Always-On Lifeline: Internet That Never Goes Down
Automatic 4G/5G or Starlink failover that kicks in within 0.2 seconds of your primary broadband dropping. Your cameras stay recording, your video calls stay connected, and your business stays online
One Broadband Connection Is a Single Point of Failure
Your entire property depends on one cable coming in from the street. When it goes down — and it will — everything stops. WiFi drops. Security cameras go blind. Smart locks become dumb locks. The alarm panel can't call out. Your video call freezes in front of a client.
If you work from home, a broadband outage costs you hours. If you run a business from your premises, it costs you money. If your CCTV goes offline during the one moment it matters, it costs you far more.
The average UK home broadband connection experiences 7–10 outages per year. Some last minutes. Some last days. You don't find out which until it happens
What a Lifeline Installation Includes
Multi-WAN Configuration
Your Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro supports multiple WAN connections simultaneously. We configure your primary broadband alongside one or more backup connections — 4G/5G mobile broadband, a second fixed line, or Starlink satellite — with automatic failover and failback rules.
When your primary connection drops, traffic switches to backup in under 0.2 seconds. When it recovers, traffic returns to primary automatically. No manual intervention. No restarting.
4G/5G Backup
For most urban and suburban properties, a 4G or 5G mobile backup provides the simplest and most cost-effective failover. We install a dedicated 4G/5G router or the Ubiquiti LTE Backup device, connected directly to your gateway, with an external antenna if signal requires it.
Monthly data costs are typically £10–20/month for a standby SIM — a fraction of what a single outage costs in lost productivity.
Starlink Failover
For rural properties with poor mobile signal, Starlink satellite provides a robust backup path. We integrate Starlink as a secondary WAN into your UniFi gateway, with failover rules that activate it only when primary broadband fails — keeping your Starlink data usage to a minimum.
This combination of fibre primary + Starlink backup gives rural properties the same always-on resilience as a city office.
Load Balancing (Optional)
For properties that need maximum bandwidth — home offices transferring large files, businesses running cloud services, or households with heavy streaming — we can configure both connections to run simultaneously, balancing traffic across them for peak throughput
What Changes With a Lifeline in Place
✓ Broadband outages become invisible — automatic switchover in 0.2 seconds
✓ Security cameras keep recording — even during extended ISP outages
✓ Smart home systems stay online — locks, thermostats, alarms all remain connected
✓ Video calls don't drop — failover happens mid-session without disconnection
✓ No manual intervention — the system monitors, switches, and recovers automatically
✓ Remote access maintained — you can always reach your network when you're away
Is a Failover Connection Worth It for Your Property?
Not every property needs a Lifeline. Here's where it makes the biggest difference:
Home office / remote workers:
If your income depends on your internet connection, a backup WAN is business insurance. A £15/month data SIM prevents thousands in lost billable hours.
Properties with security cameras:
CCTV that goes offline when your broadband drops is CCTV that fails when it matters most. A failover connection keeps cameras recording and alerts flowing
Rural properties:
If your broadband is delivered by a single copper line or FTTC cabinet, you're at higher risk of extended outages. Starlink or 4G backup provides an independent path.
Small businesses on residential broadband:
Business-grade leased lines are expensive. A residential broadband connection with 4G failover provides near-equivalent uptime at a fraction of the cost
How the Lifeline Connects to Your Digital Fortress
The Always-On Lifeline is configured directly on your Digital Foundation's gateway (UDM Pro or Pro Max). It uses the same management interface — visible in your UniFi dashboard alongside all your other network devices.
→ Digital Foundation — the gateway manages all WAN connections and failover logic
→ Visual Sentry — cameras continue recording to the local NVR during internet outages
→ Digital Perimeter — firewall rules apply identically across primary and backup connections
→ Digital Guardian — remote monitoring alerts us the moment failover activates, so we can investigate
Common Questions About Internet Failover
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In most cases, no. The switchover happens in under 0.2 seconds. Active downloads might briefly pause, but video calls, streaming, and browsing typically continue without interruption
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A standby 4G data SIM typically costs £10–20 per month, depending on the data allowance. Since it only activates during outages, data usage is minimal. Starlink has a fixed monthly fee regardless of usage
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Some VPN connections will need to re-establish after a WAN switch, which typically takes a few seconds. The UniFi gateway's built-in VPN server reconnects automatically
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Yes — you can set the priority however you prefer. Most clients use their fastest fixed-line connection as primary and Starlink or 4G as backup, but the system is fully configurable
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If both primary and backup fail simultaneously, your local network continues to function — devices can communicate with each other, cameras record to the local NVR, and the system queues outbound traffic until connectivity is restored
Find Out What Failover Options Suit Your Property
During the free Digital Fortress Audit, we assess your mobile signal strength, your broadband reliability, and your property's connectivity requirements — then recommend the right failover setup for your situation