Using Starlink and Wifi Calling to fill in for poor cellular coverage

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Using Starlink and Wifi Calling to fill in for poor cellular coverage

getontoit99

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#314956 2-Jun-2024 13:30

The HUHA animal sanctuary on Haywards Hill, next to and above the Hutt Valley, appears to have limited cellular coverage.

Staff need to be reliably reachable as they move around the central part of the property, shown below.

Starlink (where the red lines converge) is present and provides Internet access to Wi-Fi connected PCs in nearby buildings.

I'll try Wi-Fi calling over Starlink this week. My understanding is that this should work.

Q. If the wireless coverage was extended with one or suitable outside APs, could W-Fi calling be viable alternative to cellular coverage, in the area shown?

Thanks

Scott

Dynamic

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#3243717 2-Jun-2024 13:43

Your testing next week will show whether it is a viable option. I recommend testing at a variety of times of the day and a variety of call durations. In my limited experience it works well but you get occasional call drops.

As this facility appears to be new, I'm hoping that someone had the foresight to run conduit between each of the buildings so that as well as power you can also pull some data cables through and use a couple of wireless access points around the property that connect back to a network switch near the Starlink unit. You can use a mesh-type wifi distribution system but unless you are using top-shelf mesh gear where the backhaul (communication between the mesh devices) is done on a different frequency, your wireless bandwidth becomes self limiting and much more prone to congestion.

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nztim

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#3243778 2-Jun-2024 15:17

I will donate my time for HuHA

Happy to come look at this and find a solution, DM me

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Mark

1653 posts

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#3243811 2-Jun-2024 18:32

I use voice over Wifi with Starlink ... it is mostly good. Every few minutes you get a weird blip where you hear the other person talking slowly for a few seconds which I just assume is some sort of switch/handover between satellites.

getontoit99

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#3245099 6-Jun-2024 10:18

I won't be progressing this any further. The guy there knows it all (he doesn't) and is a control freak. He's not interested in any input.

Linux

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#3245101 6-Jun-2024 10:38

My mate is on Starlink and WiFi calling works ok for them

CrazyM

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#3245108 6-Jun-2024 11:00

Mine works perfectly. No issues at all

nztim

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#3245109 6-Jun-2024 11:04

The size of the site needs wireless bridges (or fiber) from the main site and roof-top APs ensure outdoor Wi-Fi coverage for WiFi calling out to all the kennels and also Starlink ethernet adapter plus ethernet switch to connect it all together.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.