Anyone using Starlink for Internet?

[Konocti's Wigwam]

Anyone here using Starlink for their Internet? I just ordered it for my home/shop I'm building to retire to, it let me order it right away, no waiting list.

Anyone else using Starlink and if so, are you happy with it?

Website says 25mbs - 200mbps, which is screaming. I current use a DSL modem with only 10mbps download and 1mbps upload. We don't have fiber available in our area, but I can get Starlink in San Jose. HughesNet has a data cap and after they start throttling your feed. I don't like the idea of that. AFAICT, Starlink is full throttle always.

Anyone with real world experience?

KW

 

[hoz53]

Anyone here using Starlink for their Internet? I just ordered it for my home/shop I'm building to retire to, it let me order it right away, no waiting list.

Anyone else using Starlink and if so, are you happy with it?

Website says 25mbs - 200mbps, which is screaming. I current use a DSL modem with only 10mbps download and 1mbps upload. We don't have fiber available in our area, but I can get Starlink in San Jose. HughesNet has a data cap and after they start throttling your feed. I don't like the idea of that. AFAICT, Starlink is full throttle always.

Anyone with real world experience?

What is the cost of it. I think i heard they have 4000 satellites up now with alot more planned. Ukraine is using it for the war right? those guys outta know ---lol-- would be interesting to know.

 

[Chiquita]

My buddy has it setup in Southern CA. He sad it is way much faster than Hughes.

You must live way outside of town because Comcast is all over the Bay Area and I am surprised you don't have Comcast.

 

[joshb]

My cousin/neighbor has it. He’s a big gamer (shooter games) and he loves it.

 

[majohnson]

A friend uses it for his trailer when camping here in Colorado, works great for him. He has had speeds between 168 - 233mbps.

 

[spaniel]

I use it for my off grid hunting cabin so I can work from there to give me greater flexibility to hunt (solar power). It works great. I do Zoom calls, watch video, never any sign of slowing. Actually more reliable than my home wifi running off fiber but then the Starlink router is only serving a 220sq ft cabin. I have a clear view north with zero obstructions shown on the app. I have the RV version, so I only activate it during spring turkey and then again Oct-Dec for deer.

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

My buddy has it setup in Southern CA. He sad it is way much faster than Hughes.

I have heard that from people with HughesNet also.

You must live way outside of town because Comcast is all over the Bay Area and I am surprised you don't have Comcast.

Believe it or not, I'm in West San Jose, over by Cupertino, and one of the bonuses has always been that I'm pretty close to the ATT Central Office. We do have Comcast, but I don't like their policy, they keep trying to get me on their service.

The new service I got is up in Lake County, it's about 3 hours north by car from Silicon Valley.

The contractor that did my septic in Kelseyville, had dial up and got HughesNet, and he was tickled. He also is a big game player. He said HughesNet screams for him. However, the contractor that built my shop said he had nothing but problems with it.

Starlink publishes much better data bandwidth. I should get the hardware in 2 weeks, I had it shipped to my San Jose home. Starlink gives a 30 day free trial, full refund if you're not satisfied.

I may replace my Internet with Starlink, but the one thing that keeps me with my current ISP (sonic.net) is that I get free voice calls to Japan, unlimited. My wife uses that a lot, he mom is 96 years old.

KW

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I use it for my off grid hunting cabin so I can work from there to give me greater flexibility to hunt (solar power). It works great. I do Zoom calls, watch video, never any sign of slowing. Actually more reliable than my home wifi running off fiber but then the Starlink router is only serving a 220sq ft cabin. I have a clear view north with zero obstructions shown on the app. I have the RV version, so I only activate it during spring turkey and then again Oct-Dec for deer.

This is very encouraging. They also have a business plan that includes 1 static for $20.

A friend uses it for his trailer when camping here in Colorado, works great for him. He has had speeds between 168 - 233mbps.

I have been in high tech for 40+ years. In the past better engineers could get dedicated T1 lines taken into their home, I once worked with a guy that lived on Bainbridge Island in Washington, our boss ran a T1 out to his house.

But 168-233mbps is frickin' screaming...I have great stories of using KDD in Japan during the 80s, we had to use a PAD (packet assembler/disassembler). I always wanted to move back to Hawaii, but ended up in NorCal. Pretty decent hunting in California A zone.

KW

 

[Chiquita]

I have heard that from people with HughesNet also.

Believe it or not, I'm in West San Jose, over by Cupertino, and one of the bonuses has always been that I'm pretty close to the ATT Central Office. We do have Comcast, but I don't like their policy, they keep trying to get me on their service.

The new service I got is up in Lake County, it's about 3 hours north by car from Silicon Valley.

