The following guide will explore the Starlink VPN. There is a great precedent for using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the modern age of the internet.
With the rampant increase of ransomware and other cyber attacks, VPNs are now almost compulsory for safe internet browsing.
You can easily add a VPN to your cable-based internet service, but can you do the same for Starlink?
Moreover, does Starlink have its own dedicated VPN that you can simply activate? If so, why should you activate or use a VPN with Starlink?
These are some of the questions we will answer in the following guide.
Why You Should Use a VPN with Starlink
VPNs have become popular over the last decade. According to Forbes, roughly 33% of all global internet users have a VPN.
The most frequent reason these users utilized a VPN was to increase their internet security. But why and how does it work exactly?
Security
A VPN’s main purpose is to enable you to surf the internet in near anonymity. As privacy and security have become major concerns for most internet users, VPNs have become crucial elements of cybersecurity.
Not only have everyday consumers adopted for personal use, but they’ve become a network mainstay for large corporations.
Many websites and online services store your information (such as location and IP address).
They then either sell this information off or use it to target you with ads and spam.
Social media sites such as Facebook rank last in digital trust with consumers because of their shaky history with data privacy.
Websites tracking and spamming you aren’t just annoying and inconvenient. Bad actors can also access this information to crack your passwords.
Using a VPN hides your internet activity and lowers the chances of bad actors spying on you while browsing.
VPNs work by creating tunnels to distant servers in other countries. A good VPN allows you to choose what region you’d like to connect to and through.
This allows you to mask your location and other personal information. Moreover, a good VPN should also encrypt your connection for enhanced security.
[Laptop Cybersecurity Image]
Circumventing Starlink’s Limitations
Whereas Starlink Business uses a static/Public IP, the residential, mobile, and marine use Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT).
Because of IPv4 exhaustion, public addresses are limited.
CGNAT addresses this problem by sharing IP addresses between multiple users. However, this makes port-forwarding nearly impossible because of how CGNAT assigns IP addresses.
As such, some websites may have high latency or are completely inaccessible through a Starlink internet connection.
Starlink triumphs over other satellite-based internet service providers (ISPs) in its low latency and high download speeds.
This makes it ideal for gaming. However, because of CGNAT’s limitations, you can’t host your own gaming server through a naked Starlink internet connection.
VPNs allow you to overcome some of these limitations. In addition to CGNAT’s restrictions, you can overcome some of your regional limitations. VPNs allow you to access geo-blocked content as they can spoof your location.
[Smartphone with Geoblocked Content]
Disadvantage of Using A VPN with Starlink
Despite Starlink being available in your area, it may not perform consistently. After all, it’s susceptible to outside influences such as a change in weather.
The fact is users in different regions will experience varying Starlink connection quality. VPNs don’t improve internet speed performance. Instead, they tend to worsen it.
With a VPN, latency may increase by up to 100%. Your download speeds may also take a hit. That’s just the nature of the beast.
As such, it’s best to test and note your current speeds and latency before selecting a VPN.
In addition to security, cost, the number of servers, and logging policy, you must consider the impact a VPN will have on your connection’s performance.
Of course, the VPN Server you connect to and its location will also affect your performance. What are your options?
Best VPN for Starlink
Since Starlink doesn’t have a VPN, you must subscribe to one. There are several VPNs on the market. Some of the best include:
[Woman pointing at VPN on her phone]
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN services in the world. It offers unlimited bandwidth, boosted server connections, and 160 locations in over 94 countries.
Each of their servers features Private DNS and transfer boosts. This means that they can reach connection speeds of up to 10Gbps. This minimizes impacts on latency and transfer speeds.
NordVPN
NordVPN is popular for its security features. It uses 256 Galois/Counter Mode (256-GCM) encryption to hide transferred data.
Some websites and services can detect you using a VPN to forward all your traffic.
NordVPN’s Obfuscation Mode allows you to circumvent such detections. Nord has over 5600 servers in over 59 countries.
ProtonVPN
If you find the previous options too expensive, consider ProtonVPN. It features a free and premium price plans that include a lifetime plan.
Additionally, it has over 1750 servers spread across over 63 countries. The service utilizes various protocols and technologies for enhanced security.
This includes WireGuard, Stealth, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. ProtonVPN respects your privacy. As such, it has a strict no-logging policy.
PIA VPN
Private Internet Access(PIA) is another alternative VPN for Starlink users. Its key selling point is its VPN server boosters, which can reach connection speeds of as much as 10GBps.
This lowers latency and increases download speeds. PIA is also known for its competitive prices. It’s one of the most affordable VPNs on the market.
It’s also secure as it utilizes tunneling protocols such as OpenVPN and WIreguard. In terms of coverage, it features over 35,000 servers in over 80 different locations.
CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost’s main objective is to help you bypass geo-blocks and access content across the globe.
It also has one of the friendliest user interfaces. CyberGhost VPN has over 9000 servers in over 90 locations globally.
It comes with a quick-connect button and a kill switch. The service is also very secure. It supports a multitude of tunneling protocols and features 256-bit encryption.
How to Add a VPN Service To Starlink
Most manufacturers allow you to install a VPN directly on the router through its firmware.
However, because the Standard Kit’s router uses CGNAT for authentication, this isn’t possible unless you bypass the router.
Fortunately, most VPN services function through software you can download or access through a web browser. You can use the following steps to configure and run your VPN:
- You’ll need a different app for each device you plan to run the VPN from. For instance, if you use an Android handheld device, you’ll have to use the Google Play Store to download the VPN app. Once you’ve identified your device’s OS, download and install the application for the VPN Service on your device.
- Ensure that your device is connected to your Starlink network and can access the internet from it. You can use a PING command to ascertain the stability of your network connection.
- Next, launch the VPN app/program. The VPN app software should have a wizard to make things easier to set up for you. Follow the on-screen prompts to configure it. If you get stuck, you can visit the VPN service’s website for troubleshooting instructions.
- Once you’re done configuring the service and have signed into your VPN’s user account, you’ll be required to select a region.
- Tap/click on the connect button (if prompted).
[Connecting to a VPN]
The VPN should take a few moments to load and establish the connection. You’ll be alerted once the VPN successfully creates a tunnel and connects to your chosen server.
Final Word
In the above guide, we explored Starlink VPN. Unfortunately, Starlink doesn’t come with its own VPN. Nevertheless, plenty of VPNs are available to you – some are better than others.
The quality of the VPN depends on more than just how expensive it is. You must ensure that it is secure and has many servers. It should also have decent support and coverage in your area.
Regardless, we hope that you’ve found this guide to be helpful. As always, thank you for reading.