Starlink

[Skybolt]

Good to know. So if you have the residential version the unit will work on the Chesapeake Bay and Intercoastal as long as we are not moving or out in the Ocean? Most parts of our trip South we should remain in cell phone range and can stream data via hotspot.

I also thought that much of the Chesapeake Bay and inter coastal all the way to Key West are not part of the Opt In plan, so available as part of the unlimited portion of the plan.?.

Sort of a moving target.

Yes the older RV equipment will work, but you must have a minimum of the $250 plan. At least as of a month ago. Before my array cooked, I had two options to upgrade my plan too, the $250 and $1000 ones. When I inquired about the current through put of best effort service, I was told 3-5Mbps. From what I have read it's more like 2-3mbps and what I experienced that was about right.

They did change something with the current plan a few weeks ago and now it is supposedly 5-50 mbps. And from what was explained to me most parts of the ICW are not considered "open ocean". And to your point it is a moving target until they figure out where they're going with all of this. Or maybe they already have and the dust just needs to settle a bit.

There many that still seem to have great service in other countries and in and around the gulf area. But people on the east coast of FL seem to have been throttled, like @ocgrant experienced. There are many sites that are also posting this exact experience.

 

[ttmott]

https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/brit_starlink_download_cap/

 

[rlynch03]

Yes the older RV equipment will work, but you must have a minimum of the $250 plan. At least as of a month ago. Before my array cooked, I had two options to upgrade my plan too, the $250 and $1000 ones. When I inquired about the current through put of best effort service, I was told 3-5Mbps. From what I have read it's more like 2-3mbps and what I experienced that was about right.

They did change something with the current plan a few weeks ago and now it is supposedly 5-50 mbps. And from what was explained to me most parts of the ICW are not considered "open ocean". And to your point it is a moving target until they figure out where they're going with all of this. Or maybe they already have and the dust just needs to settle a bit.

There many that still seem to have great service in other countries and in and around the gulf area. But people on the east coast of FL seem to have been throttled, like @ocgrant experienced. There are many sites that are also posting this exact experience.

Are you on the upper Chesapeake Bay? How is your coverage before the issue?

 

[Skybolt]

Are you on the upper Chesapeake Bay? How is your coverage before the issue?

Yes, Kent Narrows. Across the bay from you. My service before the "Issue" is documented in all of this above in detail, next to no service, or what SL calls Best Effort service. I was seeing 2-3Mbps download speed during what is considered high usage times. I could barley stream music at best. I even bought a new array to prove my equipment was still good, it was at the time. A few weeks later the POE device burned out and took my existing array with it. That was all around the time of everything changing. But I was able to see next to no service for a few weeks, including the latest change to the 50GB $250/month options. I did have usable inet very early morning and other random times during the day, but nothing that was ever stable enough to rely on to keep paying even $150/month. So I switched back to cellular.

Right now from what I see, after the 50gb is done and your on best effort service, you will basically have no service because you'll be on best effort service and being a low priority customer and in a high priority area,

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/starlink-introduces-best-effort-service/

 

[rlynch03]

Yes, Kent Narrows. Across the bay from you. My service before the "Issue" is documented in all of this above in detail, next to no service, or what SL calls Best Effort service. I was seeing 2-3Mbps download speed during what is considered high usage times. I could barley stream music at best. I even bought a new array to prove my equipment was still good, it was at the time. A few weeks later the POE device burned out and took my existing array with it. That was all around the time of everything changing. But I was able to see next to no service for a few weeks, including the latest change to the 50GB $250/month options. I did have usable inet very early morning and other random times during the day, but nothing that was ever stable enough to rely on to keep paying even $150/month. So I switched back to cellular.

Right now from what I see, after the 50gb is done and your on best effort service, you will basically have no service because you'll be on best effort service and being a low priority customer and in a high priority area,

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/starlink-introduces-best-effort-service/

Sorry I missed some of that and thanks again for that update on the Chesapeake Bay. Yeah that’s disappointing but maybe time will improve our coverage here. Not sure what that means for me as I we hope to head south later this year. Coverage maps look pretty well covered that direction. Maybe I will wait another few months to see how it continues to evolve.

With such a wonderful bay to explore I am not sure why we are so pressed to go south. The blue water surely is the goal but that’s a long treak and probably a different thread to discuss.

Thanks again

 

[Skybolt]

Sorry I missed some of that and thanks again for that update on the Chesapeake Bay. Yeah that’s disappointing but maybe time will improve our coverage here. Not sure what that means for me as I we hope to head south later this year. Coverage maps look pretty well covered that direction. Maybe I will wait another few months to see how it continues to evolve.

With such a wonderful bay to explore I am not sure why we are so pressed to go south. The blue water surely is the goal but that’s a long treak and probably a different thread to discuss.

Thanks again

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying don't get SL. As it was amazing when it worked, smoothest inet I have ever seen on a boat. If they can figure out the load balancing issue(s) I think it will be just a good as it was. If they could deliver 25mbps steady download, that would be more then enough for a boat.

