Satellite internet · Geostationary
Viasat: latency, data rules, the gateway address and VPNs
Viasat runs home internet in the US over satellites in geostationary orbit, 35,786 km up. An internet request and its reply each travel between the ground and the satellite, adding substantial propagation delay. Actual latency can vary.
At a glance
| Orbit | Geostationary. |
|---|---|
| Typical latency | About 600 ms, in Viasat’s own words, against about 30 ms on cable. Each plan’s broadband label has a typical latency line. |
| Data | Essentials: 150 GB of High-Speed Data, then unlimited Standard Data. Unleashed and Unleashed Max: unlimited, with lower priority above “typical usage”. |
| IP addresses | Viasat documents IPv4 and static addresses for certain business plans. Ask about your residential plan’s IPv6 and addressing. |
| Admin page | 192.168.100.1 or router.viasatmodem.com on the Viasat WiFi Gateway; 192.168.1.1:8080 on the older Viasat WiFi Modem. |
Latency
Viasat says a signal from a geostationary satellite might take about 600 ms, where cable might average 30 ms. That’s physics: the satellite is far away, and a request and its answer each make the trip up and down. Viasat’s broadband labels list a typical latency for each plan, and Viasat updates the label’s typical speeds every quarter.
The delay is more noticeable in interactive applications than in buffered streaming. Viasat’s own FAQ says online multiplayer action games tend not to work well, and that a VPN may be slow or not work at all.
Data and fair use
Viasat’s US plans, as listed on its plans page in November 2026:
- Essentials: 150 GB of High-Speed Data, then unlimited Standard Data. Viasat may put Standard Data behind other customers when the network is congested. You can buy more High-Speed Data.
- Unleashed and Unleashed Max: unlimited High-Speed Data with no data caps. If your use trends above “typical usage”, the use of 70% of customers on the applicable plan, you may get lower priority during congestion.
Viasat sorts users into green, yellow and red by usage; red slows most when the network is busy. Speeds are “up to”, with a baseline of up to 80 Mbps most of the time and bursts of 150, 180 or 200 Mbps by plan. Viasat counts 1 GB as 1,024 MB.
Router and dish
On the Viasat WiFi Gateway, open 192.168.100.1, or router.viasatmodem.com, in a browser on its network. The user name is admin and the password is the admin password on the sticker on the bottom of the gateway. Wi-Fi settings, parental controls and bridge mode are there.
On the older Viasat WiFi Modem, Viasat’s help gives 192.168.1.1:8080 with admin and admin. Change that password.
With your own router, turn on bridge mode on the gateway. Its Wi-Fi turns off and your router gets the connection. Viasat says this avoids double NAT.
Known quirks
- Latency varies. Viasat gives about 600 ms as an example for geostationary internet. Compare your results over time and with your plan’s broadband label.
- Addressing varies. Ask Viasat whether your residential service supports IPv6 or offers a public IPv4 address.
- Static IP. Viasat documents static addresses for specific business plans. Ask about availability for your service.
- VPNs. Viasat says a VPN may be slow or not work at all. Test with and without it.
- Same address as a Starlink dish. The gateway uses
192.168.100.1, which is also where a Starlink dish answers. If both devices are on the same network, overlapping addresses can complicate access; guides for one don’t apply to the other.
Check with your provider
Ask about these details for your service:
- Whether your residential service supports IPv6 or shares a public IPv4 address (CGNAT).
- Typical latency for your plan; check its broadband label.
With Kilobat
Kilobat can’t read the Viasat gateway the way it reads a Starlink dish. It measures the link from your Mac: ping to your router and to the internet, about once a minute in the background, and each outage with whether your router kept answering. Geostationary latency can be high. Compare measurements with your normal range and your plan’s broadband label.
For data, mark the network Metered if you’re on Essentials, set a budget that starts over on your billing day, and compare Viasat’s usage figure with Kilobat’s in History › Compare with your router or provider. Kilobat’s own speed tests are skipped on metered networks.
Questions
Can I game on Viasat?
Viasat’s FAQ says it depends on the game, and that online multiplayer action games tend not to work well. Turn-based games may be less sensitive to delay. Kilobat’s game-server ping shows the round trip to each region before you queue.
Does a VPN work on Viasat?
Viasat says you can use one, but it may be slow or not work at all. Run a speed test with the VPN on and off, then compare the two in Kilobat to see what changed.
Sources
- Viasat: Unlimited satellite internet plans
- Viasat Help: Viasat Unleashed plan FAQs
- Viasat: Broadband label
- Viasat: Satellite internet latency, what’s the big deal?
- Viasat: Home satellite internet FAQ
- Viasat Help: Parental control settings (gateway and modem addresses)
- Viasat Help: Bring your own router
- Viasat Help: Static IP overview and configuration
Plans, prices and rules change, often by country; check your provider’s current information.