I was deep in a valley, very remote in the Pyrenees France, I struggled for years for a decent connection, either my ISP, Orange keeping me dangling for years with promises of fade connections in the future? My neighbours 6 years later are still having problems. Starlink changed my life, it was so fast considering I was barely getting 2G at home. There is Fiber Optic in the village years later, but there are constant power cuts and network outages, so I'm very happy I changed. I did the set up easily myself, (I'm 75) it just stands out in a field beside my house, and all my apps and emails sorted themselves out. Easy Peasy. I would be considering a Mini because of the 12 volt option, as I'm going back in time to get back off grid. Now I would like a new $100 Pi Phone to go with it as I still have connection issues either way my Orange mobile phone. Love Elon Musk.
the 12V power option is the real MVP here. I have been delaying doing a DC power mod on my Gen2 dish, and now with everything all in one, its a no brainer. Selling my spare dish now, and ordering one of these! Thanks for the overview!
@@mikefish8226 "Most Valuable Player".. he's referring to the fact that the dish could be run directly from a 12V power source, making it perhaps the most valuable feature of the Mini itself for off-grid.
I have a 12v + 48v POE mod done on my Gen 2 and been using it in my RV for the past 5 weeks and it’s been working great. Less power use then the Gen 3 as well. I wish this dish existed a couple months ago. Would have saved a lot of work modding for 12v
@@schwartzki You regret missing out on Mini even with good Gen 2 experience? Do you set up and break down regularly, or is it a fixed installation? Do you find it bulky to store? I'm leaning toward Mini due to ease of storage in my van, although I need it for work vid meetings and am concerned it's less robust than the biggies. We shall see.
Wife and I are planning an international trip (32 Days Overlanding Patagonia in their summer) and been toying with Starlink. The moment I show her this, she's going to try and order one. And I'm okay with that.
I'd love something like this as backup internet when we lose power. The fact that you can turn it on and off, so you're not getting billed every month, seems to make it so worth it.
This is what we have in rural NC as our only internet. 120$ a month, unlimited data. Have had since January this year, zero lag time or issues since! Well worth looking into and would serve as a great backup as well!
@@ryanhorn4190quick help guide on how to lower its cost from $150 to $75. Buy one in Mexico and activate it and bring it over to the US. In México the same starlink service is only $75 vs $150.
"...they're not super portable." Hah! I still remember when the $35,000 20-foot (!) parabolic dish systems to get satellite direct into your back yard came out in 1979. "You've come a long way baby!"
About a year ago I actually got a brochure in my mailbox for the HughesNet/DirectWay Satellite Internet Service. I laughed. it was actually boasting about the 'blistering' 25 Mbps speeds they offered. 1. I live in an apartment. 2. I remember in the late 1990s when DirectWay/HughesNet came out. it requires professional installation and has strict data caps. 3. Starlink makes that thing an absolute *relic* , Starlink Mini even more so. Back in the mid 1980s my father actually had a huge 10 foot fiberglass Channel Master C-Band Satellite Dish mounted on a concrete pad. Back then you could get all the channels (like HBO and Showtime) for free.
Oh man, this looks so good! I’m a long-haul trucker and I just got the GEN two a month or so ago I wish I would’ve waited a little lol I don’t think I’m gonna be able to resist buying this.
I’m a trucker myself and just ordered the standard dish for $299 plus $25 off at Home Depot after applying for their card. How do you have yours mounted? I’m going to get a mount to mount it on back of sleeper level with top of truck for max coverage. I was considering the mini but will try the standard since it’s a good deal since the mini came out.
@@mkrisch1986 I put mine on the hood of my truck and just make sure when I park I’m facing North and I get perfect coverage. Just remember when mounting to consider you will need to be able to maually adjust it to get the right angel unless your able to mount it flat so its facing straight up then you should be alright.
@@XGiveMeLibertyX thanks for the heads up. I’m getting rid of my T-Mobile Home Internet 5G that i pay $50 for a month for the $50 plan of 50GB with better coverage with Starlink. How do you love it so far?
When you're bored sometime please conduct a field test comparing "portable" -- funny term IMHO for "not in motion" -- performance of Mini vs Gen3 using video meeting or 4K application under less-than-ideal conditions. The consensus is that the larger dish will show better robustness than the Mini, but no one has studied scientifically. You'll get a hundred zillion views. Thanks again, your vids are #1.
I would love to see this test too. Without a battery option this isn't a truly mobile solution unless you have a small diesel generator on wheels you're toting behind you.
@@UberBri BUT you do have a generator on wheels....it is called ALTERNATOR, it's powered by your car engine and have an output between 100 to 240 Amps,depending of your car model.
