How to test your Starlink speed
- Connect a laptop or phone to your Starlink WiFi and stand close to the router – or, better, use an Ethernet cable if your router or adapter has a port.
- Pause downloads, streaming and video calls on other devices so they don’t share the connection during the test.
- Press START above and wait about 30 seconds for download, upload, ping and jitter.
- Repeat the test at different times of the day. Satellite speeds change with network load and weather, so one result is never the full picture.
What speed should you get from Starlink?
Starlink publishes typical speed ranges rather than a fixed speed. Results depend on your plan, your location, how many people share the satellites in your area and whether your dish has a clear view of the sky.
| Measurement | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Download | about 25–220 Mbps | Most residential users see roughly 50–200 Mbps |
| Upload | about 5–20 Mbps | Enough for video calls; slow for very large uploads |
| Latency (ping) | about 25–60 ms | Much lower than older geostationary satellite internet |
Plans and speed ranges change regularly, so check your current plan in the Starlink app or account page.
Why is my Starlink slow?
- Obstructions – trees, roofs and chimneys block the dish’s view of the sky and cause drops. This is the most common cause.
- Peak hours – in busy areas, evening speeds can be noticeably lower than morning speeds.
- Weather – heavy rain or snow on the dish can reduce speed temporarily.
- WiFi range – the Starlink router is often placed near the dish cable, far from where you use the internet.
- Too many devices – large downloads or 4K streams on other devices use most of the available bandwidth.
How to improve your Starlink speed
- Open the obstruction map in the Starlink app and move the dish to the spot with the clearest view of the sky.
- Mount the dish higher (on a pole or the roof) if trees or buildings are in the way.
- Move the router to a central location, or add a mesh WiFi node in the rooms where the signal is weak.
- Use a wired connection for gaming consoles, TVs and work computers.
- Restart the router and dish from the app if speeds drop suddenly and stay low.
- Schedule large downloads and game updates for the night, when the network is less busy.
Frequently asked questions
Is Starlink good for gaming?
Often yes. With a clear view of the sky, ping is usually in the 25–60 ms range, which is fine for most online games. Short dropouts caused by obstructions are the main problem, so check your obstruction map first. Use our ping test to measure jitter and packet loss.
Why are my Starlink results different every time?
Your dish constantly switches between moving satellites, and the number of users sharing them changes during the day. Small differences between tests are normal; large drops usually point to obstructions or congestion.
Does this test use Starlink’s servers?
No. WiFiTest measures your connection to the nearest Cloudflare server, which reflects the speed you get when browsing and streaming on the open internet.