Review: SpaceX Starlink (Satellite Internet)

Starlink Mini Dish (Flat w/kickstand)

The Starlink Mini dish looks like a mini version of the Standard Gen 3, only quite a bit smaller and much more portable. It also has no motors and comes with a removable kickstand mount to prop it up at a slight angle for optimal aiming and rain runoff. It also includes a pole mount and has optional mounts in the store.

If you are using the kickstand or pole mount, the user can choose to go through the manual aiming process to get the optimal direction, but if you are laying it relatively flat on a vehicle mount, then there is no need to stress on the manual aiming and it will work just fine flat or slight angle in any direction.

The Starlink Mini has finally made Starlink extremely portable coming in at ~2.5 lbs and back pack size. They have even simplified it further by embedding the router inside the dish and making it DC powered with a small external AC adapter.

There is a separate USB-C to barrel jack for direct DC power to the dish. It also uses the more typical RJ45 cable for external router connection if needed.

Dish Specs (Mini Dish)

• Dimensions: 11.75" x 10.2" (298.5 x 259 mm) 
  • Height: 1.45" (38.5 mm)
• Weight (no kickstand): 2.43 lbs (1.10 kg)
• Weight (with kickstand): 3.37 lbs (1.53 kg)
• Weight (with cable): 3.37 lbs (1.53 kg)
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor use: Yes, IP67 type 4 rated
• Mounting Options:
  • Included Kickstand and Pipe adapter
  • Additional mounting options are available in the Starlink Shop including a pole mount

Router Specs (Integrated into Dish)

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 5 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • Dual Band 2.4GHz, 5GHz
  • 3x3, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: IP67 (Internal to the Dish)
• Ethernet: One Latching Ethernet LAN port with Starlink plug
• Mesh: Compatible with all Starlink mesh systems *Not compatible with 3rd party mesh systems
• Devices: Connect up to 128 devices

System Specs

• Power: Separate Power Supply plug with IP66 Type 4 rating and waterproof connectors
  • • (AC Adapter) 100-240V ~ 1.6A 50 - 60 Hz
    • (DC Adapter) - 100W, 20V/5A Minimum (with Starlink USB-C to Barrel Jack Cable Accessory) 
• Cabling:
  • 49.2 ft (15 m) DC Power Cable

Starlink Flat High Performance Dish

The Starlink Flat High Performance (FHP) is a higher-end and much more expensive option and is the default hardware on the Priority and Mobile Priority plans although technically the dish can be used on most plans.

This model does not have a stalk, is intended to be flat-mounted, and has no motors for aiming. It's considerably larger and also has the largest field of view at 140 degrees.

The FHP dish kit comes with a wedge mount and is intended to be permanently mounted on your RV, boat, or vehicle. It is not intended to be set out and deployed at each location and unfortunately unlike more recent hardware is not easily removed from the mount.

For our mobile audience, the Flat High Performance Dish only makes sense if a permanent mount and wider field of view are appealing. However the price point difference is substantial.

Starlink has stopped including a router with the Flat HP dish, so that is an additional expense when purchasing it.

Dishy Specs (Flat High Performance)

• Dimensions: 22" x 20" (570 x 510 mm) 
  • Height: 1.6"" (41 mm)
• Weight (with cable): 16 lbs (7.2 kg)
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor use: Yes, IP56 rated
• Mounting Options:
  • included wedge mount
    • Dimensions: length 22.7" (575 mm), width 20.1" (511 mm), height 1.6" (41 mm)
  • Additional mounting options are available in the Starlink Shop

Router Specs (2nd Generation) - No Longer Included

Router Specs (3rd Generation) - Optional purchase for $250

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Tri-band 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
  • 4x4, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: Limited IP56 rated (water resistant), configured for indoor use
• Ethernet: Two Latching Ethernet LAN ports with removable cover
• Mesh: Compatible with Starlink Gen 2 and Gen 3 Mesh Nodes, up to 3 Starlink Mesh Nodes
• Devices: Connect up to 235 devices

