Unlocking Starlink’s Full Potential with Smarter Bonding Technology
Starlink has become an important option for delivering connectivity to remote sites where traditional broadband is unavailable or unreliable. As more organizations adopt Starlink, understanding its real-world performance across different configurations becomes essential for both network planning and day-to-day operations.
Individual Starlink terminals typically provide around 200 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. For high-usage or multi-user sites, however, significantly higher throughput is often necessary — closer to fiber optic performance, where 1 Gbps has become the standard.
Kognitive Networks worked with Starlink and a Starlink authorized commercial reseller on a benchmark test using bandwidth bonding to combine the throughput of 6 Starlink terminals. Together, we demonstrated how Kognitive's bonding of multiple Starlink terminals can deliver combined speeds that match or exceed fiber at remote sites. By combining Starlink’s global satellite network with Kognitive’s MPK bandwidth bonding technology, organizations can achieve fiber-like internet connectivity virtually anywhere in the world.
Testing at Scale: Real-World Benchmarking
The benchmarking test environment included six Starlink terminals with Starlink Priority Service, each directly connected to a Kognitive Edge VX SD-WAN appliance. A Multi-Path Konnect VPN (MPK-VPN) tunnel linked the Kognitive Edge appliance to a dedicated Kognitive private hub in London. This system was setup and continuously monitored in Kognitve Cloud, the integrated management platform for visibility and orchestration of all remote sites and services within the Kognitive ecosystem.
For the duration of the test, Kognitive's MPK technology provided intelligent distribution and optimization of traffic across all six Starlink connections - continuously adapting traffic flows based on real-time link conditions.
Key Performance Results
Download Performance
The bonded Starlink connection achieved download speeds ranging from 750 to 1900 Mbps, with sustained performance at 1.5 Gbps and overall average download speeds around 1.2 Gbps. These speeds varied somewhat during the tests, with a periodic fluctuation occurring approximately every 10 to 15 seconds. This behavior is likely related to Starlink’s internal resource management or satellite handoff processes.
Understanding this nuance of performance lets network planners set realistic expectations, and it highlights why adaptive bandwidth bonding solutions like MPK are essential for smoothing over those fluctuations.
Latency remained stable throughout the tests. The average round-trip time (RTT) at idle was around 25 milliseconds, increasing by approximately 20 to 25 milliseconds under full load. Packet loss was not observed during testing.
Upload Performance: Solid and Stable
Upload performance came in at 200 to 500 Mbps, with sustained performance at 450 Mbps and overall upload speeds averaging 400 Mbps throughout the test. Even under full load, latency remained stable, rising only about 20 to 25 milliseconds, meaning business-critical traffic like VoIP calls or telemetry data flows smoothly even when networks are saturated.
Minimum Packet Loss, Even Under Load
Kognitive’s bonded network design maintained connection stability, throughout handoffs and changing link conditions. Across both upload and download testing, the system showed no ping loss, delivering reliable performance during stress tests.
Why Bonding Matters for Distributed Sites
Multi-Path Konnect (MPK) works behind the scenes to continuously evaluate each link, intelligently spreading traffic across Starlink connections to maximize throughput, minimize latency, and maintain service during link degradation.
For distributed businesses — from agricultural operations in rural areas to maritime fleets navigating open waters — this approach transforms Starlink from a single-point connection into a resilient, multi-path network fabric.
Smarter Management for Smarter Connectivity
At Kognitive Networks, we believe that better network intelligence is the key to unlocking the full potential of next-generation connectivity solutions like Starlink. By combining smart traffic management, real-time optimization, and adaptive failover, we help distributed businesses get more performance, more reliability, and more value out of every connectivity investment.
If you’re managing remote sites with high-performance demands, and you need connectivity that’s both faster and smarter, it’s time to take a closer look at how Kognitive Edge SD-WAN and MPK bonding can transform your network.
Contact Kognitive Networks today to learn how your business can take full advantage of Starlink and upcoming Low Earth Orbit technologies like OneWeb and Kuiper.