Starlink is currently the largest low Earth orbit satellite constellation broadband internet service provider (ISP) as of the year 2023. It took a year being on the waiting list to receive notification that Starlink is ready to ship. Not having a consistent robust broadband ISP (> flaky 2-7 MBps LTE download) in the area I ordered Starlink’s residential hardware package costing $600! Starlink monthly ISP charge went from $99 a month to $120 a month, now that’s inflation! On a positive note we eliminated around $150 of monthly telephone and satellite TV cost. Currently I have no other robust ‘unlimited’ broadband service in the area. Starlink satellites azimuth is not tree or structure friendly. Being nestled in the woodlands the dish needed to be high in the air ~50 feet. The additional deployment hardware, equipment and handyman labor ended up costing me an additional $1,100!
Starlink setup
I found Starlink instructions for initial setup very user friendly. Everyone’s environment will have unique situations and options when deploying Starlink. For example in our environment we needed to share ISP connectivity between buildings. Starlink hardware fails in this arena and we needed to bypass the Starlink router and configure it to our homestead network routers in each building.
Special note: When resetting the Starlink Router to factory default settings by quickly unplugging the power several times is a pain.
The Starlink speeds do satisfy our needs but we’ve had problems with severe storms interrupting service, but that is to be expected.
The mounting hardware delivered with the Starlink kit was a simple flat surface quad footed pod. Stable enough but keeping it on a flat surface or near the ground was not an option for us in the deep woods. Additionally when signing-up ‘Starlink Gen-1 kit‘ was to be shipped, which included a valuable Ethernet port. But after a years wait what I received was the ‘Starlink Gen-2 kit‘ with no Ethernet port. The additional Starlink optional accessories took over two months to receive.
The first mounting attempt of the Starlink dish was on the TV antenna mast left from the glory days of analog. At 20′ high there is Starlink (tree) obstructions. Obviously a taller mast is in order. Kudos to ‘3 Star Inc‘ a communication Infrastructure retailer where we purchased a ‘Rohn H50 Telescopic Mast‘ and the needed mounting hardware. At 30′ high there is still tree obstructions, with the mast at such heights additional bracing of guy wires is required.
Staking down guy wires directly into the ground was not an option. Guy wires would become a safety hazard in a very active area of the homestead. With the help of illicit folks that dumped used semi-tractor trailer tires into the woods I had the concrete forms for the 8’x6″x6″ treated lumber to be planted. I needed a concrete mixer, which allowed me to buy that ‘Steele Mixer‘ I discovered some time ago. With early frigid winter temperatures the work was placed on hiatus. Thankfully with the trees bare of leaves we had no Starlink obstructions during the winter months.
In the spring guy poles are set and some local handymen gave me assistance with ladder/roof work and the Starlink mast is now 50′ in the air. In the height of summer we’ve had no Starlink obstructions. This mast is the biggest I’ve ever erected!