System Specs

• Power: 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz, 6.3A Max
  • Power supply: Outdoor use - IP56 rated
• Cabling:
  • 25m (82 ft) Starlink Cable - detachable power over ethernet cable between Starlink and Power Supply. Additional cable lengths available in Shop.
  • 1.8m (6 ft) AC cable (Power Supply)
  • 5 m (16.5 ft) Ethernet Cable - Power Supply to RJ45 cable (for third party routers or devices)*
  • Additional Cable lengths available in Shop*

Starlink Enterprise 

Dish Specs (3rd Generation)

• Dimensions: 23.4" x 15.07" (594 x 383 mm)
  • Height: 1.5" (39.7 mm)
  • Kickstand Height: 4.74" (120.4 mm)
  • Weight (with cable): 7.9 lbs (4.2 kg)
  • Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
  • Outdoor use: Yes, IP67 type 4 rated
  • Mounting Options:
    • Included Kickstand or flat
    • Additional mounting options are available in the Starlink Shop including a pole mount

Router: (Not Included)

System Specs

• Power: 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz, 6.3A Max
  • Power supply: Outdoor use - IP56 rated
• Cabling:
  • 50m (164 ft) Enterprise Cable - Powers dish from power supply
  • 1.8m (6 ft) AC cable (Power Supply)
  • 5 m (16.5 ft) Ethernet Cable - Power Supply to RJ45 cable (for third party routers or devices)*
  • Additional Cable lengths available in Shop*

Starlink Gen 3 Router

Starlink released its Gen 3 router ahead of new hardware and the best part is this router is backwards compatible will all current hardware. It was originally offered to select customers by email invite only. In March, 2024, the Gen 3 router became available for purchase in the Starlink store for $250 to anyone that wanted to purchase it. It can be used as the main router or added as a mesh system to both the Gen 2 and Gen 3 routers. We cover in more detail what systems the Gen 3 router makes sense for and what systems it may not. 

Gen 3 Router Features

The new Gen 3 router is a step up from the current hardware with the following features.

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
  • Tri-band 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
  • 4x4, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: Limited IP56 rated (water resistant), configured for indoor use
• Ethernet: Two Latching Ethernet LAN ports with removable cover
• Mesh: Compatible with Starlink Gen 2 and Gen 3 Mesh Nodes, up to 3 Starlink Mesh Nodes
• Devices: Connect up to 235 devices

The hardwired LAN ports will allow you to connect to your own hardwired devices or your own 3rd party (mesh) router if you so desire. A very welcome feature is that Starlink added a dedicated reset button to this router instead of the previous plug/unplug 6x that the current Gen 2 router requires for a factory reset after being placed in bypass mode. The Gen 3 router also adds small status light in the bottom left hand corner that makes it easier to tell at a glance the status of the router with various color and flashing lights. 

Is It Worth Upgrading?

While the Gen 3 router is backwards compatible with all current and previous hardware, it doesn't make sense in all applications to purchase it. If you have the round dish and are still using the original router or using a 3rd party router you aren't happy with, then the Gen 3 router would likely be a great replacement and it's a very simple process to add it to your setup. It becomes a direct replacement for the Gen 1 router and it also adds on the Starlink mesh capabilities that have not been available to current round dish users prior to this. The HP hardware also makes it easy to replace the existing router with the latest Gen 3 if you so choose as it's a direct replacement for the Gen 2 router using the correct cables. This Gen 3 router may also attract more people as an add on as a mesh network access point to their existing Gen 2 router in their HP setup if they haven't added a 3rd party mesh system yet. 

