1. Move the Dish Higher
This is the single most impactful thing you can do. If your dish is on the ground, move it to the roof. If it is on a low section of the roof, move it to the peak. Every foot of height gives the dish a wider view of the sky and reduces obstructions.
We have seen customers go from 60 Mbps on a ground mount to 180 Mbps on a roof mount at the same property. The improvement is not subtle.
2. Check the Starlink App for Obstructions
Open the Starlink app, go to the obstruction viewer, and look at the red zones. Red areas represent directions where something is blocking the dish's view of satellites. Trees are the most common culprit. If you see red, consider trimming branches or relocating the dish to a spot with a clearer view.
Even 2 to 3 percent obstruction can cause noticeable speed drops and intermittent disconnections. Aim for zero obstruction if possible.
3. Use Ethernet Instead of Wi-Fi
The Starlink router is decent but not exceptional. Wi-Fi adds overhead, interference, and distance-based signal loss. If you can connect your computer or streaming device directly to the router with an Ethernet cable, you will see higher and more consistent speeds.
The Gen 3 Starlink router has an Ethernet port built in. If you have an older model without one, you can buy the Starlink Ethernet adapter for about $25.
4. Relocate Your Router
Wi-Fi signal degrades with distance and through walls. If your Starlink router is in the corner of your house and you are testing speeds three rooms away, you are testing your Wi-Fi, not your Starlink connection.
Move the router to a central location in your home. Place it on a shelf or table, not on the floor and not inside a closet or cabinet. If your home layout forces the router to be in a bad spot because of where the cable enters, consider a mesh Wi-Fi system to extend coverage.
5. Reduce Network Congestion
If your household has 15 devices connected and someone is uploading a large file while two people stream video, speeds will drop for everyone. Starlink's bandwidth is shared across all connected devices.
Check what devices are connected to your network and disconnect anything that does not need to be online. Smart home devices, old phones, and tablets left on Wi-Fi all consume bandwidth in the background.
6. Test at Different Times of Day
Starlink speeds vary by time of day. Peak hours (roughly 6 PM to 11 PM local time) typically see lower speeds because more people in your area are using the network. If you consistently test during peak hours, your results will be lower than what you see at 6 AM or 2 PM.
Run speed tests at multiple times to get a realistic picture of your connection. If peak hour speeds are too slow for your needs, consider upgrading to a higher tier plan that includes priority data.
7. Upgrade Your Plan Tier
Starlink's $50 per month plan caps at 100 Mbps and may deprioritize your traffic during congestion. The $80 plan offers up to 200 Mbps, and the $120 MAX plan goes up to 400 Mbps with priority data.
If you are on the entry-level plan and unhappy with peak-hour speeds, upgrading one tier often solves the problem. The $30 per month difference between the $50 and $80 plans is the most cost-effective upgrade available.
8. Update Your Dish Firmware
Starlink pushes firmware updates to dishes automatically, but sometimes an update gets stuck or your dish falls behind. In the Starlink app, check your firmware version under Settings and Advanced. If an update is available, restart the dish to trigger it.
Firmware updates can improve speed, reduce latency, and fix bugs. SpaceX releases them regularly.
9. Add a Third-Party Router
If you have already optimized dish placement and still get poor Wi-Fi coverage, replace the Starlink router with a better one. The Starlink dish can work in bypass mode, passing its internet connection to any standard Wi-Fi router.
Mesh systems from TP-Link, Eero, or Ubiquiti provide much better whole-home coverage than the stock Starlink router. For a large home or property with outbuildings, this is often the missing piece.
What Does Not Work
"Signal boosters" and scam products. There is no device you can attach to a Starlink dish to boost its signal. Products marketed this way are scams.
VPN for speed. Using a VPN will not make Starlink faster. It adds overhead and usually makes your connection slightly slower.
Pointing the dish manually. The Starlink dish adjusts its angle automatically using motors to track satellites. You do not need to (and should not) manually tilt or aim it.
If you have tried everything on this list and your speeds are still disappointing, the issue may be your dish location. A professional site assessment can identify obstructions that are hard to spot from the ground. Schedule an assessment and we will find the best setup for your property.