“Starlink isn’t working” usually means one of four very different things: the dish can’t see the satellites, the router has stopped handing out a usable signal, a single device has gotten confused, or the whole network is having a bad afternoon. Each has its own fix, and the wrong fix wastes an evening. A factory reset won’t move a tree, and a taller pole won’t help a phone stuck on the 2.4 GHz band in the basement. This guide gives you a quick way to tell the four apart, then walks through the specific situations that send people searching: a wooded lot, a router stuck in the garage, smart plugs that refuse to join, a Mini that keeps rebooting in an RV, a work call that freezes every few minutes, and the support ticket that goes nowhere.
Eight Things to Know Before You Unplug Anything
These are the answers that save the most time. Each one is expanded further down the page.
It usually means your phone isn’t on the Starlink network, so the app can’t reach the dish. Switch your phone’s Wi-Fi to the Starlink network and turn cellular data off for a minute, then look again. The real status is often different.
Yes. Unplug the power from the wall, wait about 30 seconds, plug it back in and give it several minutes. “Searching” during startup is normal. Don’t judge the result until 10 to 15 minutes have passed.
Compare the app’s two advanced tests. If “router to internet” is healthy and “device to router” is poor, the satellites are fine and your Wi-Fi is the bottleneck. Moving the router or adding a mesh node fixes that, not a ticket.
Yes. It wipes your network name and password, and the router comes back broadcasting a network called “STARLINK.” Every device in the house, including smart plugs and cameras, will need to rejoin. Treat it as a last step, not a first one.
Many of them only speak 2.4 GHz, and Starlink combines both bands under one name by default. Turn on the “Split 2.4/5 GHz networks” option under your network name in the app, then connect those devices to the 2.4 GHz name.
Yes, through bypass mode or the Ethernet port. Know the catch first: once a Starlink router is bypassed, you need a factory reset to bring its Wi-Fi back, and Starlink mesh won’t link with third-party mesh systems.
Check for an outage banner in the app, then a crowd-sourced tracker such as Downdetector. If a neighbor’s dish or a Starlink group in your county reports the same thing at the same time, wait it out. Restarting during a network outage changes nothing.
Its main route is a support ticket in the app or your account on starlink.com. Write one issue per ticket and attach screenshots of your speed tests and obstruction map. That shortens the back-and-forth more than anything else.
The Three-Link Test: Where Is the Connection Breaking?
Every Starlink connection is a chain with three links: your device talks to the router over Wi-Fi, the router talks to the dish over a cable (or inside the same box, on the Mini), and the dish talks to satellites overhead. Find the weak link and you know which fix to use.
The Starlink app has a standard speed test, which works like any other online speed check and includes your Wi-Fi in the result. Under the Advanced option it splits the measurement in two. “Device to Router” measures only the wireless hop between your phone and the router. “Router to Internet” measures the Starlink connection itself. Starlink’s own help pages say that a device-to-router number lower than the router-to-internet number means your Wi-Fi is the bottleneck.
Run the advanced test twice: once standing next to the router and once in the room where the problem happens. Starlink suggests doing this inside and outside the house and screenshotting each result. If both numbers are good beside the router but the device number collapses two rooms away, you have a coverage problem. If router-to-internet is poor everywhere, look outside at the dish. For the fairest reading, test outside of the 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. stretch when neighborhood cells are busiest. Starlink’s guidance specifically mentions testing during off-peak hours with third-party hardware removed.
One more check takes ten seconds. Plug a laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable if your router has a port (on the Gen 3 router they sit under a removable cover on the back). If the wired laptop is fast while wireless devices crawl, the dish is fine and the problem is wireless. A local installer described exactly this: a Starlink router tucked in a garage, the Ethernet ports hidden under their cap and never used, and a house full of devices fighting over one weak signal.