The contractor that did my septic in Kelseyville, had dial up and got HughesNet, and he was tickled. He also is a big game player. He said HughesNet screams for him. However, the contractor that built my shop said he had nothing but problems with it.

Starlink publishes much better data bandwidth. I should get the hardware in 2 weeks, I had it shipped to my San Jose home. Starlink gives a 30 day free trial, full refund if you're not satisfied.

I may replace my Internet with Starlink, but the one thing that keeps me with my current ISP (sonic.net) is that I get free voice calls to Japan, unlimited. My wife uses that a lot, he mom is 96 years old.

KW

I am next town over from you.
My next door neighbor works for Sonic.

I will look into Skylink myself. We only use internet but have to buy the TV service with COMCAST.

 

[nakneker]

We use Starlink, we are in a rural area and it’s far better than any of our other options. We’ve been very happy!

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I am next town over from you.
My next door neighbor works for Sonic.

The reason I am on Sonic is that they lease space in the ATT central offices, so it was a no brainer, my service was there with ATT. One weekend ATT threatened to turn my service off as they said they didn't receive my payment, and I told them if they did I would leave. Well, they turned my service off that weekend and I called Sonic on Monday.

I will look into Skylink myself. We only use internet but have to buy the TV service with COMCAST.

The Starlink is $120/mo after you pay for the hardware. HughesNet is about the same price, but most folks complain about their service.

No only did I order Starlink, I also applied for a job there. That would be a sweet widget to work on...

KW

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

My cousin/neighbor has it. He’s a big gamer (shooter games) and he loves it.

Josh,

I know a gamer also, that has HughesNet and he raved about it, but Starlink gets even better bandwidth.

Only thing, Starlink seems one of the more expensive options, not only for the hardware ($600 ouch!), but it is also $120/mo. But the one big plus seems that you can even take the hardware somewhere else, so I guess there could be a market for used Starlink equipment. They do have an option if you own equipment.

$120 seems as much or more than any of the other Internet packages, but the bandwidth is one of the best also. My mom used to have xfinity, it was smoking fast compared to my DSL modem.

 

[Fuj]

My T-Mobile gateway is 387 mbs this morning. $55 per month. No
extra fees for the wireless unit. I do run a cable between it and the
computer. Starlink would be something to look at if your in an area
that has no cell service. If you have cell service, you would be better
off checking T-Mobile or even Verizon's network......I've taken the unit
to my sons place where he lives near two towers, on hill tops. I'm over
500 mbs there.....Go to T-Mobile Home Internet and check your service
area.

 

[Codyway]

We've had Starlink here in East TN for a few months now and really like it. Normally gets 90-100 on a speed test, which is fine for us and better than anything else available here.
Best feature was not having to wait on a tech to show up for the installation.
Only quirk is when the power blinks, it may take it 20 min or so to reset itself. Sometimes the wife has to go to the app and tell it to reset when it does this.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Only quirk is when the power blinks, it may take it 20 min or so to reset itself. Sometimes the wife has to go to the app and tell it to reset when it does this.

My power blinks a couple of times a week. Would a battery backup solve the problem?

 

[JoeMcNeill]

We have been using it for about a year here in SW Arkansas with no problems. We have a couple of power blips every week which knocks off the star link as well as the tv so it usually all comes back on together. It is much faster than the fibre optic "Britespeed" joke system which was down all the time!!

 

[DocBII]

Fuj,

I had the T-Mobile internet for about six months at a hunting camp in AL. One of the first subscribers, so no data as to the problems, which were many.
1. Lousy DNS resolution. The modem and computer would not function if the DNS server didn't respond fast endough.
2. Moderate throughput. 80-150 downlink on 4gATE and 5-20 uplink.
3. You couldl not configure the modem as a pass-through gateway to a personal router and firewall.
4. Could not administer the modem from a computer, you had to use a smartphone app for configuration issues.
5. You could not turn off the modem wireless to use your own wireless network.
6. I did not have a printer at the time, to get a copy of the return label I had to go by a UPS store and have them print out a label.
7. PW configuration changes on the modem didn't seem to take.

It's a halfway decent service, but lots of caveats. It may not work in the way out boonies of the south which show up as no coverage areas on the T-Mobile maps. Also be aware T-Mobile is trying to move old customers who use a plan with a promise of no increases, ever, to a higher priced plan. The old plan customer has to call T-Mobile to tell them not to move them to the new plan. They may eventually do the same with the internet service users.


YMMV,
DocBII

 

[Ringostar]

We had Hughesnet and it was terrible. Switched to Starlink early last year, and it is amazingly faster. No complaints so far. It’s also the same price that Hughes wanted.

 

[corning]

I have t-mobile for cell service. The service is marginal, at best, in the areas I frequent. I suspect the internet will be a frustration.

 

[corning]

How much does starling cost compared to comcast or spectrum?