I have a Starlink Gen 3 and it is amazing!!! I do travel and use it often when it remote areas. It is a complete game changer... I would love to have a mini. Maybe I will swap out the Gen 3 when the mini v2 comes out. I absolutely love having no contract and being able to pause my service when it is not needed. Most people commenting here must live in the burbs or a city.. Most rural places are still without reliable high-speed internet and the satellite services that are available are crap. Starlink is amazing and getting better every day.
This is perfect for Venezuelan people. My family is always being cut off because of the spotty internet and power outages. I just bought them a 6hr battery so my sil can continue online classes. I hope it becomes the tool of rebellion against totalitarianism.
Australian here. I was in remote Tanzania near the DR Congo border and Lake Tanganyika in 2011 and was using an expensive satellite Internet setup with expensive data cost. But it was still worth the outlay for the geoexploration company. But Starlink would have been fantastic - especially for mobile use.
The mini is so much better. It’s basically not locking you in to $150, but if you do reach that, it’s the same price. And then only $1 per gb more. Not bad at all. For many travelers, Starlink is a backup, but it’s nice to know you’re not screwed if you’re boondocking for extended periods of time without service. As someone who usually spends 2-5 days a month without signal, it’s ideal. 5 days a month I can watch a long movie everyday and still have plenty left over. The only travelers who will still get the original are the gamers and couch potatoes lol Thanks for the vid man!
Do you ever take it camping? If so how would you rate the service? I plan on ordering it so my wife can work from camp and my kids can have their Netflix.
We have 15$ / month internet and tv service rn. The download speed is 4-500Mbps. The price would need do come down A LOT. At 30-50$ would be attractive no cap
its already destroyed my countries internet. 80k using countries service. over 200k on starlink. its faster and cheaper. funny thing is our gov spent almost 60 billion getting its up. elon has spent less than half that and covers the entire world lol
Extremely Helpful. Opening a new business & Love the Flexibility of the Mini PLUS ability to “HIDE” it (small size really helps- Obviously!) Thank You. The Cable Lengths & AVAILABILITY of those is THE elephant in the room. Hoping their “release” of those accessories aligns with our time frame. Btw. We are already Starlink users (@home) & Love it. Even during extreme weather events (South West Florida!!!) Damn thing JUST WORKS !!
I use the standard gen 2 Starlink at home and always take is camping. I love it. I have a Tesla model Y also. I have solar-I paid $71 to run my house, heat and cool my house and charge my model y for 1 year. Both are awesome . The technology is amazing. Geeks go nuts over this.
The Mini is getting really close to where I'd buy one. We don't travel a ton so I can't justify $600. But if it were closer to $300, I could see getting one for our road trips and vacations just to help keep the kids occupied.
I'd be more than happy with a 138/16Mbps connection in the middle of nowhere, where LTE or 5G aren't available or where the signal is too weak What a time to be alive! I'm impressed... we've come a long way since the days I used my old 14.4Kbps modem, in the early 90s
I have a friend in Mexico who is very happy with his Starlink. But these are good only as long as the satellites are available. When everything goes down, wireless radio on battery will still be there.
thanks for the video - I just ordered one for home internet backup (the $50 per month subscription) and for occasional travel. I plan to connect it to the backup port on my Ubiquity USG-Pro-4 router. My primary internet is free as I host a fixed wireless relay service around my home, I live on top of a mountain with line of sight to many homes. This year we have experienced a number if internet outages (lightning related) impacting my work so it will be worth having this as a backup at fairly minimal cost not to mention the fun of setting it up and running an ethernet cable to my router for seamless backup ability as my home is fully networked with multiple ubiquity access points.
Starlink Gen 2 - Is powered up when you access the app and finds the satellites. Starlink Mini is powered up AND online before you can access the app. It's wicked! 22,500Mph and Gen 1 and 2 sats.
Life-changing! I didn’t know Starlink had a consumer Terra product line only space satellites. What model of EcoFlow Delta did you use? I didn’t see a front AC plug on unit but some models have them on the back? Expensive models look to have front AC but don’t need that. Great video.
Picked one up for my partner who's a pipeline surveyor and he loves it, several of our friends are going to get one too. Can't wait for the 12v option to come out. Wish the data plan was a bit better but even paying the overage amount has been cheaper than the full unlimited plan.
Ahhh - A fellow Ghost Town Living fan! I didn't consider that he was connecting with Starlink, but of course that would make sense up in the mountains. Love the show!
So you powered it with the AC adapter, how does the DC power option work? I would have liked to see a short little section of the video about using just DC power.