What the App’s Messages Actually Mean
The status at the top of the Starlink app is the single most useful clue you have, and the one most people skim past. Here is what each message points to and the first move to make.
| App status | What it usually means | Do this first | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnected | Your phone isn’t on the Starlink network, so the app can’t see the dish | Join the Starlink Wi-Fi, turn cellular data off, reopen the app | Phone is on Starlink Wi-Fi and the app still can’t reach it |
| Offline – Booting | The system is starting up after a restart or power blip | Wait; don’t unplug again mid-boot | Still booting after about 15 minutes |
| Offline – Searching | The dish is looking for satellites; normal right after startup | Give it 10–15 minutes; confirm your service is active in the account | Searching for hours with a clear sky |
| Offline – No Signal Received | The dish is powered but hearing nothing usable | Check the sky view, the dish angle and for an outage notice | Clear sky, no outage, and it persists after a restart |
| Obstructed | Something in the dish’s view has hurt performance recently | Run “Check for Obstructions”; look for snow, leaves, a fallen dish | The obstruction map is clean and drops continue |
| Unexpected Location | The dish is being used away from the address on a home plan | Return it to the service address or move to a travel plan | You’re at your registered address and still see it |
| Online | The Starlink link is up; any slowness is local or congestion | Run the Advanced Speed Test (device vs. router) | Router-to-internet is far below your plan off-peak |
Two habits make these messages more reliable. First, always read them while your phone is on the Starlink network. A phone that quietly switched to cellular will show “Disconnected” even when the dish is fine, and plenty of panicked support tickets begin there. Second, if the app won’t load at all, open a browser on any device connected to Starlink and type dishy.starlink.com or 192.168.100.1. That opens the same dish status and statistics without the app.
“Obstructed” deserves a closer look because it isn’t always a tree. Starlink’s support pages list dead leaves, soil and snow buildup on the dish face, and a dish that has fallen over, as other causes. The dish melts ordinary snow on its own, but a blizzard can leave a temporary layer. Starlink also notes that the obstruction banner may fade as the system learns its surroundings, so a warning in the first day after setup isn’t a final verdict.
“Unexpected Location” catches people who take a home-plan dish to a cabin or campground. A Residential plan is tied to one address. The fix is a billing change to a travel plan, not anything technical, and no amount of resetting will get around it.
Restart, Reset or Reseat: Doing Them in the Right Order
A restart clears temporary glitches and changes nothing else. A factory reset wipes your network setup and forces every device to rejoin. Reseating cables fixes problems that neither of the other two can. Here’s the order that wastes the least time.
- Restart from the wall. Unplug the power supply or router from the outlet, not just the dish cable. Wait about 30 seconds, plug it back in, then leave it alone. Starting up and searching can take several minutes, and the 5gstore field guide suggests checking again after 10 to 15.
- Reseat every connector. Power the system down first. Unplug and firmly reconnect the dish cable and the router cable, checking that connectors sit flush. Starlink’s setup guides note that the cable into a Gen 3 router should sit flush with its back. Look along the run for a crushed spot under a window or door. Starlink tells installers not to bend the cable sharply or jam it into gaps.
- Try another outlet. A failing power strip, a tripped GFCI outlet in a garage or an overloaded RV inverter can all look like a broken dish. Plug straight into a wall outlet you know works.
- Check the light. On the Gen 3 router the light should be solid white after setup and then switch itself off after about 30 minutes, so a dark router isn’t automatically a dead one. On the Starlink Mini, no light means no power.
- Factory reset only the router, and only last. Use the method for your hardware in the table below. Then reconnect to the network named “STARLINK” and set your old name and password again in the app. Reusing your old network name and password saves you from re-pairing many smart devices.
| Hardware | App reset | Manual reset | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 3 router | Settings → Router → Factory Reset | Press the reset button under the LAN port cap on the back with a paper clip | App reset is unavailable in bypass mode |
| Gen 2 router | Settings → Router → Factory Reset | No button: unplug and replug power 6 times in a row | Needs the Ethernet Adapter for any wired device |
| Starlink Mini | Settings → Router → Factory Reset | Reset icon on the back, or 6 rapid power cycles about 2–3 seconds apart | The LED blinks fast for 3 seconds while you hold reset |
| Starlink mesh nodes | Re-add in the app afterward | Reset each node after the main router, using its own method | Nodes left un-reset won’t rejoin the new network |
| Router in bypass mode | Not available | Manual reset is the only way back to Starlink Wi-Fi | Decide before you enable bypass |
Bypass mode turns off the Starlink router’s Wi-Fi so your own router can take over. It’s the right move if you already own a strong mesh system. But Starlink’s setup guides say plainly that a factory reset is required to leave bypass mode, and while it’s on, the Wi-Fi settings in the Starlink app disappear. If someone in your house “just turned on bypass to test something,” that explains why the Starlink network vanished and the app’s Wi-Fi menu went blank.
