Life Starlink or not-to Starlink - Page 3

Mr_Tomahawk · 04-05-2025, 02:33 PM

Please keep this out of DC....

Looking into possibly making the leap into Starlink.

The reason; we have our primary residence....in addition we have a little shack at the lake that we spend the weekends at during the summer.

Our internet options at the lake [Pomme De Terre] are shit. And we previously paying for two separate Internet service, but obviously the weekend place we used sporadically.

I would LOVE to have something that I can just move between the two houses...

The Starlink Mini, I think, would work at the lake...but I am not sure if it is robust enough to handle our daily internet needs (two teenage boys, wife and I work from home, etc.).

And the "standard" Starlink setup does not appear it can moved as easily as the mini....so I come to CP asking for ideas so I am not paying for two services.

And have we signed this piece of shit yet?

**BigRichard** · 04-06-2025, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlphg9

It would easily be enough. 50-100 Mbps is going to get you all you need.

https://nordvpn.com/blog/internet-speed-for-gaming/

What is a good internet speed for gaming?
Internet speed of 10-25 Mbps download and 5-10 Mbps upload suits most online gaming needs. The recommended internet speed for gaming depends on several factors, including the type of game, the platform, and the number of players involved.

However, if you’re a serious gamer or streamer, you may want to invest in higher speeds to ensure the best possible gaming experience. Remember — these figures apply to the gaming community.

The minimum internet connection speed for gaming:

Download speed — 3 Mbps
Upload speed — 0.5-1 Mbps
Ping rate — Less than 150 ms
The recommended internet connection speed for gaming:

Download speed — 15-25 Mbps
Upload speed — 5 Mbps
Ping rate — Less than 50 ms
If you're unclear about the status right now, you can test your internet speed and get more data.

Starlink has a map of download speeds, latency, and upload speed.

Missouri is at

95-241 Mbps download speed
13 - 25 Mbps upload speed
26-37 ms latency

Those numbers are supposedly from the 20th to 80th percentile of real user data.

Those numbers should also continue to get better and better. Hell look around reddit and you can find people posting there speeds from all over.

See my post above... depending on the games... speed isn't your issue, it is latency.

kcgizmo · 04-06-2025, 07:08 AM

I have Starlink, and love it, I have had it for almost two years with no issues. I have the standard model and pay 110 a month. I am not sure why you could not use it at both places. It may seem a little big but I think it would be very portable depending your set up. I think I would buy two cable runs, one for each home, this way, you are only moving the satellite and the modem. You could then permanently install the cable run as you desire. Then its plug and play.

Good Luck

Mr_Tomahawk · 04-06-2025, 07:19 AM

Some good discussion. And I only understand half of what people are talking about which further confirms I know not what I am doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcgizmo

I have Starlink, and love it, I have had it for almost two years with no issues. I have the standard model and pay 110 a month. I am not sure why you could not use it at both places. It may seem a little big but I think it would be very portable depending your set up. I think I would buy two cable runs, one for each home, this way, you are only moving the satellite and the modem. You could then permanently install the cable run as you desire. Then its plug and play.

Good Luck

This was an option we had been thinking about doing...making the standard into more of a portable setup. So, if I get another cable, and another mounting bracket for the satelite (have a brack in both locations already setup)...then I am just moving the satelite and modem, as you said. Correct? Why would I not want to do this? Is it just because it is larger than the mini...?

Thank you again all!

kcgizmo · 04-06-2025, 08:03 AM

On my set up, I did not use a house mount, I used the standard that came with the kit. I just put 4 screws in the legs and flat mounted on my roof. But depending on where you are setting up, and how high you would need to set it up, Due to trees or other obstacles. you may be able to mount it very low and easy access. This way you would not need to purchase an another mount. I attempted to copy a picture to show you, but I am not that savvy when it comes to computers, so I was not able to put it in here.
I do agree, I personally would use the standard kit in this manor, the only thing you may need to check, is due to it not being a portable unit, if Starlink has some rule against moving the bigger unit.

**BigRichard** · 04-06-2025, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

Some good discussion. And I only understand half of what people are talking about which further confirms I know not what I am doing.