The mini with the striker mount should not be left out unattended, especially when someone is cooking... Very high probability of that thing getting used as chopping board 😅 Great review as always! :)
I am going to setup POE+ next week for my Mini when it and all the other parts arrive. The Mini will run on 12-48VDC, so I am going to use a 12-48VDC converter for the POE injector. Amazon has the POE injector, splitter and USB-C/ barrel jack cable for the splitter and the DC converter available for purchase. I want to run wired ethernet into my RV trailer WiFi router and disable the Mini internal router. I also have an IP67 feedthrough coupler that I am running through the trailer wall for a simpler one cable setup. I will find out how the setup works soon.
So far I have not been successful at powering the Mini with POE. The Mini is dropping out from power surges. I am using a YAOSHENG 200W POE injector and a HYN@NET POE splitter. I believe the splitter is not up to the task. I am going to replace the splitter with another one that may be up to the task. The installation is clean. I used a CAT6 bulkhead connector through the ttrailer. The internet connection to my router works fine when conventionally powered.
@@marksterling8286 The injector is 48VDC. I am trying another splitter that steps down to 24VDC. The Mini power adapter is 28VDC. I am hoping to have better luck with this different splitter. Technically, PoE should be work.
I still have an old beta Gen 1 dish on my house, it's not used as we have access to 2 fiber companies down my road now. I interviewed for a job in the mountains with no cell service and for the $50/m price I would mount this to my vehicle so I could be connected half my drive, but I don't think I got that job haha. Hit me up if you need a remote software dev or IT guru.
Welp, I just ordered one based off your review. I’m not even in the country but I think it will make a better backup internet connection than my LTE modem. Especially if there is a prolonged power outage because the mobile data networks always get very congested and slow during those times.
Hey, I grew up in Northern California. That fence of yours looks strikingly familiar. I’m in Texas now, but those little things that remind me of home are kind of cool. Even the landscape and stucco exterior of the neighbors house says Sacramento to Chico maybe. Please let me know if I’m in the neighborhood.
I understand that a negative for the mini for rv’ers is that it puts your antenna up to 50 feet away from the inside of your rv, sometimes making it difficult to maintain contact, and limiting how far you can go from your rv in search of clear sky. Alternatively, the standard gives you 150’ of cable to broaden your search, and your antenna remains in the rv with you. So I would think for camping, the mini would be the way to go, as for RVing , the standard would be better? Your thoughts? Thanks!
all i know is when we went camping we had a friend that had star link... and it was cool when it worked. but most the time it couldn't get a signal in the heavily treed area. and if clouds were around it seemed to be 50% working as well.
I am an RVer and am considering this unit. I would also need to use a system in my home for my security cameras and other smart tools. What is the router range of the residential unit and the mini? I have a camera about 100 feet from my home router as well as network extenders for longer distances. Also necessary for this is its ability to pass through objects such as metal pole buildings as well as standard home interior and exterior walls? This was a very informative video, thank you.
I haven't read all of the comments (or finished watching the video for that matter), but want to add a few comments from my personal experience. First, feeding it directly with 12 volts works if I use 12 gauge wire to the panel, and a very short jumper into the panel. But feeding it over the provided 15 meter cable has too much voltage drop. I'll build a short "jumper" for direct 12volt use. I saw someplace that if you used the ethernet adapter you lost the built in wifi. Not true, both work in parallel just like other versions of the panel. You can bypass the internal router if desired, but you can also use both the wifi and ethernet at the same time if you want. What made me pull the trigger on this are the new plans, so I'm changing my version 2 Starlink to the mini roam plan, and putting the mini on the same mini roam plan. Then I'll suspend one or the other alternately to keep both available with a net recurring cost 1/3 of what I was paying for the residential plan. Last comment is on the ethernet port. If you use a regular RJ45, the clip to release it is seated very deep inside the connector on the panel, and you'll need something to slide in there to release it to get the connector loose. Best to use the Starlink ethernet cable (extra cost) both for the water proofing, and ability to disconnect.
As the antenna size keeps getting smaller, we have a front row seat to some significant industry disruption. Cellular communication has serious limitations in coverage as soon as you move away from populated areas and major highways. Then there's the regional limitations with traveling outside your plan's home area. Affordable International satellite phone coverage is just over the horizon.
Was just talking with someone about this a few days ago. Loving what I'm already able to do with my Mini, and was just imagining a future with perhaps a cell-phone sized device that, while perhaps not as robust as the Mini in terms of download speeds, would still let you get a connection for some basic things.
Been watching hacking video's showing how to cut open the Gen3 and make modifications to run on DC 12 volts. Wasn't aware of plans for a 12 volt version so I'll be checking that out.
Such a huge win for RV users and boaters. However for many the reduced cost of the standard will be very attractive. As long as you are on an elec service (not solar/generator) that $400 will pay for a LOT of electric. And I believe it will still have a better service.
Regarding speed tests. I bet the Starlink app is testing the speed at the dish and of course, Ookla is testing the speed at your phone so you have the overhead of the WiFi connection on your phone degrading the speed.
