Starlink has become the biggest low-Earth-orbit satellite internet provider. I signed up in winter 2021, and by the next winter, I got a notice that my hardware was ready to ship for $600. Now, there’s no wait for equipment or service, and the hardware is much cheaper. I didn’t have any other broadband options where I live. The monthly Starlink fee increased from $99 to $120, a significant jump. There are now three residential plans. Once we got Starlink working, we could cut back on costly phone and satellite TV services. The dish needs a clear view of the sky, which is hard in the woods. At first, I had to mount it 50 feet high. The extra hardware, equipment, and labor cost me another $1,100. Now that there are more satellites, a 25-foot-high dish works just fine.
Starlink setup
The Starlink setup instructions are simple. Each location is different, so you might face unique challenges. In addition to determining the dish height, we needed to share the internet between several buildings. The Starlink router couldn’t do this, so we used our own network routers in each building instead. Starlink’s speeds work well for us, but strong storms sometimes disrupt service, as expected.
Our original 'Starlink Gen-2 kit' stopped working in winter 2026 and is no longer available for sale. Starlink’s customer support was excellent. They credited us one month’s fee and sent the latest hardware for free. I was back online in a week. The newest Starlink hardware makes it easy to use your own routers. We didn’t have to change anything on our network from our previous setup. If you want to use your own routers, be sure to pick the right Starlink kit.
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We first tried putting the Starlink dish on an old analog TV antenna mast. At 20 feet high, trees blocked the signal. We needed a taller mast, so we bought a 'Rohn H50 Telescopic Mast' and mounting hardware from '3 Star Inc.' Even at 30 feet, the trees were still in the way, so we added extra guy wires for support.
We couldn’t stake the guy wires straight into the ground because it wouldn’t be safe with all the activity around. Luckily, some old semi-truck tires dumped nearby helped us set up concrete forms for the 8'x6"x6" treated lumber. I finally got to buy the 'Steele Mixer' I’d wanted. When winter came, we had to pause the work, but with the trees bare, Starlink stayed clear during the cold months. Overall, we are very pleased with Starlink.