This was an option we had been thinking about doing...making the standard into more of a portable setup. So, if I get another cable, and another mounting bracket for the satelite (have a brack in both locations already setup)...then I am just moving the satelite and modem, as you said. Correct? Why would I not want to do this? Is it just because it is larger than the mini...?

Thank you again all!

If you are planning on having a separate router for each setup and just using the starlink as the "modem" and you plan on moving it fairly often... I might pay the extra cash for the mini. You have one small box with one cord to deal with vs a huge box... with a clunky other box and extra cable to move each time.

Just my take on it.

Mr_Tomahawk · 04-06-2025, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRichard

If you are planning on having a separate router for each setup and just using the starlink as the "modem" and you plan on moving it fairly often... I might pay the extra cash for the mini. You have one small box with one cord to deal with vs a huge box... with a clunky other box and extra cable to move each time.

Just my take on it.

This throws me back into the “is the mini powerful enough for my primary residence?” And that’s where I am not sure. As I sit here, my wife is currently “working” on the computer (probably OF)….im streaming online. And both my boys are playing some dumbass online game.

Not sure if the mini could handle that….

**BigRichard** · 04-06-2025, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

This throws me back into the “is the mini powerful enough for my primary residence?” And that’s where I am not sure. As I sit here, my wife is currently “working” on the computer (probably OF)….im streaming online. And both my boys are playing some dumbass online game.

Not sure if the mini could handle that….

The mini doesn't slow that down... that all works the same. The wifi just doesn't cover as much area. But if you just use it as the modem and you have a router/wifi unit you hook it to at both locations that eliminates that issue. I hope you also read my post about latency. Latency isn't going to effect anything like streaming or anything like that but if you play games(depending on the game) it could cause some issues.

**BigRichard** · 04-06-2025, 08:14 AM

From Starlinks's Website

https://www.starlink.com/support/art...7-361a78cce37d

Quote:

Starlink Mini is compact in size, portable, and recommended for basic internet applications.

Starlink Mini Kit covers up to 112 m² (1,200 ft²) and comes with everything you need to get online in minutes. Its compact design and low power consumption make it ideal for fixed and portable use.
Starlink Standard is recommended for high-demand everyday internet applications.

Starlink Standard Kit covers up to 297 m² (3,200 ft²), can endure extreme weather and environment elements, and comes with everything you need to get online in minutes. Its high-speeds make it ideal for streaming, video calls, and gaming.

Mr_Tomahawk · 04-06-2025, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRichard

The mini doesn't slow that down... that all works the same. The wifi just doesn't cover as much area. But if you just use it as the modem and you have a router/wifi unit you hook it to at both locations that eliminates that issue. I hope you also read my post about latency. Latency isn't going to effect anything like streaming or anything like that but if you play games(depending on the game) it could cause some issues.

I read it…appreciate it…just don’t understand latency. Is there “something” I can purchase for that? Also…is there a router you would recommend? I would just leave the router home, right? Don’t think I would need it for the lake.

Mr_Tomahawk · 04-06-2025, 08:15 AM

Thank you!

htismaqe · 04-06-2025, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

I read it…appreciate it…just don’t understand latency. Is there “something” I can purchase for that? Also…is there a router you would recommend? I would just leave the router home, right? Don’t think I would need it for the lake.

Latency is the length of time it takes for a packet to traverse the network. It's limited by physics. Wired connections usually offer the lowest latency. Depending on where you live, 5G latency can range anywhere from good to tolerable. Satellite is always going to suffer from the highest latency because the signal has to be shot into the atmosphere and then back.

htismaqe · 04-06-2025, 08:19 AM

Anything that requires a two-way connection - games, voice and video, stuff like that - requires lower latency.

htismaqe · 04-06-2025, 08:20 AM

Maybe some day I will start a "home internet how to" thread. There's a ton of us here that know this shit. We could compile it into a guide.

**BigRichard** · 04-06-2025, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

I read it…appreciate it…just don’t understand latency. Is there “something” I can purchase for that? Also…is there a router you would recommend? I would just leave the router home, right? Don’t think I would need it for the lake.