I've heard that Starlink has gone in the marine area, and something I've been waiting for not so much for internet connectivity but for access to weather, plus payment plans for when outside the US coastal waters. Thanks for the great video.
Thank you for your great interest in helping others. I want to know what happened to the old tutorials, especially the ubiquity ones with Kevin Houser, thank you.
Person behind idea of grid power supply to mobile antenna should win oscar, primarily antenna should have usb c port plus dongle car 12v to usb in the box, no any rounded oldschool sockets.
I'm using this as a backup. One big problem - the STARLINK doesn't seem to want to allow me to use my VPN to log into remote computers. I've asked...have NOT received an answer about that problem. Customer service is obviously NOT a top priority.
This would have been so nice to have while playing Ingress. We had to use BGAN modems at considerably higher costs in order to play in remote areas without any mobile 3G/4G connection options.
These are coming along nicely compared to what I supported with MicroSAT and GigaSAT in the FedGov LEO (Low Earth Orbit) systems. Less industrialized countries will be a substantial market when these go mainstream.
Great content as always Chris. Any chance you could do a breakdown video on what happened with the Crowdstrike 'episode'? Your clear and concise delivery will likely make it manageable for we muggles. Thanks.
So how do all the people around the world afford this? This plan (not to mention the dish) is more expensive than my current unlimited internet plan. I get it's great if you're on the move and all, but that seems to be a small market. I thought Starlink was to provide internet to the entire world? At these prices, it doesn't seem like it's made for anyone other than van-livers, RV owners and people in the middle of nowhere.
@@SativaVertein germany the unlimited plan is 78 Dollar (72€) and the 50gb around 46 Dollar (40€) with Internet Speeds better than Most Providers and still cheaper
Great review, thanks for sharing. So if I follow you correctly, the wireless router is contained in the mini dish its self? It looks like a handy piece of equipment to have. I could take that with me out to my grandparents farm in the country. The price, however, is pretty awful unless you did catch a sale or something.
Yeah they need to do better here in Australia for people who use it while carvaning around, the mini is $799 vs $599 for gen 3. The available usage plan is either $80 for 50gb download or $179 for unlimited data which is the same as the gen 3 $179. So for me I might aswell save 200 dollars and buy the gen 3
The down side is if you have to put your dish 30 feet away from the RV and you want to connect it directly to your own router, you will now have to sring a 30 foot network cable out to the dish also.
The only usecase for this "mini" is you absolutely need to be mobile as much as possible. And that you know you have proper reception. The smaller the dish, the worse the reception it will have. So for those off-grid and off-road users, I don't see why you would anything other than the first edition, where you know you have a proper size dish, since you won't be anywhere flat and open. Or are the general sat. coverage now (...) good enough? I run with 4g and 5g mobile and almost never have a problem. Where there's low coverage, I'm just glad I'm free to do something else. I also don't have to struggle with "Starlink" support.
LOL starlink mini has faster downloads and lower latency then the best home internet that is available where I live in Alberta Canada ! We don't even have fiber available for home use and I pay over $100 a month for my plan I am curious as to speeds and latency for starlinks northern region connections
it definitely makes the Mini even more portable! They're even coming out with suction cup 'wings' for it soon so that it can be mounted to the underside of a sunroof while you're driving. Can't wait to test that out.
It looks like you have a lot of trees nearby. Are any in the dish's line of sight? How does your obstruction report look? Also, if you want to connect an ethernet cable, you will have two cables (the regular power cable plus the ethernet) running to the Mini, correct? I believe the ethernet connection for the standard residential dish is indoors, so only one cable has to go up to the roof. Great review, thanks!
There were no obstructions in the direction I was pointing the dish. And as I said in the video, if you're doing a residential deployment, the Mini is not the best tool for the job. You'd want the Standard residential dish for that.
I have the Gen 2 unit here. The previous owners of this house mounted the disk on a pole and the whole thing actually rotates when needed. First time it did that I was like 'did something hit the unit' since I didn't know it could do that. And I did buy the Starlink Ethernet adapter piece for it ($25 iirc). And to your point, only one cable comes into the garage from the tower out in the yard. It connects to the wi-fi router and I have the ethernet cable in the other jack of that router. I have that enet cable connected to a switch and my devices get cables from it. Of course, along with wi-fi for phone. So far so good.