 

[ocgrant]

Well 2 weeks after getting my new dish and still waiting for the mount... Fing stupid... Got a text this morning that it shipped and will be here Saturday. Great guess my Sunday is now booked installing this as I leave next Thursday for the Bahamas. Elon has his work cut out for him with this companies crappy customer service

 

[Skybolt]

Well 2 weeks after getting my new dish and still waiting for the mount... Fing stupid... Got a text this morning that it shipped and will be here Saturday. Great guess my Sunday is now booked installing this as I leave next Thursday for the Bahamas. Elon has his work cut out for him with this companies crappy customer service

Yep, but I have seen a lot worse lately.

Will be very interested in hearing about your experience with the new dish and 50gb plan.

EDIT: I read that they did not plan on so many subscribing so soon and they were not prepared for any of that. Including the iNet service issues and why they came up with "Best Effort Service".

 

[alnav]

Well 2 weeks after getting my new dish and still waiting for the mount... Fing stupid... Got a text this morning that it shipped and will be here Saturday. Great guess my Sunday is now booked installing this as I leave next Thursday for the Bahamas. Elon has his work cut out for him with this companies crappy customer service

I actually got my mount yesterday (Wednesday). Got a notice last Friday it was shipped and arriving Sunday. But, all they had done was cut the label on the way out the door so Fedex actually didn't have the package. Monday I could see on Fedex that it had been picked it up for Wednesday delivery and that happened. Hope they aren't doing that to you; check the Fedex number if you can to see if they really have it in hand.
I started a ticket back in mid-May since the purchase didn't look right on the app. Finally got the first reply from a human last Saturday saying everything looked good to them and delivery was in progress. You would think that, having implemented a call center-free operation, that they would staff it adequately enough to provide reasonably fast responses.

 

[ocgrant]

I actually got my mount yesterday (Wednesday). Got a notice last Friday it was shipped and arriving Sunday. But, all they had done was cut the label on the way out the door so Fedex actually didn't have the package. Monday I could see on Fedex that it had been picked it up for Wednesday delivery and that happened. Hope they aren't doing that to you; check the Fedex number if you can to see if they really have it in hand.
I started a ticket back in mid-May since the purchase didn't look right on the app. Finally got the first reply from a human last Saturday saying everything looked good to them and delivery was in progress. You would think that, having implemented a call center-free operation, that they would staff it adequately enough to provide reasonably fast responses.

Amen they suck right now for sure…

 

[ocgrant]

Well finally got all the parts and got it installed in between thunder storms. Will have a full review from the Bahamas next week. Booted right up and word perfectly. No Starlink router required. Plugs directly into the Peplink.

 

[Skybolt]

... No Starlink router required. Plugs directly into the Peplink. ...

Looks great Grant!

You say no SL router, did you bypass it or does it come with separate power and ethernet now?

 

[alnav]

Well finally got all the parts and got it installed in between thunder storms. Will have a full review from the Bahamas next week. Booted right up and word perfectly. No Starlink router required. Plugs directly into the Peplink.
View attachment 145837 View attachment 145838 View attachment 145839 View attachment 145840

Grant, what was your process for getting the cable from the power supply up to and and through the hardtop? Looks like to me like the provided cable gland is too small. The "wings" on the connector looks like they will also make it hard to fish any tight cable runs. I would hate to have to cut and splice that cable based on the horror stories I've seen.

 

[alnav]

Looks great Grant!

You say no SL router, did you bypass it or does it come with separate power and ethernet now?

I'll answer in case Grant is already underway. Yes, the HP dish comes with a separately-powered power supply and router. Along with an ethernet cable that plugs into the PS in lieu of the router.

 

[Skybolt]

I'll answer in case Grant is already underway. Yes, the HP dish comes with a separately-powered power supply and router. Along with an ethernet cable that plugs into the PS in lieu of the router.

Thanks, Well at least they did that right, finally.

 

[ocgrant]

Grant, what was your process for getting the cable from the power supply up to and and through the hardtop? Looks like to me like the provided cable gland is too small. The "wings" on the connector looks like they will also make it hard to fish any tight cable runs. I would hate to have to cut and splice that cable based on the horror stories I've seen.

3/4” hole and the power supply side of the cable goes through it. The gland they give you works perfect. Super easy install the cable run was easy across the roof and down the arch to my home run cabinet

 

[ocgrant]

Looks great Grant!

You say no SL router, did you bypass it or does it come with separate power and ethernet now?

Yes it comes with a cable that you can use straight out of the power supply that goes to RJ45 and plugs right into the Peplink. Launched the App and it showed it connected right away. So much easier then the router to converter. Now I am debating if I even need the Peplink anymore. Might just run it to the Cisco and call it good.

 

[Skybolt]

Yes it comes with a cable that you can use straight out of the power supply that goes to RJ45 and plugs right into the Peplink. Launched the App and it showed it connected right away. So much easier then the router to converter. Now I am debating if I even need the Peplink anymore. Might just run it to the Cisco and call it good.

Yeah, the only thing the BR1 gets you is 2.4gzh WiFi, if that is never going to be used then no need for it.

 

[ocgrant]

Yeah, the only thing the BR1 gets you is 2.4gzh WiFi, if that is never going to be used then no need for it.

That's my debate for now... I think I will leave it and see if I ever use it or not. But at least I have it if I want it

 

[Skybolt]

That's my debate for now... I think I will leave it and see if I ever use it or not. But at least I have it if I want it

I upgraded to the 5G model, and would keep it if I add SL back in, I will keep the cell svc as well.