Tons of routers you could pick from. You might want a different one for the house vs the cabin depending on the size of each.

Take your pick here...

https://www.bestproductsreviews.com/router-wifi-6?targetid=kwd-85213460460822:loc-190&matchtype=e&device=c&campaignid=531199994&creative=&adgroupid=1363396943414302&feeditemid=&loc_physical_ms=83040&loc_interest_ms=&network=o&devicemodel=&placement=&keyword=$router%20wifi%206&target=&aceid={aceid}&adposition=&trackid=us_all_top_1_1&mId=407-132-4411&trackOld=true&msclkid=c095455dfc68113940f522af70907cf6

As far as latency goes... that is the one downfall to Starlink... it will almost always be higher than wired service. That is because the signal has to travel up to a satellite and then back down to earth. There isn't really anything you can do about that.

htismaqe · 04-06-2025, 08:22 AM

For routers, I've had good luck with Tenda in the budget space. In the more expensive routers, I prefer Asus but I use custom firmware.

I would avoid Linksys and Netgear altogether. I used to beta test for them both and there's stuff in their code that is very concerning.

04-05-2025, 02:33 PM
Mr_Tomahawk Prestige Worldwide Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Spring Hill, KS Casino cash: $70526	Starlink or not-to Starlink Please keep this out of DC.... Looking into possibly making the leap into Starlink. The reason; we have our primary residence....in addition we have a little shack at the lake that we spend the weekends at during the summer. Our internet options at the lake [Pomme De Terre] are shit. And we previously paying for two separate Internet service, but obviously the weekend place we used sporadically. I would LOVE to have something that I can just move between the two houses... The Starlink Mini, I think, would work at the lake...but I am not sure if it is robust enough to handle our daily internet needs (two teenage boys, wife and I work from home, etc.). And the "standard" Starlink setup does not appear it can moved as easily as the mini....so I come to CP asking for ideas so I am not paying for two services. And have we signed this piece of shit yet?
Posts: 18,617

04-06-2025, 07:08 AM	#32
kcgizmo Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Daingerfield Tx. Casino cash: $8145154	I have Starlink, and love it, I have had it for almost two years with no issues. I have the standard model and pay 110 a month. I am not sure why you could not use it at both places. It may seem a little big but I think it would be very portable depending your set up. I think I would buy two cable runs, one for each home, this way, you are only moving the satellite and the modem. You could then permanently install the cable run as you desire. Then its plug and play. Good Luck __________________ Go Chiefs
Posts: 772

04-06-2025, 08:03 AM	#34
kcgizmo Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Daingerfield Tx. Casino cash: $8145154	On my set up, I did not use a house mount, I used the standard that came with the kit. I just put 4 screws in the legs and flat mounted on my roof. But depending on where you are setting up, and how high you would need to set it up, Due to trees or other obstacles. you may be able to mount it very low and easy access. This way you would not need to purchase an another mount. I attempted to copy a picture to show you, but I am not that savvy when it comes to computers, so I was not able to put it in here. I do agree, I personally would use the standard kit in this manor, the only thing you may need to check, is due to it not being a portable unit, if Starlink has some rule against moving the bigger unit. __________________ Go Chiefs
Posts: 772

04-06-2025, 08:15 AM	#40
Mr_Tomahawk Prestige Worldwide Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Spring Hill, KS Casino cash: $70526	Thank you! __________________ Adopt-A-Chief: John Dorsey
Posts: 18,617

04-06-2025, 08:19 AM	#42
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $8209900	Anything that requires a two-way connection - games, voice and video, stuff like that - requires lower latency.
Posts: 104,286

04-06-2025, 08:20 AM	#43
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $8209900	Maybe some day I will start a "home internet how to" thread. There's a ton of us here that know this shit. We could compile it into a guide.
Posts: 104,286	1 0

04-06-2025, 08:22 AM	#45
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $8209900	For routers, I've had good luck with Tenda in the budget space. In the more expensive routers, I prefer Asus but I use custom firmware. I would avoid Linksys and Netgear altogether. I used to beta test for them both and there's stuff in their code that is very concerning.
Posts: 104,286