I was deep in a valley, very remote in the Pyrenees France, I struggled for years for a decent connection, either my ISP, Orange keeping me dangling for years with promises of fade connections in the future? My neighbours 6 years later are still having problems. Starlink changed my life, it was so fast considering I was barely getting 2G at home. There is Fiber Optic in the village years later, but there are constant power cuts and network outages, so I'm very happy I changed. I did the set up easily myself, (I'm 75) it just stands out in a field beside my house, and all my apps and emails sorted themselves out. Easy Peasy. I would be considering a Mini because of the 12 volt option, as I'm going back in time to get back off grid. Now I would like a new $100 Pi Phone to go with it as I still have connection issues either way my Orange mobile phone. Love Elon Musk.
the 12V power option is the real MVP here. I have been delaying doing a DC power mod on my Gen2 dish, and now with everything all in one, its a no brainer. Selling my spare dish now, and ordering one of these! Thanks for the overview!
Agreed.
Where'd you find a USB cable? How long, how terminated? Weatherproof? Thx.
@@mikefish8226 "Most Valuable Player".. he's referring to the fact that the dish could be run directly from a 12V power source, making it perhaps the most valuable feature of the Mini itself for off-grid.
I have a 12v + 48v POE mod done on my Gen 2 and been using it in my RV for the past 5 weeks and it’s been working great. Less power use then the Gen 3 as well. I wish this dish existed a couple months ago. Would have saved a lot of work modding for 12v
@@schwartzki You regret missing out on Mini even with good Gen 2 experience? Do you set up and break down regularly, or is it a fixed installation? Do you find it bulky to store? I'm leaning toward Mini due to ease of storage in my van, although I need it for work vid meetings and am concerned it's less robust than the biggies. We shall see.
Wife and I are planning an international trip (32 Days Overlanding Patagonia in their summer) and been toying with Starlink. The moment I show her this, she's going to try and order one. And I'm okay with that.
How to find a wife? 😢
The new one works fine in the outback caked with red sand so it should do fine in patagonia ;)
@@fishnsteve getting married is very very easy, getting rid of her is the hard part.
@@shayson1357 If not ask Scott Peterson :(
@@fishnsteve Go overseas bud!
I'd love something like this as backup internet when we lose power. The fact that you can turn it on and off, so you're not getting billed every month, seems to make it so worth it.
This is what we have in rural NC as our only internet. 120$ a month, unlimited data. Have had since January this year, zero lag time or issues since! Well worth looking into and would serve as a great backup as well!
Absolutely good!
@@ryanhorn4190quick help guide on how to lower its cost from $150 to $75. Buy one in Mexico and activate it and bring it over to the US. In México the same starlink service is only $75 vs $150.
@@ryanhorn4190hope you are safe, bro
Just get a battery bank for your modem and router 😂😂😂
This is by far the best review and test of the Mini I’ve seen. 🏆
He kept his cellular data on while he did the speed test….
"...they're not super portable." Hah! I still remember when the $35,000 20-foot (!) parabolic dish systems to get satellite direct into your back yard came out in 1979. "You've come a long way baby!"
About a year ago I actually got a brochure in my mailbox for the HughesNet/DirectWay Satellite Internet Service.
I laughed. it was actually boasting about the 'blistering' 25 Mbps speeds they offered.
1. I live in an apartment.
2. I remember in the late 1990s when DirectWay/HughesNet came out. it requires professional installation and has strict data caps.
3. Starlink makes that thing an absolute *relic* , Starlink Mini even more so.
Back in the mid 1980s my father actually had a huge 10 foot fiberglass Channel Master C-Band Satellite Dish mounted on a concrete pad. Back then you could get all the channels (like HBO and Showtime) for free.
I used to have a boss who had two in his yard!
I remember cutting mine down 20 years ago when we bought our house. The pipe is still buried in the ground.
Oh man, this looks so good! I’m a long-haul trucker and I just got the GEN two a month or so ago I wish I would’ve waited a little lol I don’t think I’m gonna be able to resist buying this.
I’m a trucker myself and just ordered the standard dish for $299 plus $25 off at Home Depot after applying for their card. How do you have yours mounted? I’m going to get a mount to mount it on back of sleeper level with top of truck for max coverage. I was considering the mini but will try the standard since it’s a good deal since the mini came out.
@@mkrisch1986 I put mine on the hood of my truck and just make sure when I park I’m facing North and I get perfect coverage. Just remember when mounting to consider you will need to be able to maually adjust it to get the right angel unless your able to mount it flat so its facing straight up then you should be alright.
@@XGiveMeLibertyX thanks for the heads up. I’m getting rid of my T-Mobile Home Internet 5G that i pay $50 for a month for the $50 plan of 50GB with better coverage with Starlink. How do you love it so far?
With a fiberglass sleeper you can mount it inside , the fiberglass is invisible to the radio signal...
When you're bored sometime please conduct a field test comparing "portable" -- funny term IMHO for "not in motion" -- performance of Mini vs Gen3 using video meeting or 4K application under less-than-ideal conditions. The consensus is that the larger dish will show better robustness than the Mini, but no one has studied scientifically. You'll get a hundred zillion views. Thanks again, your vids are #1.
