No, a stable internet connection is only required when starting a MinION run, an unstable connection will suffice for the duration of the run.

Throughout the run, MinKNOW will send pings of metadata to the ONT servers. These pings contain info such as ASIC temperature, MUX status, and overall sequencing output.

No biological data is sent to us.

Do not worry if you have an unstable internet connection or lose internet for a short period during sequencing, this will not affect your run.

If you receive a “Please ensure your computer is connected to the internet” message when starting a sequencing run, review this FAQ.