When Starlink Is Online but the Wi-Fi Is Weak
This is the most fixable problem on the page and the most common. The satellites are delivering; the signal just isn’t surviving the trip through your walls.
Placement does more than any setting
Starlink calls router placement critical to a strong Wi-Fi connection, and its advice is specific. Put the router in the open, not inside a cabinet, media console or closet. Stand it upright on its base instead of laying it on its side. Keep it away from microwaves, refrigerators, thick metal, concrete or brick, fluorescent lights and neighboring networks, ideally at least 20 feet from those sources. Older devices can also drag a network down, because they may not support the router’s newer features.
The practical problem is that the dish cable enters the house wherever the installer found it easiest, which is often a garage, a utility room or the far end of the house. Rather than moving the dish cable, move the Wi-Fi. A long Ethernet run from the router to a central hallway, with a mesh node or a third-party access point at the end, puts the signal where people actually sit.
Which Starlink router you have changes the ceiling
| Router | Wi-Fi | Listed coverage | Ethernet | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 3 router | Wi-Fi 6, tri-band | Up to 3,200 ft² | 2 latching LAN ports under a cover | Main router for most homes; up to 3 Starlink mesh nodes |
| Router Mini | Wi-Fi 6, dual-band | About 1,300 ft² per unit | Ethernet ports for wired backhaul | Cheap mesh node or a router for the Mini |
| Starlink Mini (built-in) | Wi-Fi 5, dual-band | Up to about 1,200 ft² | 1 latching port | Vans, cabins, small spaces |
| Gen 2 router | Wi-Fi 5 | Varies | None without the Ethernet Adapter | Older kits; add the adapter before blaming speeds |
Use the app’s Wi-Fi tools before you buy anything
The Starlink app includes a Range tool that measures your Wi-Fi signal strength as you walk through the house and gives you a summary at the end. Its Network tab shows how strong each connected device’s signal is. Walk the house once with the Range tool and you’ll know exactly where a mesh node belongs, usually about halfway between the router and the dead zone, not inside the dead zone itself. A node placed where the signal is already gone has nothing good to repeat.
The two bands behave differently, and Starlink’s own explanation is a useful rule of thumb. The 2.4 GHz band reaches farther but picks up more interference. The 5 GHz band carries more speed over a shorter distance and struggles through walls. Laptops, TVs and game consoles near the router belong on 5 GHz. Devices that sit far away, or that only support 2.4 GHz, belong on the other one.
A mesh node connected back to the router by Ethernet doesn’t have to spend half its airtime talking to the router, so it delivers noticeably better speed than a wireless node in the same spot. Gen 3 routers have two Ethernet ports, and a basic network switch adds more if the TV, a desktop and a game console all want a cable. On a Gen 2 kit, any wired connection requires Starlink’s Ethernet Adapter. On the Mini, Starlink warns that a third-party RJ45 cable cancels its waterproof rating, so use the Mini-specific cable outdoors.
Find Your Situation
Generic checklists treat every outage the same. These are the specific scenarios behind most “Starlink Wi-Fi not working” searches, with the fix that actually applies to each.
Short, repeating dropouts are the signature of an obstruction, not a broken router. The dish switches between satellites constantly, and when a branch or roof edge sits in the path of the next one, the connection blinks. Open the obstruction map in the app. Red patches show where the blockage is. Raise the dish, move it, or trim. Check again in full leaf season, because a winter scan will make a summer tree look harmless.
If the map is clean and drops continue, check whether they line up with someone starting the microwave, a garage door opener or the furnace kicking on. That points back to Wi-Fi interference near the router rather than to the sky.
