Starlink seems to be all the rage ATM, so I thought Id share our experience with it.
We had been toying with the idea of getting Starlink for quite a while but the nearly $1k outlay put us off. When their special half price offer launched we could resist any longer. It took about eight days to be delivered from California with DHL.
TBH I was stunned with how easy and quick it was to setup- four minutes from unboxing to having live internet is very impressive. The speed was also amazing sitting around the 200mbpps, super impressive.
Weve just returned from our first trip with SL and Im still impressed with it. It takes only two three minutes to set up and you got full high speed low latency internet.
There are a few things to think about before you buy it: it doesnt run on 12v so you need an inverter, it does need a clear view of the sky, although weve used it with some very heavy tree coverage and the drop outs havent been that noticeable, and if you need support its create a ticket and wait for a response, also its $174 a month but that includes unlimited data.
We love it, its epically amazing and we are no longer searching for a camp site with 4g so we can do some work or catch up with the kids back home.
Say whatever you like about crazy old uncle Elon but anyone that can dream this up then make it happen is pretty bloody amazing.
Weve sold our vast satellite system - we can stream whatever like, sold the satellite phone (well be getting a PLB) and were no longer handcuffed to Telstra. I love my sport and my wife loves her documentaries and we can stream whatever we want.
Is SL for you? If you want or need high speed low latency internet while youre on the road then SL is for you, in fact its really your only option.
Great if it suits your needs, we prefer to sit around the fire have a glass or two of red and carry on a conversation with likeminded folks. Getting away from the tv is a really nice change after all it's ninety percent rubbish. imho. I can think of better ways to spend $2,100 a Year.
For those on the road full time it might suit them so I guess it's a case of whatever floats your boat and your pockets are deep enough.
You obviously enjoying using it Ger08 and that's all that matters in the washup.
Happy travels.
-- Edited by Magnarc on Thursday 19th of January 2023 09:47:55 AM
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Those who wish to reap the blessings of freedom must, as men, endure the fatigue of defending it.
Thanks for all the comments, Ill add a couple of things to my original post. Were not full time on the road so only expect to use it four or five months a year, we have a business to run so internet is key to our travels, yes I am aware that there are mods to power it with 12v and Ill probably go down that path.
Thank you for the accurate, hands on report and assessment.
Obviously not suitable to all people but if compared to any big data deal with a telco then it is a winner hands down.
My Telstra 400gb per month costs $85.00 It is difficult today to get that deal. Most deals are around 200gb per month for a similar cost last I looked.
When I consider for whatever I pay to Telstra I am lucky to get much more than about 10MBPS and the service falls below 1MBPS on a very regular basis.
This is for mobile internet and should not be compared to those who are using a broadband landline service.
For those that are genuine travellers the fact that the Sat Phone is not needed and the service speed is enough to actually carry on business communications if necessary makes it reasonably attractive.
For those at home for parts of the year then the home landline broadband could be made obsolete to save a bit more.
The fact that you can receive quality internet all over Aus is a big bonus.
Before some find need to comment on why I would need that amount of data, when I was diagnosed with Cancer and after my stint in hospital I was back virtually isolated on my own in my van and as such FTA TV soon wore thin. I began watching streaming services and soon used up a standard service plan so I took advantage of a one week deal offered to me from Telstra. 400gb is more than I need but I regularly use more than 200gb.
If we all remember, Covid caused a different use on the internet as well when we were all stuck at home.
I have a rental house now and I could get a landline broadband but with the cost to set up and the per month figure I will stay with my Telstra deal.
If I get another van then nothing changes, I just take the modem and router with me.
I will watch Starlink for price variations and should the service become a bit cheaper then I will be reconsidering.
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Welcome to Biggs Country many may know it as Australia
For those that "need" their sport fix good, I just prefer to sit outside the van and stare into the majestic ballet of a campfire.
Mate, theres nothing better than watching the mighty Freo dockers in an incredibly remote place, after a hike to a stunning waterfall, with a camp fire, a nice red and a perfect Wagyu steak. Can life get any better?
Starlink seems to be all the rage ATM, so I thought Id share our experience with it.
We had been toying with the idea of getting Starlink for quite a while but the nearly $1k outlay put us off. When their special half price offer launched we could resist any longer. It took about eight days to be delivered from California with DHL.
TBH I was stunned with how easy and quick it was to setup- four minutes from unboxing to having live internet is very impressive. The speed was also amazing sitting around the 200mbpps, super impressive.
Weve just returned from our first trip with SL and Im still impressed with it. It takes only two three minutes to set up and you got full high speed low latency internet.