Unfortunately users that have a Gen 2 router with the Standard Actuated Dish is where the Gen 3 router doesn't make as much sense. The Gen 3 router cannot directly replace the Gen 2 router since the Gen 2 router has proprietary connectors and houses the built in power supply for the dish. So in order to use the Gen 3 router with a Gen 2 dish, you would need the optional ethernet adapter to hardwire the Gen 3 router from the Gen 2 ethernet port so you could put the Gen 2 router in bypass mode. However, the Gen 2 router would still be in place for power to the dish and the Gen 3 router would also need its own power adding a lot of plugs and connections to your setup without much gain. For the vast majority of the Standard Actuated Starlink users, most likely the greatest value will be adding the Gen 3 router as a mesh access point since it doesn't do a great job of replacing the existing router. If you are already bypassing the original router using a 3rd party router, the Gen 3 router probably doesn't add much value to your current setup as 3rd party routers have better configuration options than any of the Starlink routers. 

Starlink Gen 2 Router

The Starlink Gen 2 router is the default router that shipped with Standard Actuated Dish (now discontinued) and also at one time was included with the Flat HP Dish, but now no router is included with the Flat HP Dish. With the Standard Actuated Dish, the router is also the power supply for the dish and uses a proprietary cable between the dish and the router. A 3rd party router can only be used by purchasing the optional ethernet adapter to create an ethernet port from the router using a proprietary adapter. On the Flat HP Dish, the Gen 2 router could be used, but the power to the router only powers the router and the dish uses a separate power supply. There is still a proprietary cable between the power supply and router, but Starlink sells an optional router cable with a standard RJ45 ethernet on one end to hook up your own 3rd party router. This allows you to eliminate the Starlink Gen 2 Router from needing to be used. The power supply will continue to power the dish while the 3rd party router can connect to the power supply with the optional router cable from Starlink. 

Router Specs (2nd Generation)

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
  • Dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
  • 3x3, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: Limited IP54 rated (water resistant), configured for indoor use
• Ethernet: None (Ethernet adapter available)
• Mesh: Compatible with up to 3 Starlink Mesh nodes
• Devices:Connect up to 128 devices

Mobility Mount

Starlink has a Standard Mobility Mount (Review in progress) in the Starlink Store (you must be logged in) that is specifically designed for the Gen 3 Starlink Standard to permanently mount it on your RV, car or boat. The cost is $35. The description on the Starlink website describes the Mobility Mount as follows.

The Mobility Mount is designed to create a waterproof seal and protect against water ingress when permanently mounting to wood, fiberglass, metal, plastic and slotted rails on vehicle racks. The Mobility Mount features stainless steel fasteners, which are corrosion resistant to support harsh environments. This durable and versatile mount also supports an 8 degree mounting angle to maintain a signal during extreme and wet weather conditions.

According to the installation guide, the Mobility Mount is permanently secured to your RV, car, or boat with included hardware and should be mounted in such a way that it the dish is tilted towards the front of the vehicle and has no obstructions blocking the dish. Once the mounting plate is secure, the cable can be fed through the mount and the dish can be attached to the mount and then is secured by included locking screws. This keeps the dish secure on the RV as you travel down the road are are on the water in your boat. 

They also offer the Starlink Mini Mobility Mount for $45.

Gen 3 Router & Power Supply Accessories

Starlink offers two accessories for the Gen 3 router - a router mount and a power supply mount. They both can found in the Starlink store for around $25/each. 

DC-DC Power Supply

Starlink has added an official DC power option for the Standard Gen 3 hardware. Starlink listened and now sells a DC-DC Power Supply in their Starlink Store (you must be logged in) for $110. Details about the DC-DC power supply are in this PDF from Starlink's website. 

The DC Power Supply is a new power brick with a ~3' DC cable option on the input side. Both ends of the input cable are XT60 plugs which are very commonly available. So you can use any XT60 cable to plug directly into this power supply, or add an XT60 plug you connect the input cable to. 

