Starlink - pre-order available in NZ

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Starlink - pre-order available in NZ

1 | ... | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ... | 52

60 posts

Master Geek

#2677239 19-Mar-2021 14:50

manaia36:

Yeah just need to look on reddit etc to see what users are experiencing. Alot of Downtime and speed issues and disconnects. Starlink is FAR from being stable this time and for $159 NZD a month + $799 for the hardware that definitely isn't cheaper than fibre. I've since cancelled my pre order for Starlink and got the $159 refund

Starlink was never intended to be cheaper than fibre - its always been intended to give a much better service to remote/rural users who can't get fibre. If you can get fibre (or even great VDSL), then you definitely should!

Starlink is currently still in 'beta' testing, originally titled "better than nothing". Though its imperfect, most users on Reddit are very happy with their performance - just lately getting up to 400mbps. Different regions may have better/worse performance as they iron out networking issues with each ground station etc.

NordVPN

Affiliate link

Affiliate link: NordVPN allows you to securely access the Internet, encrypt your connection and keep your browsing history private.

iwilson

29 posts

Geek

ID Verified

#2677243 19-Mar-2021 15:00

quickymart:

Maybe in a year or so when they've ironed out the bugs? I imagine WISPS and the RBI etc might start panicking a bit by that point. But until then I don't think they'll exactly be shaking in their shoes.

That's probably a reasonable short term prediction. Those living in the countryside now do so in the knowledge fibre class connectivity was/is not an option and are ok with it, or have moved if it was. As Starlink continues to rollout it may well be a driver for a drift from cities to the countryside by those who wanted to escape the city but needed/required fibre class speed to do so. I think you'll see pressure in rural areas close to city fringes esp. as cities like Auckland get their act together with mass transit - or you can work from home. Rural Real Estate agents will be rubbing their hands together. Plenty of examples of people spending many thousands/10's of thousands to get fibre installed in rural locations. It's a game changer and if I was a RBI provider I'd be wanting to exit that space!

acjh58

43 posts

Geek

#2677269 19-Mar-2021 15:26

Zander:

It is retail, but you buy it direct from starlink.com. The ground stations are in NZ, so the traffic is still under NZ control. I imagine that will stay the case, even with eventual laser links. They have valid radio license and ground station licenses so its all been done above board. Even charging in NZD and including GST.

Main 'downside' for NZ is the cash goes pretty much straight off-shore to the USA, whereas local telcos would recycle the cash back into the NZ economy.

Thanks for that.

Being retail, I wonder how the DNS and IP address range will be managed (by an NZ registered telco I suppose). I guess they need all the earth stations for interconnecting the moving satellites, as the customer nodes or earth stations don't appear to do any tracking (unless it's phased array?). The inter satellite laser beams do sound a little bit dodgy for a reliable commercial service.

Alan

iwilson

29 posts

Geek

ID Verified

#2677284 19-Mar-2021 15:51

acjh58:

Thanks for that.

Being retail, I wonder how the DNS and IP address range will be managed (by an NZ registered telco I suppose). I guess they need all the earth stations for interconnecting the moving satellites, as the customer nodes or earth stations don't appear to do any tracking (unless it's phased array?). The inter satellite laser beams do sound a little bit dodgy for a reliable commercial service.

Alan

https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/jm8iz9/turns_out_starlink_already_has_ip_address_spaces/

wellygary

6725 posts

Uber Geek

#2677312 19-Mar-2021 16:34

acjh58:

Is Starlink a retail ISP service? If so, I assume it will have a NZ specific presence and be governed by things like the new filtering rules/proposals? Are they talking to ComCom re spectrum & interference issues with other users?

I had a look at O3b a couple of years ago and can see how complicated it might be to set the Starlink service up - particularly spanning national and international regulatory regimes (not to mention how they might manage China).

Alan

Starlink have a bunch of licenses registered for frequency use in NZ

Throw "Starlink" into the licensee field and you can see them all,

https://rrf.rsm.govt.nz/smart-web/smart/page/-smart/domain/licence/SelectLicencePage.wdk

Zander

60 posts

Master Geek

#2677315 19-Mar-2021 16:43

acjh58:

Thanks for that.

Being retail, I wonder how the DNS and IP address range will be managed (by an NZ registered telco I suppose). I guess they need all the earth stations for interconnecting the moving satellites, as the customer nodes or earth stations don't appear to do any tracking (unless it's phased array?). The inter satellite laser beams do sound a little bit dodgy for a reliable commercial service.

Alan

You're welcome. The Dishy McFlatface terminals are indeed phased array. They are quite possibly being sold below cost initially, as pretty advanced tech.

Starlink's ground stations will be connected to Chorus etc, so any IP addresses will be arranged accordingly.

Customers however are just getting 'NAT' connections, like a mobile phone, so far. Whether you can pay for a fixed IP address in future is up for debate.

Internal routing and address spaces on Starlink is another thing, whether they're even using IP - or something more like ATM cells perhaps. I wouldn't be surprised if they're re-using mobile phone tech and protocols rather than completely re-invent their own.

sidney

80 posts

Master Geek

#2677322 19-Mar-2021 17:37

I'm thinking of signing up for the Starlink beta. It looks like a perfect place to put Dishy would be using the pole mount kit to stick on top of a J-pole that is already bolted to the fascia board and that has a supporting strut attached to the roof. The pole was put up for an RBI external antenna, but it turned out that I'm so close to the tower that the modem actually works better with the lower level signal it gets from its own antennas.

My first question, is it likely that the J-pole is suitable for supporting Dishy, and would the pole mount kit be the right thing to use?

Next question, does anyone have experience ordering optional hardware like the pole mounting kit and cable routing kit into New Zealand? I see that shipping for those is free in the US, but how do they do it here? Is it possible to add them on to the initial order so they arrive with Dishy?

