Review Star review (hands on): High-speed satellite internet is finally here

[Eniac1]

The article should cover info about (if available?) the scalability of the system:

• Link Capacity between satellites (must be extremely high) - and inter-satellite peering will change frequently and cause interrupts?
• Routing capacity for each satellite - end-to-end path will be quite dynamic (routing in cabled networks is quite static once the first packet is routed and forwarding tables are established in routers end-to-end) - not so for routers in Starlink. Routing capacity must be extremely high?
• Link Capacity between ground nodes interfacing T1-T3 providers and satellites (must be huge compared to client dish up/down capacity) - is 10s of thousands of hub nodes planned or high capacity nodes?
• Not easy to upgrade HW in satellites to remove bottlenecks - must live with routing & laser capacity until replaced (satellite lifetime is limited and will over time be replaced by new satellites).

 

[Frankthetank44]

Starlink looks great but seems really pricey. I found a cell signal repeater from some site that improved my signal at my cottage. I added some data to my cell phone plan and it works amazingly through a hotspot router. I had 1 bar before and now full signal and fast data (30-40ms ping and usually higher than 50mbps download). I'd like it if i could get unlimited permanently with Starlink but just can't justify the cost now. For $100 to buy a repeater and another $50 per month on my cell phone bill it made more sense than $129 per month and $650 setup fees for Starlink

 

[Canuck23]

Starlink looks great but seems really pricey. I found a cell signal repeater from some site that improved my signal at my cottage. I added some data to my cell phone plan and it works amazingly through a hotspot router. I had 1 bar before and now full signal and fast data (30-40ms ping and usually higher than 50mbps download). I'd like it if i could get unlimited permanently with Starlink but just can't justify the cost now. For $100 to buy a repeater and another $50 per month on my cell phone bill it made more sense than $129 per month and $650 setup fees for Starlink

If you don’t use much data that works but for most households cell service with data limits is way too expensive. Any kind of streaming and you’ll eat through their cap. Starlink has no such data cap. Also it’s $99 a month and $500 in setup fees.

 

[robisaacs]

I’ve had Star link for about two weeks and couldn’t be happier. So far almost no downtime and faster service than advertised. Fast.com has clocked in at 290mbps and Ookla Speedtest had 264mbps with 25mbps upload. A whole different world than the cellular internet we’ve had to use for years.

 

[arthurwv]

In the picture and the video of the review, it looks like there are many trees around. I am wondering how clear of a view do you need. The review shows the app saying expect 9 hours of downtime because of trees hundreds of feet away. So did that turn out to be the case and would it be better now with more satellites orbiting?

 

[tomwindguy]

I am a new StarLink user and noticed a few inaccuracies in the comments. The cables are not permanently attached in the current residential version of the antenna. The "bulge" in the cable that goes through the wall is at the router end; the other end that connects to the antenna (using a water-tight connector) does not have this bulge and threads through the wall easily with the cable routing kit. The cable routing kit from StarLink (non-masonry version under $30), I found a bargain and useful, if only for the passthrough tool to help push/pull the cable through the wall - it worked perfectly and saved time. It also comes with grommets, a long pilot drill bit, and a spade bit that bores the proper size hole (5/8"?) in both interior and exterior walls (non-masonry). I used the long Starlink wall mount at a reasonable price from StarLink or at a marked-up price on Amazon.

My initial installation took maybe 3 minutes, mostly deciding where to do the test. The service was active moments later, although I left the antenna in place for several hours to finalize its orientation before I decided where it would be mounted. The final installation, including routing cables and mounting the antenna on the wall, took less than an hour and was not difficult.

I appreciate that the app shows downtime and obscured time, which are minimal for my purposes. Speeds are fast compared to the Hughes satellite service we are replacing, and the costs are similar, but a no-brainer when considering the data limits. It may not serve an active home that streams a lot of video; if you can access fiber-optic Internet, get that. My only options were 4G/5G, with its data and speed limits, or traditional geosynch satellite service. Starlink is a hands-down winner for me.

 

[tomwindguy]

Me too. I've had sat internet for many many years. 4 different providers and Gen5 is the current one. They have all sucked. Many years of working from home in a professional position and couldn't do a webex, a Skype call or meeting, a VOIP call, etc. In at least two cases I was released due to internet limitations. The average city dweller would has said "Just move." Well, that's what city people do. Some people can't just flip to a different apartment.

This has been a long time coming.

Waitlist for me was 6-7 weeks. Then all the goodies arrived and I am happy as can be.