https://reliableorbit.com/answers/ Starlink, point-to-point wireless and hardwired camera answers from an East Texas installer. en-us https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-doesnt-have-its-own-installers https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-doesnt-have-its-own-installers Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT From the Field Starlink doesn't have its own installers. Its free installs are done by an outside contractor, and I recommend buying your own kit and choosing your own installer, even if it isn't us. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-30-percent-off-november-2026 https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-30-percent-off-november-2026 Fri, 06 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News As of November 2026, Starlink is offering 30% off Residential and Roam service for new customers who sign up before November 30. The discount applies only in select areas, and Starlink has not published a list of which addresses qualify, so you have to enter your address on starlink.com to see your price. The discounted price has no listed end date, though Starlink's terms say it can raise or lower prices at its discretion. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-metal-shop-pole-barn https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-metal-shop-pole-barn Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting Yes, Starlink works for a metal shop or pole barn, but the dish and the Wi-Fi inside are two separate jobs. The dish has to sit outside with a clear view of the sky, because a metal roof between the dish and the satellites blocks the signal. The connection then has to be carried inside by cable or by a point-to-point wireless bridge, with an access point inside the building, because Wi-Fi from the house will not usefully reach through steel siding and roofing. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-starlink-speeds-actually-mean https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-starlink-speeds-actually-mean Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Plans & Policies Most East Texas houses do not need a gigabit connection. In Ookla's May 2026 report, Starlink's measured median speed in the United States in the first quarter of 2026 was about 127 Mbps down and 21 Mbps up, which covers HD and 4K streaming, video calls, online gaming, and a live selling stream for most households. The number that matters is what your house does all at once, not the biggest number on an advertisement. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/amazon-leo-vs-starlink-east-texas https://reliableorbit.com/answers/amazon-leo-vs-starlink-east-texas Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News Amazon Leo is Amazon's satellite internet network, renamed from Project Kuiper in late 2025. As of mid-2026 it had about 394 satellites in orbit and expected to start initial service later in 2026, with consumer pricing still unannounced. If you need internet now in rural East Texas, don't wait. Starlink is available today, and you can always switch later if Leo earns it. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-mini-vs-standard https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-mini-vs-standard Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Dishes & Equipment For a house you live in, get the Standard. It's built for a fixed home and runs on Starlink's Residential plans, which come with unlimited data. For an RV, camper or anything you carry with you, get the Mini. It's about the size of a laptop, runs on low power, and in the US generally runs on Roam plans you can pause. For a weekend deer camp or lake place, the Mini on Roam is usually the better fit; if you live there full time, go Standard. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-plans-explained-residential-vs-roam-vs-business https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-plans-explained-residential-vs-roam-vs-business Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Plans & Policies Starlink sells three kinds of plans: Residential for a fixed address, Roam for travel and portable use, and Business Priority for commercial sites. As of October 2026, Residential starts at $55 a month with unlimited data, Roam starts at $55 a month for portable use, and Business Local Priority starts at $55 a month for 50 GB of priority data. Residential prices can also run higher or lower by address now, under Starlink's dynamic pricing. Pick Residential if the dish stays put, Roam if it moves around, and Business Priority if you need priority data and an uptime guarantee. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-dynamic-pricing-residential-plans https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-dynamic-pricing-residential-plans Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News As of October 2026, Starlink Residential lists at $55 a month for 100 Mbps, $85 for 200 Mbps and $130 for Max, but Starlink is moving Residential to dynamic pricing, so your monthly cost can run about 20% higher or lower depending on your address. Prices are reviewed about every quarter based on local network capacity and demand, with the first changes hitting bills on or after November 30, 2026. The only way to know your exact monthly cost is to enter your address on starlink.com. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-is-starlink-beam-switching https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-is-starlink-beam-switching Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting Beam switching is Starlink's way of keeping your connection up when something blocks the satellite your dish is using. The dish switches to another satellite with a clear path, usually without you noticing. It helps a lot with partial, temporary blocks like pine branches, but it cannot create a clear sky where there is none, so placement still matters. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starship-launches-starlink-v3-satellites https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starship-launches-starlink-v3-satellites Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News On September 28, 2026, Starship reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, each with about 10 times the download capacity of the satellites most customers use now. More capacity is the long-term fix for slowdowns and demand surcharges, but it will take many more launches to make a real difference. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/why-starlink-charged-a-demand-surcharge https://reliableorbit.com/answers/why-starlink-charged-a-demand-surcharge Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News Starlink adds a one-time demand surcharge at addresses where too many dishes already share the same satellite capacity. It can show up on a new order, a reactivation, a plan change or a move to a new service address, and you can see it at checkout on starlink.com before you pay. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/current-starlink-models https://reliableorbit.com/answers/current-starlink-models Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Dishes & Equipment For home internet, Starlink currently sells the V5 and the Standard 4 and 4X, and for travel it sells the Mini. The V5 is the newest and lightest home dish, but it's only offered in select areas so far. The Standard 4 and 4X use the V4 dish, which has a slightly higher listed top speed. The Mini has the router built into the dish and can run off USB-C power, which makes it the pick for RVs and camps. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/hardwired-vs-wireless-cameras https://reliableorbit.com/answers/hardwired-vs-wireless-cameras Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Hardwired Cameras Hardwired (PoE) cameras are the stronger choice when you want cameras that record around the clock with almost no upkeep. They get power and video over a single Ethernet cable, and they keep recording locally even when the internet drops. Wireless cameras are the better fit where running cable is hard — a rental, a gate, or a quick add-on — as long as you keep them in solid WiFi range and don't mind recharging batteries every few months. Most East Texas properties do best with hardwired cameras on the main coverage areas and wireless where cable can't reasonably reach. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/how-to-find-your-starlink-kit-number https://reliableorbit.com/answers/how-to-find-your-starlink-kit-number Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Dishes & Equipment Your Starlink has three different identification numbers, and they are not interchangeable. The kit serial number is on the shipping label of the original box, the dish serial number is on a label on the hardware itself (where depends on the model), and the Terminal ID is in the Starlink app under Settings, then Advanced. If you bought your kit straight from starlink.com, you do not need to hunt these numbers down. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-router-placement-mesh-wifi https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-router-placement-mesh-wifi Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Wi-Fi & Mesh Put your Starlink router in a central spot in the house, off the ground, and no more than two rooms from where you use Wi-Fi the most. The Gen 3 router that ships with the Standard kit is Wi-Fi 6 and covers up to 3,200 square feet per Starlink's specs, but thick walls, metal roofs, and mirrors shrink that fast. If a bedroom, upstairs, or far corner still shows a weak signal after you move the router, add one or two Starlink mesh nodes. Each one plugs in and pairs in the Starlink app in about a minute. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-mobile-explained https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-mobile-explained Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News Starlink Mobile is SpaceX's plan to let ordinary phones connect directly to satellites, no dish needed. Today it only works through T-Mobile as T-Satellite, for texts and light apps at slow speeds where there's no cell signal. In October 2026 the FCC approved 15,000 next-generation satellites that could one day make it a real competitor to AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile — but that's years away, not months. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-passkey-login https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-passkey-login Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News Yes. As of October 2026, Starlink lets you sign in to your account with a passkey — the fingerprint, face unlock, or PIN you already use on your phone — instead of typing a password. You add it under Privacy & Security in your account settings, you can keep up to 10 passkeys on one account, and your password still works as a backup. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/moving-starlink-new-address-transferring-used-kit https://reliableorbit.com/answers/moving-starlink-new-address-transferring-used-kit Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting Yes. If you are moving, take the dish with you and update your service address in your Starlink account; it only works if the new address has open capacity. If you are selling a used kit, the seller cancels service and transfers the dish out of their account, then the buyer activates it with the serial number. A dish still tied to someone else's account won't activate. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-v5-new-dish https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-v5-new-dish Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Starlink News Starlink has started offering a new V5 residential kit that is smaller and much lighter than the V4 dish most homes use now. It draws about half the power but tops out at a slightly lower speed, so this is an efficiency upgrade, not a speed upgrade. As of October 2026 it is only available in select areas while Starlink ramps up production. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/do-i-need-a-professional-starlink-installer https://reliableorbit.com/answers/do-i-need-a-professional-starlink-installer Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting Not always. If you have a clear patch of sky and don't mind the dish sitting on its kickstand with a cable through a window, you can set Starlink up yourself in under an hour. A professional install makes sense when you need roof or pole mounting, clean cable routing through walls, trees to work around, Wi-Fi that reaches the whole house, or internet carried to other buildings. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/how-to-get-internet-to-a-shop-barn-or-second-house https://reliableorbit.com/answers/how-to-get-internet-to-a-shop-barn-or-second-house Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Bridges & Outbuildings Use a point-to-point wireless bridge. One small radio mounts at the house where the Starlink connection is, a second mounts on the shop or barn, and the two beam the connection between buildings. With clear line of sight it covers anywhere from a couple hundred feet to well past half a mile, with no trenching and no second Starlink subscription. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/removing-an-old-satellite-dish https://reliableorbit.com/answers/removing-an-old-satellite-dish Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Old Dish Removal Removing an old satellite TV dish means unbolting the dish and mount, pulling the coax cable, and properly sealing every hole left in the roof or wall. The sealing is the part that matters. Pulling the mount and leaving open lag-bolt holes is how roof leaks start. If you're switching to Starlink, it's easiest to remove the old dish during the same visit. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/should-i-rent-or-buy-a-starlink-kit https://reliableorbit.com/answers/should-i-rent-or-buy-a-starlink-kit Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT From the Field Starlink rents its kit by the month in some areas, but my advice has been to buy it outright if you can, so it's yours to mount, move, sell or keep as a backup. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-and-trees-east-texas https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-and-trees-east-texas Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting Yes, in most cases, but placement is everything. The dish needs a clear view of a wide patch of sky, mostly to the north, and trees in that view cause short dropouts. Use the obstruction check in the Starlink app before mounting. On wooded East Texas lots the fix is usually height or a better spot in the yard, not a different service. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-roof-vs-pole-vs-ground-mount https://reliableorbit.com/answers/starlink-roof-vs-pole-vs-ground-mount Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Installation & Mounting A roof or ridge mount is the most common choice because it gets the dish high and out of the way. A pole in the yard is best when the clearest sky is away from the house. Wall and eave mounts work on homes where the roof is hard to reach. The kickstand on the ground is fine for testing but isn't a permanent solution for most homes. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-happened-when-starlink-offered-free-installs https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-happened-when-starlink-offered-free-installs Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT From the Field When Starlink started offering free installs, the phone got quieter for a couple of weeks, then rang more than ever with people asking us to fix installs done by Starlink's contractors. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-is-starlink https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-is-starlink Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT From the Field Starlink is satellite internet from SpaceX, using thousands of small satellites flying close to Earth. It only needs a clear view of the sky, no phone line, cable or nearby cell tower. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-starlink-speeds-can-i-get https://reliableorbit.com/answers/what-starlink-speeds-can-i-get Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT From the Field It depends on your exact spot and how many neighbors are on Starlink. After that, it comes down to where the dish goes, which plan you're on, and how well your Wi-Fi covers the house. https://reliableorbit.com/answers/which-starlink-dish-do-i-have https://reliableorbit.com/answers/which-starlink-dish-do-i-have Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT Dishes & Equipment Flip the dish over and look for a model number starting with UTA. UTA-232 is the current Gen 3 Standard with a kickstand, UTA-231 is the Mini, and UTA-212 is the older Gen 2 Standard Actuated with a motorized stand. The newer V5 Standard and Gen 3 Performance don't list one, so you tell them apart by size and mount.