Streaming apps buffer several seconds ahead, so a one-second dropout disappears inside the buffer. A live call has no buffer, so you notice every hiccup. That’s why work calls often expose problems that TV never does. Connect the work laptop by Ethernet if at all possible, put it on 5 GHz if not, and keep a phone hotspot ready as a fallback. Upload speed is usually the weaker half of a Starlink connection, so ask family members to pause cloud photo backups during important calls.
If calls fail at the same moments every day, compare against the obstruction map’s timeline. A satellite path that crosses a tree at the same angle will produce the same dropouts on a schedule.
This is a band problem almost every time. By default Starlink broadcasts 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under one name and picks a band for each device, and many smart-home gadgets only work on 2.4 GHz. Device makers such as SimpliSafe and Evnex publish Starlink-specific instructions for exactly this. In the Starlink app, tap your network name in Settings and turn on Split 2.4/5 GHz networks. Saving restarts the router; SimpliSafe says internet drops for roughly 30 to 60 seconds. Then join the stubborn device to the 2.4 GHz name.
During setup, many smart devices also require your phone to be on the same 2.4 GHz network, so switch your phone over temporarily. If the option is missing, your router may be in bypass mode, in which case you split the bands on your own router instead.
When the app reads Online and every other device is fine, the problem lives in the one device. Forget the Starlink network on that device and rejoin it. Turn off any VPN, iCloud Private Relay or custom DNS settings briefly to test, then turn them back on one at a time. Restart the device itself. If the device has a “private” or randomized Wi-Fi address and you’ve set up device-specific rules in the app, that randomized address can make the router treat it as a stranger.
Random reboots on a Mini are frequently a power problem dressed up as a Wi-Fi problem. Starlink lists an input range of 12 to 48 volts and recommends a 100-watt USB-C power supply or its car adapter. It also says that supplying power at a higher voltage can improve performance. A cheap USB-C charger, a long thin 12-volt run or a battery sagging under a fridge’s compressor can all drop the Mini offline. Use a rated supply, keep the cable short and thick, and watch whether reboots line up with other loads switching on.
The Mini’s built-in Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 5 rated for about 1,200 square feet, which is plenty for a van but thin for a fifth wheel with a metal shell. A Router Mini placed inside, connected by the Mini cable, is the inexpensive fix. And if the app shows “Unexpected Location,” check that you’re on a travel plan, not a home plan.
After a storm, walk out and look at the dish before touching any settings. Starlink lists a fallen dish and debris on its face as causes of “Obstructed.” After a power outage, give the system its full boot and search time; surges can also damage a power supply, so if the router stays dark on a known-good outlet, that part is the suspect. After a move, update your service address in the account first. A home plan won’t run at a new address until that change goes through, and a busy area can attach a one-time fee when you make it.
If both the device and router numbers drop together between roughly 7 and 11 p.m. and recover by morning, you’re seeing congestion in your local cell, not a fault. Wi-Fi fixes won’t help. Plans with higher network priority are Starlink’s answer to slow evenings, so price one only after you’ve confirmed that the pattern is consistent across several days. Keep screenshots of morning and evening tests side by side; they’re the most useful thing you can attach to a ticket if you think the slowdown is unreasonable.
Home Starlink service generally doesn’t give you a public IPv4 address you can forward ports on, which breaks some multiplayer hosting, remote access to security cameras and self-hosted servers. That isn’t a fault you can reset away. Options include apps that connect through the manufacturer’s cloud, services that support IPv6, or a tunneling tool on your own network. Plain online play usually works because the game’s servers handle the connection.
A failed payment, an expired card or a service pause can look exactly like a hardware failure from inside the house. Open the account section of the app on cellular data and check for a notice. If you put the dish in Standby Mode for the off-season, remember that it drops to a very slow connection meant for basic messaging, roughly 500 Kbps, not normal browsing.
Is Starlink Down for Everyone?
Network-wide outages are uncommon, but they happen, and on those days nothing in your house will fix it. Recognizing one quickly saves you from resetting a router that was never the problem.
The largest recent event came on July 24 of last year. Starlink’s vice president of engineering said it lasted about two and a half hours and traced it to a failure of key internal software services that run the core network. Downdetector logged up to about 61,000 reports. A shorter disruption on September 15 peaked at more than 43,000 U.S. reports before falling below 1,000 within hours. Both were problems inside Starlink’s network. Customers who spent those hours factory-resetting routers gained nothing and lost their Wi-Fi settings.