There are a few things to think about before you buy it: it doesnt run on 12v so you need an inverter, it does need a clear view of the sky, although weve used it with some very heavy tree coverage and the drop outs havent been that noticeable, and if you need support its create a ticket and wait for a response, also its $174 a month but that includes unlimited data.
We love it, its epically amazing and we are no longer searching for a camp site with 4g so we can do some work or catch up with the kids back home.
Say whatever you like about crazy old uncle Elon but anyone that can dream this up then make it happen is pretty bloody amazing.
Weve sold our vast satellite system - we can stream whatever like, sold the satellite phone (well be getting a PLB) and were no longer handcuffed to Telstra. I love my sport and my wife loves her documentaries and we can stream whatever we want.
Is SL for you? If you want or need high speed low latency internet while youre on the road then SL is for you, in fact its really your only option.
Great report. Ta.
I have been watching the development of Starlink for a while now & think it likely we will get it at some future date. We find 'net' access to be important in many ways, when we are in remote areas as we are at the moment it wasn't until the satellite service failed for close to a couple of months that we realised just how much of a 'lifeline' it really was. Without it we lost family & friends contact, (without internet I would have been unable to say farewell to my father, or to 'attend' his funeral in the UK) & for the two months we were without it I had no idea if a good mate in the USA struggling with cancer was alive or dead, ability to make food orders online, banking, emergency research. eg. how to treat being stung by a stinging tree, or diagnosing & treating chiggers (Scrub itch), obtaining necessary regular medication, dealing with home issues with our real estate agent, buying replacement parts for our vehicle etc etc. No internet means no phone for us - at least not without driving to the nearest community to get a a 3G signal (& even that cannot be relied on). To say nothing of social media & entertainment, & just knowing what is going on in the rest of the country, & the world. Holidays - it's great to bury yourself for a while, but when it's your everyday life it's good to be able to retain some sort of contact.
Our experience is that using 'conventional' satellite NBN services at various remote caretaking locations is that it is better than nothing, but extremely variable both with speed, and with availability. Wet season conditions regularly mean that our satellite signal can disappear at any time. We monitor for cyclones regularly, but if one comes our way we'll potentially be completely cut off as well as trapped, at which point even our emergency satphone may not be of use. Only our PLB.
We think that Starlink holds a great deal more promise both for locations like this and for the long periods of time we are on the move & well out of reach of any mobile signal.
We are however prepared to wait a bit longer, until we've been back home later this year for a spell before again leaving for the open road. Part of that is to provide time to see how the Starlink service pans out as more & more folk take it up. It is still unclear whether, & by how much the service may degrade when it becomes more congested & how Starlink will manage this. Already the latest Starlink availability map, which recently showed availability over all of Australia, is now showing that waiting periods have been reinstated in a few heavily populated eastern areas. So currently they are capping services to protect from degraded services caused by congestion. Presumably more satellite launches will resolve this, but there must be a point at which ever more satellites is not possible or desirable The chances of congestion becoming an issue in the areas we like to travel are not likely, but nevertheless it's something I'll continue to watch with interest until we reach a decision making point re purchasing.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 19th of January 2023 11:58:09 AM
Of course we all have different needs regarding Internet access, from constant hi speed...........to zero.
My daughter and her partner for example will soon embark on a 1-2 year 'lap'.
But they both work fulltime remotely online. 4-5 days / week.
I think the plan is basically to stay put during the week, and move at weekends.
They both need reliable hi speed internet all day long for work, so they are trialling Startlink and very happy with it.
On the other hand, I do short trips and mix a bit of remote working with sight seeing.
So far we have coped OK with a 4G/5G Telstra hotspot hub.
But that is only good when there is mobile coverage........
The congestion issue which cuppa alluded to is the big if! There is only so much bandwidth available on a satellite transponder. Speed in high density locations is mostly sub standard to fibre based NBN to the premises. But a big plus is the speeds available (200 to 500 mbps) in remote areas. Yes you need to have very deep pockets, but for remote area internet coverage it performs an unmatched service. 4G currently serves our needs as we no longer crave the middle of nowhere.
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Fully Accredited Sense of Entitlement Centerlink Customer, Right Wing Bounty Hunter, Partial to the odd Vanilla Slice
The other issue that I do not think has been mentioned with SL is that the "RV" or travelling version can be paused basically in monthly blocks. If you do pause, the pause will commence from the next billing period so if on the road for say 4 months of the year, use SL, when back at home, pause the account, and no billing until the account is un-paused. There is also a home version which is cheaper monthly, but cannot be paused and is location specific (I was told by a user that this is 20Km radius from registered site).
