# Starlink + ISP Failover Setup # 🚀 Starlink + ISP Failover Setup: A Beginner’s Guide to Bulletproof Internet at Home Imagine you're in the middle of an important Zoom call — and suddenly your internet cuts out. Your heart skips a beat. That dreaded buffering circle spins on the screen. You're disconnected. Now imagine instead: the internet *switches seamlessly* to a backup connection. Your meeting continues without a glitch. That’s the power of **failover internet**. In this guide, I’ll show you how I used **Starlink as primary internet** and a **local ISP via PPPoE as backup**, with the help of a **MikroTik router** — and how you can do the same. Whether you work from home, stream content, or run a smart home — this setup adds peace of mind and productivity. --- ## 🧰 Hardware I Used * **MikroTik hEX S (RB760iGS)** — compact and powerful router * **TP-Link Deco M4 Mesh (3 units)** — for strong Wi-Fi across the house * **Windows PC** — for initial configuration --- ## ⚙️ The Big Picture We’ll configure: * **Starlink (ether1)** as the main internet (DHCP) * **Local ISP (ether2)** using **PPPoE** as backup * **Failover logic** so the router automatically switches when Starlink fails * **LAN setup** with DHCP + NAT * Optional: **MAC spoofing**, **DNS**, and **firewall basics** ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1749068039836/781f6bd5-e4de-4c37-950c-cb1c3925e789.png align="center") --- ## 🪜 Step-by-Step Setup (Beginner Friendly) --- ### 🔌 Step 1: Connect to Your MikroTik Router 1. Plug your **Windows PC** into **ether2–ether5** on the MikroTik router (avoid ether1 — that’s for internet input). 2. On Windows, open `ncpa.cpl`, select your Ethernet adapter > Properties > TCP/IPv4 → Set to “Obtain IP automatically”. 3. Your PC should get an IP like `192.168.88.x`. --- ### 💻 Step 2: Login to MikroTik via Winbox 1. Download Winbox from: [mikrotik.com/download](https://mikrotik.com/download) 2. Open it — no install needed. 3. Look under the **Neighbors** tab — you’ll see your router’s MAC and IP (`192.168.88.1`) 4. Connect using: * **Username:** `admin` * **Password:** *(Check router label or leave blank for first login)* 5. Click **Connect** --- ### 🔧 Step 3: Initial Router Setup 1. **Change the admin password** * Go to: **System > Users > admin > Set Password** 2. **Update RouterOS** * Go to: **System > Packages > Check for Updates > Download & Install** * Channel: `stable` Router will reboot. Reconnect after that. --- ## 🌐 WAN Configuration --- ### 🔌 Step 4: Connect WAN Sources | Port | Use | | --- | --- | | `ether1` | Starlink Ethernet Adapter | | `ether2` | ISP modem/router (PPPoE) | --- ### 🚀 Step 5: Set Starlink as Primary WAN 1. Go to **IP > DHCP Client** 2. Click `+` 3. Set **Interface** to `ether1` 4. Click **Apply** and \*\*OK\` ✅ Starlink will now get a dynamic IP as your **primary internet**. --- ### 🌍 Step 6: Set Up ISP as Backup via PPPoE 1. Go to **Interfaces > + > PPPoE Client** 2. Set: * **Name**: `pppoe-out1` * **Interface**: `ether2` 3. In **Dial Out** tab: * Username: `your-pppoe-username` * Password: `your-password` * Enable: **Add Default Route** * Set **Default Route Distance**: `2` 4. Apply and OK ✅ This ensures PPPoE acts as a **failover connection** (lower priority than Starlink). --- ### 📶 Step 7: LAN Setup (Home Devices) 1. Go to **Bridge > Add New Bridge** 2. Add **ether3 to ether5** to the bridge 3. Go to **IP > DHCP Server > Setup** * Choose bridge as interface * Set default IP range (e.g., `192.168.88.0/24`) 4. Go to **IP > Firewall > NAT** * Add **masquerade rules** for: * * Out Interface: `ether1` → Action: masquerade * Out Interface: `pppoe-out1` → Action: masquerade ✅ Now all LAN devices can share internet via both connections. --- ### 🧠 Step 8: Failover in Action Go to **IP > Routes** — you should see: * Starlink → distance `1` * PPPoE → distance `2` If Starlink fails, MikroTik auto-switches to the PPPoE route. > 💡 **Warm failover**: It’s fast, not instant. No downtime for most tasks (buffering may happen once). --- ## 🧪 Advanced Tips (Optional but Useful) --- ### 🔄 Script-Based Netwatch (For Active Failover) If you want **faster detection**, set up **Netwatch**: * Go to **Tools > Netwatch** * Monitor a reliable IP (e.g., `8.8.8.8`) * On **Down**, disable Starlink route * On **Up**, re-enable it --- ### 🧙 Spoof MAC Address (If ISP Locks It) Some ISPs only allow internet on registered MACs. To clone MAC on `ether2`: ```bash /interface ethernet set ether2 mac-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX ``` Then confirm under **Interfaces > ether2** --- ### 🌐 Setup DNS 1. Go to **IP > DNS** 2. Add: * `8.8.8.8` (Google) * `1.1.1.1` (Cloudflare) 3. Enable **Allow Remote Requests** ✅ This helps your LAN devices resolve domains via MikroTik. --- ## 🎉 You Did It! You now have a **smart home internet setup** with: ✅ **Primary internet** from Starlink ✅ **Automatic failover** to ISP (PPPoE) ✅ Seamless recovery when Starlink is back ✅ Stable internet for work, video calls, gaming, and streaming --- ## 👨‍💻 Real Life Example: Why I Needed This I live in a semi-urban area where power cuts or weather often interrupt traditional ISP service. Starlink provides excellent uptime — but even satellite can sometimes drop. Thanks to this setup, when Starlink stutters, my MikroTik router quietly shifts over to my ISP. I keep working, the Netflix show doesn’t stop, and my smart lights stay responsive. It’s like having internet insurance — and it’s worth every minute of setup. --- ## 🧭 What’s Next? Now that you're comfortable with MikroTik basics, you can explore: * 🔐 **Firewall rules** * 🎛️ **Bandwidth control** * 🧅 **VPN access to your home** * 🧰 **Remote monitoring and management** --- ## 💬 Questions or Feedback? Drop a comment below if you run into any issues or want me to cover more advanced MikroTik topics. Happy networking!