Mini and Standard Roof Rack Mount

Starlink released another type of mount for the Mini called the Mini Roof Rack Mount available for $55 in the Starlink Store, that allows you to attach the dish to most rack mounts that might be on a vehicle which usually means no holes to drill.

The Starlink Standard has now followed its little brother and has its own Standard Roof Rack Mount available for $68 in the Starlink Store, giving Standard users more mounting options.

The Starlink Standard Roof Rack mount is a little beefier to support the heavier dish, but it appears to offer all the same versatility that the Mini Roof Rack offers. Various rack widths and depths are supported, and both the Mobility Mount and Rack Mount give users many options to mount their Starlink on many types of applications. 

Standard Backpack

Now, Starlink offers you a way to protect your dish while you aren't using it or transporting it to a new location. The Starlink Standard Backpack sells for $199 and offers a durable and rugged exterior shell to protect your Starlink dish and easily carry it with you. 

The Standard Backpack gives you enough room to take along your Standard Dish, Gen 3 router, power supply, and up to a 16" laptop. In addition, the purchase of the backpack includes a 5M (16.5') Starlink ethernet cable, so you can leave the longer 50' cable back at home. 

Standard X-Frame Base Comes Back

Starlink now offers a Standard X-Frame Base which includes a base with 4 legs, a mast adapter, and a mast for $75, transforming your Standard Gen 3 into a setup more typical of the earlier generation hardware. 

While this setup isn't going to automatically aim your dish since there are still no motors, the process of aiming the dish is very straightforward using the app, and you can just twist the dish unit until the app tells you it's pointed in the right direction.

The other nice feature of this X-Frame Base is that it all comes apart, making it much easier to store than the previous generation's hardware, which had a pole always sticking out the bottom of the dish.

12v Mini Car Adapter

Starlink first released a 5M USB-C Cable ($31) that gave users another way to power their Starlink off of DC directly. However, having the required 100v (20v/5a) USB power source isn't very common in most vehicles, so users still had to search for other sources of power to run their Starlink in their vehicle using a DC power supply. 

Starlink Introduced the 12v Mini Car Adapter kit sells for $45 and includes the same 5M (16') USB-C Cable and a 12v cigarette adapter plug with the required USB-C power requirements to safely power your Starlink directly from your vehicle or vessel's 12v battery. 

Starlink Standard Actuated Dish (Retired in the US)

This is the second-generation Starlink receiver is rectangular in shape and smaller than the first generation dish. The dish dimensions are 20" x 12" and it weighs in at 6.4 lbs with no cable or 7.9 lbs with a 50' cable. Also new - the cable between the indoor router (which is now integrated into the power supply) and outdoor Dish is now removable and replaceable. The smaller size and removable cable should make it a lot easier to use Starlink in a portable fashion where you set up at each new location. One downside is that Starlink's second-generation indoor router does not come with a built-in Ethernet port. There is an Ethernet adapter available for purchase on the Starlink Shop ($25) to allow for a wired connection if needed. If you need more than one Ethernet port, you can use an Ethernet switch or your own secondary router.

Dish Specs (2nd Generation)

• Dimensions: 20.2" x 11.9" (513 x 303 mm) 
  • Height: 21.4" (544 mm) in stowed position
  • Mast diameter: 1.3" (34 mm)
• Weight (with cable): 7.9 lbs (3.6 kg)
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor use: Yes, IP54 rated
• Mounting Options:
  • Included tripod:
    • Dimensions: length 22" (550 mm), width 12.9" (320 mm), height 4.75" (120 mm)
  • Additional mounting options are available in the Starlink Shop.

Router Specs (2nd Generation)

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
  • Dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
  • 3x3, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 and WPA3 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: Limited IP54 rated (water resistant), configured for indoor use
• Ethernet: None (Ethernet adapter available)

System Specs

• Power: 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz, 2.5A Max
  • Power supply integrated with Wi-Fi Router
• Cabling:
  • 50 ft (15.2 m) detachable proprietary power over ethernet cable between Starlink and router.
  • Additional cable lengths are available for purchase.

