Starlink has bufferbloat. Bad.
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From: Nathan Owens <nathan@nathan.io>
To: Daniel AJ Sokolov <daniel@falco.ca>
Cc: starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net
Subject: Re: [Starlink] Optimized for Speedtest?
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2022 15:37:21 -0700	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <CALjsLJtjX9GGLQJ2k6PbBp+58ySJJVBgikZ7G2Kb=8qZh4vb2A@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <08c6ab5c-6a9d-e555-671c-5c59cffcd02d@falco.ca>

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I don’t think that’s technically correct - the system schedules user slots
on a 15s interval:

"SpaceX also provides customers with their own phased-array terminal to be
deployed at their service location to connect directly to the satellite’s
Ku- band RF beam. assigned to the user’s service area. Because the Starlink
satellites are constantly moving, the network plans these connections
on 15 second
intervals, continuously re-generating and publishing a schedule of
connections to the satellite fleet and handing off connections between
satellites."
“The ability to control hand-offs in software with millisecond precision
allows SpaceX to turn the constant motion of the constellation into a key
advantage for the Starlink network. These micro-adjustments enhance
Starlink’s reliability and enables more efficient management of capacity in
real time.”

My assumption is the connection switching is make-after-break, meaning
there will be some delay in switching satellites, which seems to cause a
brief increase in loss and buffering.


On Tue, Mar 15, 2022 at 3:09 PM Daniel AJ Sokolov <daniel@falco.ca> wrote:

> Hello,
>
>  From this list I have learned that Starlink is optimized to shine in
> tests with speedtest.net and similar sites, but that transmission rates
> drop quickly after about 15 seconds.
>
> How do they do that, technically?
>
> Is that a result of Bufferbloat? Is that a a specific code in the modem
> to cheat, like some car manufacturers cheated on emissions tests? Is
> that something done in the satellites who shift capacity from other
> users to those users who initiate downloads? Is that done on the backhaul?
>
> Thank you
> Daniel
> _______________________________________________
> Starlink mailing list
> Starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net
> https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink
>

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  reply	other threads:[~2022-03-15 22:37 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 13+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2022-03-15 22:09 Daniel AJ Sokolov
2022-03-15 22:37 ` Nathan Owens [this message]
2022-03-15 22:39 ` Dave Taht
2022-03-15 22:47   ` Nathan Owens
2022-03-15 22:51     ` Dave Taht
2022-03-15 22:53       ` Dave Taht
2022-03-15 22:57       ` Nathan Owens
2022-03-16 13:40     ` Nathan Owens
2022-03-16 13:48     ` Nathan Owens
2022-03-15 22:48   ` Dave Taht
2022-03-16  3:48     ` Dave Taht
2022-03-16  3:49       ` Dave Taht
2022-03-15 23:38   ` David Lang

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