Starlink Satellite Internet — A Plain-English Guide

1 Will Starlink actually work at my address?

Depends on one thing: do you have a clear view of the northern sky? Starlink's satellites orbit at a tilt that takes them across the northern part of the sky from Ohio. Trees, hills, tall chimneys, and barns can block enough of the satellite paths to make speeds bad.

The good news: Starlink built a free obstruction-check tool right into their app. Run it BEFORE you order:

1. Install the free Starlink app on your phone (App Store or Play Store).
2. Open it, tap Check for Obstructions — no account needed.
3. Stand where you plan to mount the dish (roof corner, pole, ground). Rotate slowly while pointing the camera at the sky.
4. Leave the app running at that spot for at least 30 minutes. It tracks real satellite passes and tells you what percentage would be blocked.

Less than 3% blocked = good to go. More than 10% = pick a different spot or skip Starlink.

2 What does it actually cost — total, first year?

Starlink is the most expensive home internet option for most addresses. Here's the honest math:

• Hardware: $349 (standard residential dish + router)
• Monthly service: $120/month for Residential Standard
• First-year total: ~$1,790
• Optional install by Bill: $250–400 (depends on roof type)
• Optional UPS battery backup: $80 (strongly recommended)

Compare that to Spectrum cable at $50–90/month, no hardware fee. Starlink only makes sense if cable or fiber isn't available, and T-Mobile / Verizon Home Internet doesn't work at your address either.

3 Self-install or have you do it?

Starlink is genuinely designed for the homeowner. If you're comfortable on a ladder and willing to drill one hole through the side of your house, you can install it in about 45 minutes. The Starlink app walks you through it. You'll need a drill with a 5/8-inch bit, butyl tape, silicone, and a helper.

That said — about half my Starlink customers ask me to do it. Here's what's included with a Bill install:

• Site survey + obstruction test before drilling anything
• Dish mount (roof, gable, chimney, or pole) with hardware
• Roof penetration sealed with butyl tape and silicone — lifetime guarantee on the seal
• Cable run hidden along baseboards or through the basement
• Router placement and Wi-Fi setup
• 30-day follow-up included free

Price: $250 for a pole or ground mount, $325 for a single-story roof, $400 for two-story or steep roof. Mesh router integration adds $75.

4 Will Starlink keep working when the power goes out?

Short answer: no. Unlike cable, there's no provider-side battery backup for satellite internet. The moment your power dies at home, the dish and router go dark.

The fix is a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) — a battery in a box your router plugs into. For Starlink, a $70–80 APC BE600M1 gives you 20–30 minutes of internet during a power blip. A $160 CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD gives you 45–60 minutes plus enough to run a TV.

1. Plug the UPS into a wall outlet.
2. Plug the Starlink router into the UPS (battery-backed outlet).
3. If you have a mesh router, plug that in too — it barely uses any power.
4. Don't plug: a printer, microwave, space heater, or anything that uses a lot of power — it'll drain the battery in minutes.

5 Speeds were great when I installed it, but now they're slow. What changed?

Four usual culprits. Work through them in this order:

1. Reboot the system. Starlink app → Settings → Reboot. Takes 3–4 minutes. Fixes 80% of slowdowns. Always try first.
2. Check for new obstructions. Starlink app → Visibility. Look for new red zones. Tree branches grow; neighbors build sheds; chimney repairs add height. New obstruction is the #1 long-term cause of degraded speeds.
3. Check the time of day. Speeds always dip 7–10 PM as neighbors stream. If your slowdown is only at peak hours, that's congestion — nothing wrong with your install.
4. Snow, ice, or storm. Look at the dish. Snow piling up? Turn on Snow Melt (Settings → Snow Melt → Auto). Heavy rain? Wait it out — usually back to normal in 15–30 minutes.

6 Can I take Starlink with me — to a cabin, RV, or Florida for the winter?

Yes — but you need the Roam plan, not Residential. Roam Unlimited is $165/month and works across the US, Canada, and Mexico (there's also a cheaper metered plan if you only need it occasionally). The big advantage: you can pause it month to month — pay only when you're using it.

Two hardware options:

• Standard dish ($349) — same one used at home, mounts on the RV or the cabin roof.
• Starlink Mini ($249) — single integrated unit the size of a thick laptop. Unfolds, plugs in, online in two minutes. Slightly slower (30–100 Mbps typical) but ridiculously portable.

Real Portage County examples: snowbird couple in Mantua takes the Mini to Florida December–March, pauses their home plan, saves $120/month while away. RV owner in Atwater mounted the standard dish on the rig and streams Netflix from state parks.