Right now I get along ok with RBI, but I recently had to up it to a $169 per month plan to get the data caps I found myself using, and would make use of the extra speed and no caps if I could get that. Besides, it's cool :)

Zander

60 posts

Master Geek

#2677326 19-Mar-2021 17:57

sidney:

I'm thinking of signing up for the Starlink beta. It looks like a perfect place to put Dishy would be using the pole mount kit to stick on top of a J-pole that is already bolted to the fascia board and that has a supporting strut attached to the roof. The pole was put up for an RBI external antenna, but it turned out that I'm so close to the tower that the modem actually works better with the lower level signal it gets from its own antennas.

My first question, is it likely that the J-pole is suitable for supporting Dishy, and would the pole mount kit be the right thing to use?

Next question, does anyone have experience ordering optional hardware like the pole mounting kit and cable routing kit into New Zealand? I see that shipping for those is free in the US, but how do they do it here? Is it possible to add them on to the initial order so they arrive with Dishy?

Right now I get along ok with RBI, but I recently had to up it to a $169 per month plan to get the data caps I found myself using, and would make use of the extra speed and no caps if I could get that. Besides, it's cool :)

I don't think anyone outside of Starlink has received a Dishy to comment in NZ yet - though look forward to it soon.

The main thing perhaps is where is your current pole? Dishy will probably need to face southwards with a pretty darn clear view. You can use the Starlink app to 'see' where Dishy needs to face and if anything blocking its view.

PolicyGuy

1293 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2677327 19-Mar-2021 17:58

sidney:

My first question, is it likely that the J-pole is suitable for supporting Dishy, and would the pole mount kit be the right thing to use?

Next question, does anyone have experience ordering optional hardware like the pole mounting kit and cable routing kit into New Zealand? I see that shipping for those is free in the US, but how do they do it here? Is it possible to add them on to the initial order so they arrive with Dishy?

If you don't get good answers here, maybe try on the Starlink sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/

wratterus

1501 posts

Uber Geek

#2677328 19-Mar-2021 17:59

From what I've seen, I wouldn't use a pole like that - I'd want a larger diameter pole, or something more like a satellite dish mount, or like this.

Edit - or this, with a 45mm diameter.

Oblivian

6669 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2677331 19-Mar-2021 18:15

Zander:

The USA beta has been available down to 36.9-degrees north - which is equivalent to Auckland in the southern hemisphere. You can see the starlink coverage on this map. Turn 'rings' on in settings to get a very rough idea of coverage - https://satellitemap.space/

PS - actually a few Starlinks do have lasers, but they are in a different polar orbit, intended to transmit from the Arctic / Antarctic over laser links etc. Future versions of the Starlink satellites will eventually have laser links too.

I believe there are 8ish? now spread rows each direction. At ~53deg Inclination.

We seem to be a spin-off as a result. Looks to be bang on when designed for the US, with the way poles work that they zip over NZ on that track every 45mins too :) The last couple of launches have gone straight over (or off the coast of) us on the 2nd insertion orbit

I saw SL21 go past last night South to North East. And SL20 is possibly due tonight. Managed to see 17 only 4hrs after they set them off as a tight packed bunch with pure fluke

It's getting busy up there!

flightclub.io is a fun one if you want to see if something SpaceX send up will have us in line on the same night.

pih

409 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2677335 19-Mar-2021 18:35

Zander:
Currently Starlinks do not have laser-links so they can only 'bounce' signal from Dishy-to-Starlink-to-Ground and back. To work, a Starlink satellite needs to have both the Dishy and Ground Station in view - which is typically up to 100-to-150-miles or less. Its possible it could stretch further, but that's the kind of spacing the Ground Stations are at in the USA (I just measured on Google Maps).

Indeed I stand corrected! Thanks for the info and (since I'm north of Auckland) I hope you're right that they skip the rest of the country soon and announce availability up here :D (sorry everyone south of me!)

I had read about the laser links but assumed it was already operational. After reading up to educate myself a bit more I found this article which has some good info: https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starlink-space-lasers-first-orbital-test/

sidney

80 posts

Master Geek

#2677340 19-Mar-2021 18:52

Zander:

Dishy will probably need to face southwards with a pretty darn clear view.

The Starlink app tells me to look northwards, maybe a tiny bit east of north. When I set my home location in satellitemap.space it shows the same direction for the satellites it says are in my viewing space.

I'm north of Auckland. Is the viewing direction different where you are?

sidney

80 posts

Master Geek

#2677341 19-Mar-2021 18:56

pih:

(since I'm north of Auckland) I hope you're right that they skip the rest of the country soon and announce availability up here

I'm near Warkworth, and it said its available at my address.

Zander

60 posts

Master Geek

#2677345 19-Mar-2021 19:05

sidney:

Zander:

Dishy will probably need to face southwards with a pretty darn clear view.

The Starlink app tells me to look northwards, maybe a tiny bit east of north. When I set my home location in satellitemap.space it shows the same direction for the satellites it says are in my viewing space.

I'm north of Auckland. Is the viewing direction different where you are?

Gosh, my app shows me southwards. Its possible there's an element of pointing to the nearest ground station as well as where the starlinks are. I gather in the USA, pretty much all the Dishies are pointing north - likely towards where the densest satellites are. I'm in Bay of Islands.

I talked to the guy at satellitemap.space and he had the 'home location' pointing north, mostly because no-one has the dish in the southern hemisphere to tell definitely and all the Dishies in USA pointing north - its not based on official knowledge for NZ, yet. He's actually based in Australia.

I presume you can't do a 'full order' from Warkworth - just a deposit pre-order?

1 | ... | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ... | 52