I would love to see this test too. Without a battery option this isn't a truly mobile solution unless you have a small diesel generator on wheels you're toting behind you.
You don't wheel a generator at your heels? What if the zombies attack?
@@3genac Exactly!!!
@@UberBri BUT you do have a generator on wheels....it is called ALTERNATOR, it's powered by your car engine and have an output between 100 to 240 Amps,depending of your car model.
A hundred zillion views?? If I've told you once, I've told you a million billion times - don't exaggerate.
I have a Starlink Gen 3 and it is amazing!!! I do travel and use it often when it remote areas. It is a complete game changer... I would love to have a mini. Maybe I will swap out the Gen 3 when the mini v2 comes out. I absolutely love having no contract and being able to pause my service when it is not needed. Most people commenting here must live in the burbs or a city.. Most rural places are still without reliable high-speed internet and the satellite services that are available are crap. Starlink is amazing and getting better every day.
This is perfect for Venezuelan people. My family is always being cut off because of the spotty internet and power outages. I just bought them a 6hr battery so my sil can continue online classes. I hope it becomes the tool of rebellion against totalitarianism.
Yeah for you
Australian here. I was in remote Tanzania near the DR Congo border and Lake Tanganyika in 2011 and was using an expensive satellite Internet setup with expensive data cost. But it was still worth the outlay for the geoexploration company. But Starlink would have been fantastic - especially for mobile use.
The mini is so much better. It’s basically not locking you in to $150, but if you do reach that, it’s the same price. And then only $1 per gb more. Not bad at all.
For many travelers, Starlink is a backup, but it’s nice to know you’re not screwed if you’re boondocking for extended periods of time without service. As someone who usually spends 2-5 days a month without signal, it’s ideal. 5 days a month I can watch a long movie everyday and still have plenty left over.
The only travelers who will still get the original are the gamers and couch potatoes lol
Thanks for the vid man!
I love the Mini. It goes with us on our travels, and is stationary at home as our backup if our Fiber goes down.
Do you ever take it camping? If so how would you rate the service? I plan on ordering it so my wife can work from camp and my kids can have their Netflix.
I am also wondering how well the speeds work for streaming while camping. How has it been for you?
Man soon as those monthly prices come down, Starlink will put every other provider out of business immediately.
Or force them to lower their prices.
We have 15$ / month internet and tv service rn. The download speed is 4-500Mbps. The price would need do come down A LOT.
At 30-50$ would be attractive no cap
One can only hope
its already destroyed my countries internet. 80k using countries service. over 200k on starlink. its faster and cheaper. funny thing is our gov spent almost 60 billion getting its up. elon has spent less than half that and covers the entire world lol
No it won’t, because satellite internet is still inferior to cable and fiber.
Always the first video's with new Starlink hardware that pop up in my feed. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date!
The best Starlink reviews on the entire TH-cam - amazing job!
That's how a review should be. Great Work!
Extremely Helpful. Opening a new business & Love the Flexibility of the Mini PLUS ability to “HIDE” it (small size really helps- Obviously!)
Thank You.
The Cable Lengths & AVAILABILITY of those is THE elephant in the room. Hoping their “release” of those accessories aligns with our time frame.
Btw. We are already Starlink users (@home) & Love it. Even during extreme weather events (South West Florida!!!)
Damn thing JUST WORKS !!
I use the standard gen 2 Starlink at home and always take is camping. I love it. I have a Tesla model Y also. I have solar-I paid $71 to run my house, heat and cool my house and charge my model y for 1 year. Both are awesome . The technology is amazing. Geeks go nuts over this.
Thats amazing! Whats your square footage?
Non review. Still over priced
How much did you pay for a Tesla and the solar panels? Probably more than I’ll pay for an electric bill the rest of my life😂
The Mini is getting really close to where I'd buy one. We don't travel a ton so I can't justify $600. But if it were closer to $300, I could see getting one for our road trips and vacations just to help keep the kids occupied.
Same here in Australia.
Live in rural area and struggle with internet. I will have to check this out
I just seen a video of people using these after hurricane Helene.. These bad boys can power up a whole neighborhood
I'd be more than happy with a 138/16Mbps connection in the middle of nowhere, where LTE or 5G aren't available or where the signal is too weak
What a time to be alive! I'm impressed... we've come a long way since the days I used my old 14.4Kbps modem, in the early 90s
I have a friend in Mexico who is very happy with his Starlink. But these are good only as long as the satellites are available. When everything goes down, wireless radio on battery will still be there.
I loved the day we got our Starlink dish for $120 months because our other options were Hugh’s net! 🥵
I equally loved the day fiber became available.
