Starlink ..... modem/router ?

[winningteam]

I want to upgrade my current starlink set up and I'm technically challenge enough to be dangerous. My last post was asking about dual wan routers so I can create a failover process between my Verizon and starlink. I have now received several suggestions but I am confused. Do I need a modem a router or a combo?

[docj]

Originally Posted by winningteam

I want to upgrade my current starlink set up and I'm technically challenge enough to be dangerous. My last post was asking about dual wan routers so I can create a failover process between my Verizon and starlink. I have now received several suggestions but I am confused. Do I need a modem a router or a combo?

If you want to create a failover between your Verizon and your Starlink you will need a router that can select (combine) signals from multiple internet connections.

A modem is a device inside your Verizon phone or hotspot and it interacts with the cellular network to put information onto the network and retrieve your information from it.

Quite honestly, as someone who has had Starlink residential for more than a year, I have found very little need to worry about failover setups unless you do a lot of Zoom meetings or watch a lot of live sports. Despite the fact that a lot is posted about Starlink slowdowns and outages, the speed has always adequate for me to stream a HDTV video and the total outages over the past 12 hours usually amount to less than 2 minutes total. Of course, the caveat is that I have a residential connection which has higher priority than RV connections.

[winningteam]

Originally Posted by docj

If you want to create a failover between your Verizon and your Starlink you will need a router that can select (combine) signals from multiple internet connections.



A modem is a device inside your Verizon phone or hotspot and it interacts with the cellular network to put information onto the network and retrieve your information from it.



Quite honestly, as someone who has had Starlink residential for more than a year, I have found very little need to worry about failover setups unless you do a lot of Zoom meetings or watch a lot of live sports. Despite the fact that a lot is posted about Starlink slowdowns and outages, the speed has always adequate for me to stream a HDTV video and the total outages over the past 12 hours usually amount to less than 2 minutes total. Of course, the caveat is that I have a residential connection which has higher priority than RV connections.

I have residential and still get variable speeds. I use it for work and video conference and am hoping to have a more consistent stable connection

[mike625]

Originally Posted by winningteam

I have residential and still get variable speeds. I use it for work and video conference and am hoping to have a more consistent stable connection

At this point I would ask what issues are you having with your starlink setup because depending on location starlink performance can vary greatly.

Are you traveling with your starlink / how long are you staying in one location / does your issues happen at every location?

[docj]

Originally Posted by winningteam

I have residential and still get variable speeds. I use it for work and video conference and am hoping to have a more consistent stable connection

The issue that most affects video conferencing is, most probably, the "switchover" from one satellite to another. When I look at my SL app I see a large number of outages in the range of 01.s to 1.0 s. They can occur as frequently as every couple of minutes. Recently I opened a support ticket to ask about these and the response was to explain that I was, indeed, seeing this satellite to satellite handoffs.

I was told that as the number of satellites increases the duration of these outages will reduce (the "spacing" between satellites will be less) but, of course, they will always be there.

Rather than running a "failover" setup I am using a load balanced connection using my Verizon hotspot along with my Starlink. I find that load balancing seems to work better than any kind of active failover or hot standby arrangement.

I would think that World Cup soccer would provide a good test of any arrangement you implement. I doubt that the video stream has much, if any, buffer so it ought to be analogous to a Zoom meeting.

[winningteam]

Originally Posted by docj

If you want to create a failover between your Verizon and your Starlink you will need a router that can select (combine) signals from multiple internet connections.



A modem is a device inside your Verizon phone or hotspot and it interacts with the cellular network to put information onto the network and retrieve your information from it.



Quite honestly, as someone who has had Starlink residential for more than a year, I have found very little need to worry about failover setups unless you do a lot of Zoom meetings or watch a lot of live sports. Despite the fact that a lot is posted about Starlink slowdowns and outages, the speed has always adequate for me to stream a HDTV video and the total outages over the past 12 hours usually amount to less than 2 minutes total. Of course, the caveat is that I have a residential connection which has higher priority than RV connections.

I will be using starlink.for.work and teams.meeting I'm alaska and.the.current service there.leaves a lot to be desired. I am.willing to wait but need to be efficient while I wait