A quick way to tell: an outage notice in the app, a sudden spike on Downdetector, and posts from people in other states describing the same thing at the same time. If all three line up, stop troubleshooting. If only you are affected, the problem is local, and the sections above apply.
Starlink’s support pages say outage credits are tied to service-level agreements on its priority business plans, not standard home or travel plans. Some customers report receiving goodwill credits after asking, so it costs nothing to request one in writing, with the start and end times of the outage. If you work from home, a cheap cellular hotspot plan is the realistic insurance policy.
Getting Help When Nothing Works
Starlink’s support runs mainly through tickets, and the quality of your first message decides how many rounds it takes. Make it easy for the agent to skip the scripted steps.
- Wait out a fair test. Starlink-focused guides commonly suggest opening a ticket once you’ve restarted, reseated cables and checked obstructions and the system is still offline after about 30 minutes.
- Collect evidence before you write. Screenshot the app’s home status, the obstruction map, a standard speed test and both advanced tests, plus the exact wording of any alert. Note your hardware generation.
- Open one ticket for one problem. In the app, go to Support, or use the Support section of your account on starlink.com. Put the dates, the hardware and the outcome you want in the first two lines.
- List what you already tried. “Power cycled from the wall, reseated both cables, different outlet, clean obstruction map, factory reset on the 21st” saves a full exchange.
- Ask about replacement directly. If the hardware is under warranty and still fails after a reset, ask whether a replacement is the next step. Keep every confirmation email.
If a ticket stalls on a billing or service issue rather than a technical one, U.S. customers have outside options. The FCC accepts consumer complaints about internet service, your state attorney general’s consumer protection office handles billing and refund disputes, and if you paid by credit card for something not delivered, your card issuer’s dispute process has deadlines that a slow ticket can run past.
Questions People Ask Next
Why is my Starlink Wi-Fi network not showing up at all?
Either the router has no power, it’s in bypass mode, or it has been factory reset and is now broadcasting the default name “STARLINK.” Check the router’s light, look for a network with that default name, and remember that bypass mode hides Starlink’s Wi-Fi until you reset it.
How long should I wait after restarting Starlink?
Give it several minutes and don’t judge the result before 10 to 15 minutes. Seeing “Booting” and then “Searching” is normal during startup. Unplugging again partway through just restarts the clock.
Does weather knock out Starlink Wi-Fi?
Heavy rain or snow can slow the satellite link, and a buildup of snow or debris on the dish can interrupt it. Your indoor Wi-Fi isn’t affected by weather. If only the far rooms are slow on a clear day, that’s a Wi-Fi coverage issue, not the sky.
Can I mix a third-party mesh system with Starlink mesh?
No. Starlink mesh works only with Starlink routers and nodes. To use another brand, connect it through Ethernet and put the Starlink router in bypass mode, or use the other system on its own.
Why is my speed test fast on the app but slow on my laptop?
The app’s router-to-internet test measures only the Starlink connection. A browser test on the laptop includes your Wi-Fi, the laptop’s own adapter and anything running on it. A big gap between the two points to the Wi-Fi hop or the device.
Will a factory reset fix slow speeds?
Rarely. A reset clears corrupted settings and forgotten passwords. It doesn’t move the router, clear a tree or relieve evening congestion. Try it only after restarts, cable checks and placement changes have failed.
How this page was checked. Steps, menu names and hardware details were compared against Starlink’s published support articles and setup guides, plus device makers’ Starlink instructions, on October 21. Outage figures come from news reports citing Downdetector and Starlink’s own statements. Coverage figures are manufacturer and retailer listings, not our own measurements. Starlink updates its app and firmware often, so a menu may be renamed or moved by the time you read this. Prices labeled “launched at” may have changed.
This page is independent and is not affiliated with Starlink or SpaceX. Climbing onto a roof to reach a dish is dangerous; if you can’t reach it safely, Starlink’s own guidance is to seek professional help.
Key sources: Starlink.com support articles and router setup guides · Reuters · FCC Consumer Complaint Center