How Many Obstruction Can Starlink Tolerate?

Starlink satellite internet's effectiveness and dependability are influenced by the quality of the connection to the satellites in orbit. The Starlink dish's phased array antenna continuously tracks and communicates with the satellites, which move rapidly across the sky. However, any obstruction in the antenna's wide field of view can disrupt the signal and lead to performance issues.

In this article, we will explore the impact obstacles on using Starlink. We will threshold of obstruction that can affect Starlink performance and provide insights on understanding and assessing obstacles. Our discussion will cover the definition of obstructions, methods for identifying them, and the effectiveness of Starlink in different obstruction scenarios.

Starlink Obstructed – What does it mean?

Any object that blocks the visibility of the sky can be considered an obstruction, with trees being the obstruction for Starlink users. Since the Starlink dish has a broad field of view, towering trees near the dish can pose issuesstructed when the communication signal from the satellite to the dish is disrupted, and there are no other satellites within the field of view to switch to.

If your Starlink dish is installed and the app indicates that your signal is being blocked, it's likely that there are significant obstacles affecting the stability and speed of your connection. When you receive the "Starlink Obstructed" notification, select the Statistics option to gain a better understanding of the frequency and impact of these interruptions on your service.

In the event of an obstruction-related disruption to your Starlink service, your internet connection will be lost, causing interruptions to your online activities such as Zoom video conferences or streaming TV shows, which may buffer or stall. Typically, these outages are brief, lasting only a few seconds. However, if the obstruction is significant, the disruptions can persist for several minutes.

How to check for obstructions

With Starlink, you can effortlessly identify possible obstructions, regardless of not. To do this, simply open the Starlink app on your phone and utilize the integrated obstruction tool. This tool harnesses your phone's camera to scan for potential issues that may affect your dish's performance.


Please adhere to the prompts displayed on the screen. Use your phone's camera to scan the entire sky following the provided directions. After completing this task, the Starlink application will determine the potential percentage of obstructions that may occur if the dish is installed in that particular spot.

You can access data on obstructions if you have Starlink already installed. Starlink collects obstruction data in the first six hours of booting and displays it on an obstruction map. Tap "Obstructions", in the menu, to open the app. You will be able to see the location of your obstructions in relation to the dish.

The map of obstructions updates in real-time. When you first turn on your dish, you may notice blue streaks. Blue-hued areas are parts of the sky that have been connected to by satellites. Blank areas are parts of the sky that your dish hasn't seen satellites. The red areas represent obstructions where satellite signals have been blocked due to objects within the dish's field of vision.

App will estimate the number of interruptions that you'll experience based on your current obstruction level. The app statistics and obstruction checker can be combined to give you a better idea of the problem and its severity.

Will Starlink work with obstructions?

Starlink still works even if obstructions are present. Your internet usage and the options available to you for fixing obstructions will determine how much is too many. Obstacles can be problematic if you use video calls a lot for your job. Obstacles are annoying when they interrupt video calls or games.

Occupations are less important for streaming movies and television shows. In order to improve the viewing experience, a buffer of data is created when you stream a TV show. It is unlikely that you will notice multiple interruption events.

Starlink obstruction percentage

The app's obstruction checker gives you a percentage of obstruction. This table will tell you how well Starlink works with a specific percentage:

 How to fix Starlink obstructions

If you encounter obstructions in your location, move the Starlink dish either higher or further away. You may need to move the dish if it is mounted too low on your roof. Starlink can be installed on your roof's south side if you have a large tree growing on the north side. The only way to solve obstruction issues is to try to get a good view of the sky or setup dish to high location by Starlink Pipe Mount 

Final thoughts

Obstructions, such as buildings and trees, block the communication route between your dish and Starlink satellites. For the best Starlink internet performance, install the dish in a location with a view of the skies.

Starlink should work well for most internet-related activities, even if you encounter minor obstructions. You will be able surf the web, check email and stream movies with little to no problem. The problem becomes serious when the obstruction percentage is around 10%.

 

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