Thank you for presenting the starlink mini, i was really curious about it and your video just poped up and explained everything. Nicely done.👍
thanks for the video - I just ordered one for home internet backup (the $50 per month subscription) and for occasional travel. I plan to connect it to the backup port on my Ubiquity USG-Pro-4 router.
My primary internet is free as I host a fixed wireless relay service around my home, I live on top of a mountain with line of sight to many homes. This year we have experienced a number if internet outages (lightning related) impacting my work so it will be worth having this as a backup at fairly minimal cost not to mention the fun of setting it up and running an ethernet cable to my router for seamless backup ability as my home is fully networked with multiple ubiquity access points.
Starlink Gen 2 - Is powered up when you access the app and finds the satellites. Starlink Mini is powered up AND online before you can access the app. It's wicked! 22,500Mph and Gen 1 and 2 sats.
Life-changing! I didn’t know Starlink had a consumer Terra product line only space satellites. What model of EcoFlow Delta did you use? I didn’t see a front AC plug on unit but some models have them on the back? Expensive models look to have front AC but don’t need that. Great video.
I'd love to see SpaceX offer a fixed location, data cap plan for backup internet.
Picked one up for my partner who's a pipeline surveyor and he loves it, several of our friends are going to get one too. Can't wait for the 12v option to come out. Wish the data plan was a bit better but even paying the overage amount has been cheaper than the full unlimited plan.
You can use 12v or usb c right now. Just have to find fitting parts yourself.
This is perfect for Wairoa New Zealand as we have been through a Cyclone
Been watching Brent build Cerro Gordo back up for years! SpaceX is an awesome Musk company.
Ahhh - A fellow Ghost Town Living fan! I didn't consider that he was connecting with Starlink, but of course that would make sense up in the mountains. Love the show!
So you powered it with the AC adapter, how does the DC power option work? I would have liked to see a short little section of the video about using just DC power.
If they lower the price i can ditch Spectrum (who is the only service provider in my area)
The mini with the striker mount should not be left out unattended, especially when someone is cooking... Very high probability of that thing getting used as chopping board 😅
Great review as always! :)
I am going to setup POE+ next week for my Mini when it and all the other parts arrive. The Mini will run on 12-48VDC, so I am going to use a 12-48VDC converter for the POE injector. Amazon has the POE injector, splitter and USB-C/ barrel jack cable for the splitter and the DC converter available for purchase. I want to run wired ethernet into my RV trailer WiFi router and disable the Mini internal router. I also have an IP67 feedthrough coupler that I am running through the trailer wall for a simpler one cable setup. I will find out how the setup works soon.
Would love to hear your results! This would be a lot nicer than having to run two cables (power and ethernet) from the source to the dish.
I was curious to know if it in fact was able to be powered over POE+
So far I have not been successful at powering the Mini with POE. The Mini is dropping out from power surges. I am using a YAOSHENG 200W POE injector and a HYN@NET POE splitter. I believe the splitter is not up to the task. I am going to replace the splitter with another one that may be up to the task. The installation is clean. I used a CAT6 bulkhead connector through the ttrailer. The internet connection to my router works fine when conventionally powered.
It would have been great to just connect with the rj45 and use the Poe without a splitter. When I heard that 48 volts I thought immediately about Poe,
@@marksterling8286 The injector is 48VDC. I am trying another splitter that steps down to 24VDC. The Mini power adapter is 28VDC. I am hoping to have better luck with this different splitter. Technically, PoE should be work.
Nice video, i had my doubt if i wanted the mini or standard one. Now i know that the mini fits my needs.
I still have an old beta Gen 1 dish on my house, it's not used as we have access to 2 fiber companies down my road now. I interviewed for a job in the mountains with no cell service and for the $50/m price I would mount this to my vehicle so I could be connected half my drive, but I don't think I got that job haha. Hit me up if you need a remote software dev or IT guru.
Welp, I just ordered one based off your review. I’m not even in the country but I think it will make a better backup internet connection than my LTE modem. Especially if there is a prolonged power outage because the mobile data networks always get very congested and slow during those times.
Hey, I grew up in Northern California. That fence of yours looks strikingly familiar. I’m in Texas now, but those little things that remind me of home are kind of cool. Even the landscape and stucco exterior of the neighbors house says Sacramento to Chico maybe. Please let me know if I’m in the neighborhood.
I spotted the Cloud Gateway Max in the background, looking forward to the video :)
I recorded a full video on it ready for launch day, but unfortunately, it won't be released because...drama.
@@CrosstalkSolutions looking forward for your UCG Max review
Great review...very convincing, superb new product, we'll have to get one. Thanks.
