a detailed graph shows how it does during the test.
White
Lastly, the white circle shows your device’s connection strength with the router. This can be very useful if you have a hard time with connectivity.
It represents the potential speed your device could get with the right bandwidth.
You Can Always Boost It
There are plenty of things you can do to improve the lower-than-normal speeds. One of them involves doing an obstruction check.
Starlink’s app features a sky-scanning tool that helps you ensure the path from your dish to the satellite is clear. Other fixes include:
- Connecting via an Ethernet cable could stop the annoyance of WiFi from popping up again.
- It can significantly change the router settings by splitting the 2.4 and 5 GHz channels. That’s because some devices may only work with 2.4 GHz.
- Shut off gadgets you aren’t using — these eat up bandwidth and slow everything down.
How To Fix The Speed Test If It Won’t Work
Sadly, you might run into problems or errors when you try to run the speed test.
And that’s frustrating! In such cases, the ‘Loading Targets’ keeps running forever. One way to fix this is to restart the Starlink app.
But after opening the app again, a ‘NON-STARLINK SPEED TEST’ message could pop up.
This is very fixable — simply go to the phone’s home screen and return to where you were before without closing it.
Other methods like restarting your phone, deleting/adding the app again, or resetting the internet should also work.
Additionally, Starlink releases a new update every so often, and installing the newest version could make those glitches disappear.
Summary
You can sit back, relax, and use the internet in peace again! Sadly, it’s possible problems might come back when you least expect them.
That’ll drag things out and dampen your internet time. Just remember, it’s not the end of the world — refer to the tips above to get everything sorted!