Multiple Internet Connections

Using multiple internet connections can provide several benefits, including:

1. Increased internet speed: Combining multiple internet connections can lead to faster internet speeds. This is especially useful for downloading large files or streaming high-quality videos.
2. Improved reliability: If one internet connection goes down, having multiple connections ensures that you are still able to stay connected to the internet.
3. Load balancing: Multiple internet connections can be used to spread out the load across the different connections, resulting in a more stable network.
4. Cost savings: Instead of relying on one expensive and high-speed internet connection, combining several cheaper connections can provide the same level of service at a lower cost.

With the recent issues with Virgin Media, we decided a backup connection would be useful, and with the updated v3 firmware on the Unifi Dream Machine Pro, having a second connection now works with both failover and basic load balancing. And of course with the cost of living crisis we’re living through its still cheaper running 2 connections than a single leased line, like the one we disconnect about 18 months ago.

I looked at FTTC connections, but once including a phone line which we were never going to use the price was peaking around £35-40 a month, for a max speed of about 30mbit on a good day with the wind behind it!

I wanted completely different technology to virgin’s cable modem, a customer of mine had recently installed Starlink in their Devon property in the middle of nowhere, and were very pleased with it.

I checked out several review sites, which were all pretty positive about the product, so thought i’d think about ordering, there’s a deal running at the moment whereby the kit price is reduced from £460 to £300, three days later I had the kit in my sweaty little hands and installed the following morning.

My install went pretty smoothly, the only issue I encountered was I couldn’t get up on the roof to install the dish, as i am not good with heights. The only other place i could find an unobstructed view of the sky was on the shed at the end of the garden. The setup came with a 75 foot cable, which was just enough cable to reach from the shed to the loft where the routers are installed. It was just long enough, i’d under estimated quite badly how little cable was left over.

So what speeds are we getting?

Currently as I write this article we’re getting somewhere between 90-150 mbit download and around 25mbit upload, but I’ve seen a few times when we’ve switched across to it and its hit almost 250mbit down, for some reason the upload speed never changes.

Gaming doesn’t seem to be affected by the latentcy which seems to be anywhere from 25-30ms most of the time, COD played ok with no noticeable lag. I’ve done quite a few rides on the peloton through the connection and its held up streaming for anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes without lag.

Am i impressed? Hell yeah, for the price and different technology its definitely been worth it. The installation is one of the easiest i’ve ever seen. I love it.