Switched to Starlink? Why Your Wi-Fi, Devices and Home Phone Stopped Working
3 November 2026 · By Ethan Fernandes
Just moved from BT, Sky, Virgin Media or another provider to Starlink and now the printer, smart speakers, boosters, parental controls or home phone don't work? Here's why, and how to fix each one.
Quick fix
Starlink creates a new Wi-Fi network, so set its name and password to exactly match your old router's, or reconnect each device. Old provider boosters usually won't work: use Starlink mesh or your own mesh in bypass mode. Before cancelling old broadband, sort out your home phone number, personal alarm, provider email address and parental controls.
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Get help todayThe Starlink dish is up, the app says you're online and a speed test on your phone looks great. Then the problems start: the printer has vanished, the smart speakers say they're offline, the old Wi-Fi boosters do nothing, the children's internet filters have disappeared and the home phone is silent.
None of this means Starlink is faulty. Changing to Starlink means a new router, a new Wi-Fi network and a new type of connection, and several things that came with your old broadband don't come with you.
The short version: every device has to be reconnected to the Starlink Wi-Fi, or you can give the Starlink Wi-Fi the same name and password as your old network. Boosters from your old provider usually won't work with Starlink, so use Starlink mesh or your own mesh in bypass mode. Check your home phone, personal alarm, email address and parental controls before cancelling the old broadband, as they're often tied to it.
1. Devices Are Still Looking for the Old Wi-Fi
Starlink's router creates a brand new Wi-Fi network. Phones, laptops, TVs, printers, speakers, cameras, doorbells and heating controls are all still trying to join the old one.
- The quick fix: in the Starlink app, set the Starlink Wi-Fi name and password to exactly the same as your old router's, including capital letters. Many devices then reconnect by themselves once the old router is switched off.
- Anything that still won't connect needs reconnecting through its own app or settings.
- Smart plugs, cameras and doorbells that only use 2.4GHz can struggle with the Starlink router. See smart device won't connect to Wi-Fi.
2. The Old Boosters and Mesh Stopped Working
Wi-Fi boosters and discs supplied by your old provider are often designed to work only with that provider's router, so they won't extend Starlink. Your options:
- Starlink mesh units, which pair with the Starlink router
- Your own mesh system (such as Deco, Eero, Orbi or Google Nest Wifi), connected to the Starlink router with the router in bypass mode, so there's one Wi-Fi network and no double NAT
See Starlink problems and how to fix them for how bypass mode works.
3. Wi-Fi Is Weaker Than Before
The Starlink router often ends up wherever the dish cable comes in: a loft, garage, utility room or upstairs window. Your old router was probably more central. Move the router somewhere central if the cable allows, run a network cable to a central mesh unit, or add mesh units where the signal is weak.
4. The Home Phone Has Gone Quiet
Home phones are moving to digital lines that run over broadband. If your phone service came with your old broadband, cancelling the broadband usually ends the phone service too, and Starlink doesn't include a phone line.
- Before cancelling, ask about moving your number to an internet phone service that works over any connection, including Starlink.
- Or move the number to a mobile, if a landline isn't really needed.
- If a personal alarm or telecare pendant uses the landline, speak to the alarm provider before anything is cancelled. Many now offer units that use a mobile SIM instead.
See our digital landline switchover guide.
5. Parental Controls and Filters Have Disappeared
Filters such as BT Parental Controls or Sky Broadband Shield run on the provider's network, so they stop working as soon as you leave. Set up controls again on Starlink using Screen Time or Family Link on children's devices, the parental controls in your own mesh system, or a family-safe DNS filtering service.
6. Your Old Email Address Might Stop Working
If you use an email address from your old provider, such as @btinternet.com, @sky.com or @talktalk.net, check what happens when you leave. Some providers close the address, and some let you keep it for a fee. Move important accounts to another email address before you cancel.
7. Cameras, Remote Access and Work VPNs
Standard Starlink plans use CGNAT, so anything that relied on port forwarding, such as remote viewing on an older CCTV recorder or access to a NAS drive, stops working from outside the house. Use the device maker's cloud app or a VPN such as Tailscale instead. See CCTV cameras keep going offline.
Before You Cancel the Old Broadband: Checklist
- Is the home phone number moving, and where to?
- Does a personal alarm, telecare pendant or burglar alarm use the phone line?
- Do you use an email address from the old provider?
- Do you rely on the provider's parental controls?
- Will your mesh or boosters work with Starlink?
- Should you keep the old broadband as a cheaper backup instead? See Starlink and broadband together.
How We Handle It
We handle the whole move to Starlink at homes across West London: reconnecting every device, replacing or reusing mesh in bypass mode, moving the home phone and checking personal alarms, setting up parental controls again, and making sure cameras and remote access work on Starlink. If you'd like to keep your broadband as a backup, we set it up to take over automatically too. See our Starlink setup and support.
Related Reading
Common questions
Starlink creates a new Wi-Fi network, and your devices are still looking for the old one. Set the Starlink Wi-Fi name and password to exactly match your old router's, or reconnect each device through its own settings or app.
Usually not, as provider-supplied boosters are often designed for that provider's router. Use Starlink mesh units, or your own mesh system with the Starlink router in bypass mode.
Often, yes, by moving the number to an internet phone service that works over any connection, or to a mobile. Arrange it before cancelling your broadband, as the phone service usually ends with it.
Filters from your old provider stop working when you leave. Set up parental controls on children's devices with Screen Time or Family Link, in your own mesh system, or with a family-safe DNS filtering service.
Not if it relies on a phone line from your old provider. Speak to the alarm provider before cancelling the broadband. Many offer alarm units that use a mobile SIM instead.
Still stuck? We can fix it for you
Most problems like this can be fixed remotely today, anywhere in the UK, or with a home visit across West London. DBS checked, insured, 7 days a week until 9pm.
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