The Starlink home setup kit has all the parts you need to start: a Starlink dish with its own kickstand, and a Starlink router base. (Check out the newest Starlink gear here.) It also comes with a power cord for the router and a 50-foot Starlink cable to link the router and the dish together.
You can find longer cables for the router and dish at the Starlink shop (you will need a Starlink account to log in). Extra parts are also sold by Starlink, such as various types of mounting tools and adapters to plug in other gear using a regular Ethernet cord. (Take a look at our Starlink accessory guide to find out more.)
The box comes with a very simple setup guide that has pictures but no words (though there is a QR code that takes you to Starlink’s help site). After looking at the pictures, you might think you just need to plug in the router and power, then point the dish at the sky. But it is a bit more work than that. You also need to find the right spot for the dish, fix it in place with a Starlink mount, and likely run a cable through an outside wall. Here is how to do it.
1. Before You Buy, Find a Spot to Put It
Even before you buy the Starlink kit, you can use your phone to see if you have a good place to install the dish. Starlink needs a clear view of the sky, with at least 110 degrees of open space above and around the dish. You need this to stay connected to the satellites moving overhead.
Some good ideas for setup spots include an open field, a roof, or a high structure (like a pole) that is taller than things like fences, buildings, and trees.
Just get the Starlink app for Android or iOS and scan for things in the way. The app has a fun tool that helps you find and check the right spot for a new dish, and the steps are quite simple to follow.
With the Starlink app, use your phone's camera to look at the area where the dish will sit. The app’s tool for checking obstacles guides you through this, and you will need to point the camera at the sky. You might need to move in some creative ways so you can see the screen while moving the camera. It is best if the camera is in almost the same spot where the dish will go.
Now, move your phone around the edges of that view. The app puts green dots on the screen to show parts of the sky you haven't scanned yet, and an arrow tells you which way to move next.
Once you scan enough of the sky, the app needs a little time to look at the data. After a few moments of thinking, it tells you if you can get a good signal from that spot or not.
One more thing to think about: snow. The Starlink dish can melt snow to keep its own surface clear, but if you expect a lot of snow to pile up around the dish, make sure it won't block the view.
2. Unbox Starlink
Opening the Starlink box is very fast and easy, but check that you have all the parts:
- Starlink dish
- Starlink router
- 50-foot Starlink cable
- Power adapter
If you're putting your dish in a yard or next to an RV, that might be all you need. The built-in kickstand on the dish makes it very easy to set on any flat ground with a clear view of the sky. Also, the kickstand has holes for stakes or screws if you want to fix it down for a more permanent setup. But if you want to put your Starlink dish on a roof or a wall, you may need to buy the right mounting tools from the Starlink shop.
For my setup, I fixed my Starlink dish onto an old pole left behind by the last owner's satellite TV dish. That meant I had to buy a Starlink pipe adapter, which I had to order on its own since it didn't come with my Starlink kit.
3. Conn
ect the Router
Before you can get your dish up and running, you will need to link your router. The router talks to the dish and also gives it power, so you will want to set it up first.
The router features Wi-Fi 6 and comes with an outside power brick—on the older model, the power part was built inside the unit. The design sits just fine on a table or shelf, but if you want to keep the gear out of the way, you might think about buying a mounting bracket from the Starlink shop.
4. Connect the Dish
Next, you will link the dish to the router. That might sound a bit backwards since you still need to mount the dish, but your dish needs to be turned on and connected to your Starlink app before you can find the right position to fix it in place.
For an outdoor setup, that might mean putting the Starlink cable through an open window, or you might already have a hole in the wall to slide the cable through. Either way, you will need enough cable to reach from your router to the spot where you fix the dish, plus a little extra length for moving things around.
5. Mount the Dish
After scanning and checking your spot, it is time to fix the dish in place. For simple setups, that just means putting the dish mount on the ground.
Even for some roof setups, the built-in kickstand will work, but most people will find that they need a specific tool. The Starlink Shop (again, you can only get in with an account) sells a ridgeline mount for the top of a roof, a pivot mount for slanted roofs, or even a wall mount. In my case, like I said before, I needed a pipe adapter to fix my dish onto the old satellite pole.
The only real rules for mounting are that the dish has a clear 110-degree view of the sky and is close enough to your router to reach it with the 50-foot cable (or a longer 150-foot cable, if you ordered one of those).
During the setup, the app will show you how to move the dish to get the best view of the satellites above. You might need to turn the dish a little to one side or the other, but as long as it is pointing straight up, you have already finished most of the tough work.
6. Run the Cable
For a first-time setup, you might be okay putting your Starlink cable through an open window. For a permanent home installation, you will need to run that cable through a wall. Starlink sells cable routing kits, including special kits for stone or brick walls. This kit comes with the drill bits, plastic covers, and silicone glue you need, but you will have to use your own drill.
Once you have drilled the small hole and made it wide enough for the cable to fit through, you will pull the cable end through the wall and close up the hole with the provided cover and silicone sealant. After that, you are ready to turn on your Starlink.
End
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