Starlink Round Dish (Gen 1 - 2 versions)

The first generation dish was available from Starlink's initial rollout in October 2020 until late 2021 when it was replaced by the second-generation version for new customers. The first-generation system router has a single Ethernet port labeled as AUX that may be used to connect wired devices (TVs, computers, smart devices, etc.). If you need more Ethernet ports, you can add an Ethernet switch or connect to the WAN port of a router. The power supply is separate from the Starlink Wi-Fi router, and it is possible to use your own router without hooking the Starlink router up. There are actually two nearly identical first-generation Starlink systems. The earliest units shipped have a black mast leg, and the newer systems have a grey leg. The only practical difference between these versions is power consumption - the grey-legged Starlink uses significantly less power.

Dish Specs

• Dimensions: 23.2" (58.9 cm) diameter
  • Weight: 16 lbs (7.3 kg)
  • Mast diameter: 1.4" (3.6 cm)
• Height: 25.4" (64.5 cm)
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor use: Yes, IP54 rated
• Mounting Options:
  • Included Tripod:
    • Dimensions: length 11" (28 cm), height 4" (10 cm)
  • Additional mounting options are available.

Router Specs

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
  • Dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
  • 2x2, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 and WPA3 security
• Operating Temperature: +32°F to +86°F (0°C to +30°C)
• Outdoor use: No
• Ethernet: 1x Gigabit port

System Specs

• Power: 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz, 2.5A Max
• Cabling: 100 ft (30 m) attached power over ethernet cable between Starlink and power supply.

Starlink High Performance Dishy

Note: The High Performance Dish is no longer available for purchase as of Sept 2023 and users can now purchase the Flat HP Dish instead. Starlink's Priority service offers a larger and more capable High Performance Dishy that costs $2,500 along with a higher-performance Starlink Priority plans that begin at $140/mo and go up from there. This Starlink High Performance receiver is also rectangular in shape but definitely larger than the standard version to house more than double the antenna capability. The dishy dimensions are 22" x 20" and it weighs more around the original round dish at 16 lbs with cables It comes with several different cables and has a separate router and power supply. You do not need a separate ethernet adapter to use your own router. Along with the premium price, Starlink Priority users are promised faster internet speeds and higher throughput. They also receive prioritized support and a publicly routable IPv4 address.

Dishy Specs (High Performance)

• Dimensions: 22" x 20" (57 x 51 cm) 
  • Height: 26.7" (67.8 cm)
  • Mast diameter: 1.3" (3.4 cm)
• Weight (with cable): 16 lbs (7.2 kg)
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor use: Yes, IP56 rated
• Mounting Options:
  • Included tripod:
    • Dimensions: length 22.2" (56.4 cm), width 22.1" (56.3 cm), height 4.7" (12.1 cm)
  • Additional mounting options are available in the Starlink Shop.

Router Specs (2nd Generation)

• Wi-Fi support: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
  • Dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
  • 3x3, MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Antenna
  • WPA2 and WPA3 security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• Outdoor Use: Limited IP54 rated (water resistant), configured for indoor use
• Ethernet: None (Ethernet adapter available)

System Specs

• Power: 100-240 VAC 50/60 Hz, 6.3A Max
  • Power supply: Outdoor use - IP56 rated
• Cabling:
  • 25 m(82 ft) Starlink Cable - detachable power over ethernet cable between Starlink and Power Supply. Additional cable lengths available in Shop.
  • 1.8m (6 ft) AC cable (Power Supply)
  • 1.8m (6 ft) AC cable (Starlink Router)
  • 2 m (6.5 ft) Router cable between Power Supply and Starlink Router*
  • 5 m (16.5 ft) Ethernet Cable - Power Supply to RJ45 cable (for third party routers or devices)*
  • Additional Cable lengths available in Shop*