Feb 14, 20238 min read

Starlink for RV & Mobile | Everything you need to know...

Updated: Feb 15, 2023

IN THIS ARTICLE WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON USE FOR RV's

After being rudely responded to in Facebook Groups dedicated to Starlink - Help - Questions & Answers I decided to write a post full of information that has been shared in hundreds of posts and thousands of comments.

MODELS & PRICE

Residential

High-speed, low-latency broadband internet in remote and rural locations across the globe. US$110/mo with a one-time hardware cost of US$599.

RV

Immediately access unlimited high-speed, low-latency internet on an as-needed basis at any destination where Starlink provides active coverage. US$135/mo with a one-time cost of US$599 for portable hardware or $2,500 for in-motion hardware.

Business

High-speed, low-latency broadband internet to remote and rural businesses across the globe. US$500/mo with a one-time hardware cost of US$2,500.

Maritime

Global maritime coverage with up to 350 Mbps downloads while at sea. US$5,000/mo with a one-time hardware cost of US$5,000 for two high-performance terminals.

Aviation

High-speed, low-latency, in-flight internet with connectivity across the globe. US$12,500/mo-US$ 25,000/mo with a one-time hardware cost of US$150,000. Reserve now with deliveries starting in 2023.

IN THIS ARTICLE WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON USE FOR RV's

I paid for Starlink, when will I get Dishy (The Antenna)?

For a residential account: If you paid $99, then you have placed a deposit for hardware to be shipped at some point in the future. Only SpaceX can tell you when that may be. Their estimates are just that, estimates. Those estimates may change as things progress, again, only they know why.

For RV and residential accounts: If you paid $500+, then your hardware will be arriving at the SHIPPING address on the account. Current shipping times have been averaging two weeks or less from the order date and are via FedEx in the US.

Is Starlink mobile?!

“I didn’t think Starlink was mobile yet?” “Roaming” was enabled in February of 2022 and made into what SpaceX sells as portability. As of May 2022, users will now have the option to pay residential users an additional 25 dollars per month to enable portability via their accounts. It can be turned on/off as needed when travelling away from your service address. If you have RV service then you have portability enabled by default. Before roaming, one had to move their service address to either an open cell or an adjacent one.

Can I Sell/Buy Dishy?

Yes, SpaceX has allowed for the transfer of hardware from one person to another via their support ticket system. Two of the admins have done this successfully and many users now have reported it as well.

I have Starlink from Country X, and I move it to Country Y?

As of May 2022 portability as a paid feature enables crossing international borders with hardware from a different country on the same continent. This also applies to RV accounts.

How do I contact support?

I have done all I can as far as troubleshooting, it's time to reach out to support. You must submit a ticket to contact support, there is no direct phone number. You can create a ticket from the app home screen and click support then troubleshooting (or the most appropriate topic), then a subtopic, then click the thumbs-down button at the bottom. Fill out the form with as much detail as possible and then hit submit. Sadly current wait times can be weeks to hear back. If it is a problem with their hardware or network you will get an account credit.

REVIEWS FROM A USER

USER #1 - "A new addition to the kit!

I modified my Starlink satellite dish (RV service) by removing the motors and “temporarily” flat suction cup mounted to my hood, it will be mounted in the back on top of my cargo box eventually when I get my quick-release bracket made. (but it works fantastic where it’s at currently)

Now I have full-time satellite Wi-Fi, even when I’m in motion at highway speeds.

Allows me to keep my maps updated in real-time in Gaia GPS, upload/download my YT videos, and make phone calls over the internet via Wi-Fi calling- no more dropped calls! (so doubles at satellite phone as well) and the router is strong and allows me to connect to it up to 50 feet away from the Jeep! 12v router is my next upgrade. Possibilities are endless for mobile living!

Dishy works perfectly fine pointed straight up FYI." - from the Facebook group

USER #2 - "Chalk us up as another one. Full-time RVers (boondockers) coming up on 30 days. Just cancelled our RV service and we are sending the equipment back…so we can order Residential with portability. 10 MBS consistently since we got it.

It sure seems like a waste of time and money to return this so they can send brand-new equipment right back to us but that is their policy. Would have also been useful for them to be much clearer about the performance differences.

If you will be using Starlink year round and don’t need to pause service DO NOT get the RV Starlink, purchase the Residential with portability.

EDIT: To clarify our reasons for cancelling and ordering Residential - You CAN NOT get prioritized service with the RV plan. You CAN get prioritized service with Residential with portability depending on the availability at your location.

The worst case scenario with Residential is you end up with the same service as RV. Best case you get prioritized service for the same price. Since we do not need to pause service this is the best option for us. If you need to pause service you may come to a different conclusion." - from the Facebook group

Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions we feel should help alleviate the repetitive posts that come up often.

I am not sure if I should go with a residential (with portability), or an RV account?

