StarLink: Starlink Satellite Internet Technology & Equipment Setup (Part 6)

If you follow my writing about this series, you may have a primary idea about StarLink space internet technology and how it works in brief. Today, I will talk about the equipment setup and how to do it.

How does StarLink connects?

You’ll connect to StarLink satellites through a ground terminal that looks like a “UFO on a stick.” Musk initially described the ground terminals as looking like a “small- to medium-sized pizza,” prompting the internet to refer to these terminals and gateways as “pizza boxes.”

StarLink users shared with Insider the five steps to setting up Elon Musk’s StarLink internet. The kit comes connected in the box. All you need to do is plug it in and download the StarLink app.

• Step 1: The StarLink internet is connected in the box. All you need to do is plug it in and download the StarLink app.
• Step 2: Download the StarLink app.
• Step 3: Find a nearby location that has a clear view of a SpaceX satellite that’s above it.
• Step 4: You’re close! The app will guide you to your location.
• Step 5: Install the equipment onto your device, which plugs into the small satellite dish spotted on a mount and sticks on the back of your TV or monitor.

But what about the satellite dish that sits on your roof? We’ve heard Musk describe these, also called terminals, as a “UFO on a stick,” but that brings to mind all kinds of ideas.

StarLink Armada _source

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Will StarLink use the same kit that Google uses for Google Fiber? Will StarLink use a different kind of satellite dish that can be mounted on the roof? How about an antenna for picking up signals from those satellite dishes?
While we have yet to hear an answer to these questions, there are some general details we know. For one, Musk has said that these devices will come in kits. “It’s not a standalone product,” he said. “It comes with all the components you need to connect remotely to a network… It’s just more convenient.

A wireless router is included in the package, but it is not required. However, there is one catch: the StarLink app will only work with the included router. Although the app is primarily for setup, it does contain some useful statistics and performance data, so being able to use it would be beneficial. The user can connect to the network and configure the satellite dish antenna, but that’s all there is to it.

There is also starlink.net, and it is a site that provides information about receiving one of these devices in your home. Some people have complained that it took too long to receive their satellite kit, but the FAQ says you should not wait longer than six weeks for your kit to ship. Also, if you do not know where you live, you can sign up for an address lookup feature on the site, and they will provide a list of addresses where someone currently lives with a StarLink device.

Snapshot of Earth from StarLink Satellite _source

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Comparing the StarLink satellites to the Google Fiber’s “pizza box” sized, minimally-powered fixed wireless Internet terminals, StarLink satellites are off-the-shelf commercial satellites and will be installed in a Low Earth Orbit (“LEO”) to transmit at Ku band as opposed to the Google Fiber terminals which operate in a higher frequency Band.

Reddit user Wandering-coder performed a speed test with the StarLink user terminal/satellite dish placed on the ground in a relatively open part of the forest, measuring download speeds of 120Mbps, upload speeds of 12Mbps, and latency of 37ms. Because StarLink requires a clear line of sight to SpaceX satellites, he got worse results in a different, more heavily forested location where he placed the dish closer to the trees. “As expected,” Wandering-coder wrote, “it didn’t work well with a heavy tree canopy/trees directly in the line of sight.” “I’d be connected for no more than 5 seconds at a time. As much as possible, ensure that you have a clear view of the sky.”

StarLink satellites also have an advantage over traditional satellite technology because they are closer to earth and therefore can send data at a faster rate. “The throughput you get is about twice what you would’ve gotten with a traditional satellite,” said Musk. The relatively low orbit of these satellites also means that it does not take long for them to move out of range.

References

STARLINK REVIEW: BROADBAND DREAMS FALL TO EARTH Web document .

SpaceX StarLink users provide first impressions and unboxing picturesWeb document .

Wandering-Coder Web document.