Starlink Mini as a failover

I also do this. Xfinity went out for a few hours earlier this month and Unifi failed over almost instantly, and within minutes we had high speed internet once I upgraded us. The standby mode would have been plenty for basic web browsing, too.

$5/mo for pretty guaranteed connectivity, plus being able to take it around with me on travels is pretty awesome.

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#5

Post by olex » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:18 AM UTC

haunter wrote: post #2

TIL standby mode. Is that enough to operate a remote webcam? Not real time video feed but say uploading a photo every 1 minute or so

Apparently you get unlimited data capped at 500 kbit/s. So that would be a clear "yes".

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#6

Post by grumbelbart2 » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:22 AM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #3

[flagged]

> OP doesn't live in the US, so maybe they don't feel this quite as acutely

It's the same sentiment in large parts of Europe, and a major reason for dropping Tesla sales. He actively supports right-wing, eurosceptic politics and parties in several European countries.

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#7

Post by tacker2000 » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:40 AM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #3

[flagged]

I agree. As much as Starlink is a technological miracle, the fact that I should finance the dealings of this man is too much.

SpaceX IPO is the next in the long grift chain.

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#8

Post by kkapelon » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:42 AM UTC

Using a 4g/5g router is much easier and probably cheaper/power efficient.

Depending on your area you don't even need an external one. A simple 4g dongle would do.

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#9

Post by prism56 » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:46 AM UTC

kkapelon wrote: post #8

Using a 4g/5g router is much easier and probably cheaper/power efficient. Depending on your area you don't even need an external one. A simple 4g dongle would do.

Yup, OP is from the UK. In the UK I got a ThreeUK business SIM for £49 that lasted 2 years with 500GB data. It sits in wan failover and manages about 50mbps which is perfect to keep most services running.

Re: Starlink Mini as a failover

#10

Post by intrasight » Mon, Mar 16, 2026, 9:46 AM UTC

mynameisvlad wrote: post #4

I also do this. Xfinity went out for a few hours earlier this month and Unifi failed over almost instantly, and within minutes we had high speed internet once I upgraded us. The standby mode would have been plenty for basic web browsing, too. $5/mo for pretty guaranteed connectivity, plus being able to take it around with me on travels is pretty awesome.

What is the role of Unifi here? I read the article and went to their site but I still have no clue.