There is not a best fit for all solutions on this, instead, we will make some points on each as the hardware at the moment is identical:

Residential with portability:

-Assuming you are mobile (the purpose of this group), you can potentially move your service address to where you will be next and prevent deprioritization during busy times of the day.

-You potentially can save 25 dollars a month if moving your service address from open cell to open cell. In the event you do need portability again, just turn it back on.

RV Service:

-Much simpler to get the equipment, just enter a shipping address.

-Can easily start/stop the service.

-Deprioritization can happen even in an open cell, with no ability to move/edit a service address to it.

I submitted a ticket but haven't heard back from Support!?

Current wait times to hear back from support are averaging 30+ days. If you reached out with a technical question the first response you receive quickly is likely a bot response with basic steps. Unfortunately, there is also no way to reach support via phone or to speed this up. This is a giant drawback for those with no other option in remote areas and a great opportunity to remind everyone to be careful with Dishy and its cable!

What is this Roaming you Speak of?

From what we as users have deduced, firmware starting around 2/18 has enabled roaming with Dishy. This has enabled moving freely around Starlink coverage areas and not having to “move” your service address around. Users also have now successfully been moving across international borders. As of May 2022 the ability to roam for residential users will now cost 25 dollars per month. Dishy's shipping currently has been confirmed by many users to be current enough firmware to be able to roam directly out of the box. If you are more than 15 miles from your service address, and have firmware release from 2/18 or later then you should have roaming enabled within an hour of powering on. A list of recent firmware is available here: https://starlinkversions.com/ . You can check what firmware you are running via the app and click support, swiping for more, then advanced. What is listed on this screen as a Starlink version number is your current firmware. If you have older firmware, you will need to either move the dish for a night or two into its home cell and it will eventually update during early morning hours of non-use, or move your home cell to where you currently are if possible.

In short, it now will cost an additional 25 dollars a month to "roam" from your service address for residential users. This can be enabled/disabled month to month. RV users have this feature always on.

Is there different hardware for mobile use?

No. There are 3 different versions of Dishy out there. V1 and V2 were round and the current one if you order today is a rectangle shape. They are all standard ones meant for residential use. They will likely have some sort of mobile hardware in the future, but nobody has any idea of when or what it will look like, or what it will cost. Both the residential plans and RV plans are shipping with V3 square Dishy.

How do so many of you have Starlink?

This now only applies to residential account users: I signed up for Dishy many months ago and haven’t got my order!? Coverage is divided by SpaceX into cells, and these cells are arbitrarily turned “on” for orders via a selection process that only Space X can explain. If you are “mobile”, meaning someone that moves around the country, then you can place an order today with a Service address of an open cell, and the shipping address of where you can receive Dishy. You will only be able to use Dishy where there are open cells nearby, and as soon as you move to a different cell there are no assurances that the prior cell will still have a spot if you decide to return. Our group's founder Evin Carr was one of the first pioneers of this shipping method. If you take advantage of it, grab him a Beer!

How do I change my service address?

For residential users only: log into your account via the web and in the “your location” area select the change location details button.

I am getting slow speeds compared to everyone else, what gives?

To start, make sure that Dishy has an obstruction-free view of the sky. If you are using the Starlink-provided router, go into settings via the web or app and split the 2.4GHZ and 5GHZ networks. Run the tests again from the 5GHZ network. If you are outside of your home cell or have the RV plan, then you may be de-prioritized as well.

Can I extend the cable length of Dishy?

Rev 1/2 ROUND DISHY: Although technically not officially supported, many have had success with extensions of over 100 feet with a waterproof ethernet splice and a high-quality large AWG-shielded ethernet extension.

RECTANGLE DISHY: The current Dishy has a user-replaceable cable that ships with a 75ft cord and can be replaced with a 150-foot cord from the Starlink store. If you would like to have an ethernet port, a separate adapter is also available in the Starlink store. As the cable uses proprietary connectors. Extending beyond 150 feet given the proprietary connector would get messy but is possible.

If there are any other Frequently Asked Questions that you believe we should add to this, feel free to reach out to Evin Carr or Kevin Ridley and we will discuss the request and add it if we feel it is appropriate. Thanks for making this group a success!!

STORING & MOUNTING YOUR STARLINK

Starlink Storage Cases: Hard-Sided, Boxes, and Soft Bags

Storage for Dishy when not in use or travelling, make sure your expensive equipment is protected. Don’t throw away that plastic insert from your unboxing as it can help you with storage solutions.

Easiest Choice: Use the original Starlink Box for Storage

The newer rectangle dish comes in a manageable-sized box and isn’t too bad to find a home for. Unfortunately, it isn’t very durable. For this reason, among others, you should consider the options below.

Starlink Official Travel Case

Finally! Starlink recently dropped their custom-sized travel and storage case for Rectangle Dishy. They don’t have much on their shop showing how it fits, but a few members have posted about it in my Facebook group. It has backpack straps so you can take it in the backcountry, or up your RV ladder with ease. Available here in the Starlink Shop (for account holders only).