If it doubled as a solar panel that could power its self, that would be ace.
and 0 monthly rates would be even more ace
Patent your idea and sell it
@@medianopol 🤣
I understand that a negative for the mini for rv’ers is that it puts your antenna up to 50 feet away from the inside of your rv, sometimes making it difficult to maintain contact, and limiting how far you can go from your rv in search of clear sky. Alternatively, the standard gives you 150’ of cable to broaden your search, and your antenna remains in the rv with you. So I would think for camping, the mini would be the way to go, as for RVing , the standard would be better?
Your thoughts? Thanks!
all i know is when we went camping we had a friend that had star link... and it was cool when it worked. but most the time it couldn't get a signal in the heavily treed area. and if clouds were around it seemed to be 50% working as well.
I am an RVer and am considering this unit. I would also need to use a system in my home for my security cameras and other smart tools. What is the router range of the residential unit and the mini? I have a camera about 100 feet from my home router as well as network extenders for longer distances. Also necessary for this is its ability to pass through objects such as metal pole buildings as well as standard home interior and exterior walls?
This was a very informative video, thank you.
The "Circular Plug" is called a coaxial connector/plug.
I haven't read all of the comments (or finished watching the video for that matter), but want to add a few comments from my personal experience. First, feeding it directly with 12 volts works if I use 12 gauge wire to the panel, and a very short jumper into the panel. But feeding it over the provided 15 meter cable has too much voltage drop. I'll build a short "jumper" for direct 12volt use. I saw someplace that if you used the ethernet adapter you lost the built in wifi. Not true, both work in parallel just like other versions of the panel. You can bypass the internal router if desired, but you can also use both the wifi and ethernet at the same time if you want. What made me pull the trigger on this are the new plans, so I'm changing my version 2 Starlink to the mini roam plan, and putting the mini on the same mini roam plan. Then I'll suspend one or the other alternately to keep both available with a net recurring cost 1/3 of what I was paying for the residential plan. Last comment is on the ethernet port. If you use a regular RJ45, the clip to release it is seated very deep inside the connector on the panel, and you'll need something to slide in there to release it to get the connector loose. Best to use the Starlink ethernet cable (extra cost) both for the water proofing, and ability to disconnect.
As the antenna size keeps getting smaller, we have a front row seat to some significant industry disruption. Cellular communication has serious limitations in coverage as soon as you move away from populated areas and major highways. Then there's the regional limitations with traveling outside your plan's home area. Affordable International satellite phone coverage is just over the horizon.
Was just talking with someone about this a few days ago. Loving what I'm already able to do with my Mini, and was just imagining a future with perhaps a cell-phone sized device that, while perhaps not as robust as the Mini in terms of download speeds, would still let you get a connection for some basic things.
How does it perform gaming? High ping?
Just took it on the plane and it works for real craaazy
From inside a plane? From the flight deck/cockpit or cabin perspective? Commercial pilot here.
Been watching hacking video's showing how to cut open the Gen3 and make modifications to run on DC 12 volts. Wasn't aware of plans for a 12 volt version so I'll be checking that out.
Such a huge win for RV users and boaters. However for many the reduced cost of the standard will be very attractive. As long as you are on an elec service (not solar/generator) that $400 will pay for a LOT of electric. And I believe it will still have a better service.
Banana for scale .. I see what you did there!!
I had a good luahg when I saw that
Bananas for scale. Guitars for temperature.
I am gonna get it. gaming and working from the summer house will be amazing.
I don't care what the haters say, Starlink is a game changer for those that don't have access to internet. BZ to Elon
Regarding speed tests. I bet the Starlink app is testing the speed at the dish and of course, Ookla is testing the speed at your phone so you have the overhead of the WiFi connection on your phone degrading the speed.
Thank you very much for this very well done review on the Starlink mini
I've heard that Starlink has gone in the marine area, and something I've been waiting for not so much for internet connectivity but for access to weather, plus payment plans for when outside the US coastal waters. Thanks for the great video.
Thank you for your great interest in helping others. I want to know what happened to the old tutorials, especially the ubiquity ones with Kevin Houser, thank you.
Looking at this for my boat. I’m using Verizon 5G at home now. It’s not bad and way cheaper.
Incredible !!! Internet anywhere and cheaper than legacy wired broadband service
Person behind idea of grid power supply to mobile antenna should win oscar, primarily antenna should have usb c port plus dongle car 12v to usb in the box, no any rounded oldschool sockets.
Excellent informative video, really helped me make the decision to buy one in the future for camping!!!
FFS i just bought gen 2 refurbed a few weeks ago. I need this one!
I'm using this as a backup.
One big problem - the STARLINK doesn't seem to want to allow me to use my VPN to log into remote computers. I've asked...have NOT received an answer about that problem.
Customer service is obviously NOT a top priority.
I agree that Wi-Fi 5 is adequate for this dish but I do feel that for the price being at $600 it should absolutely have Wi-Fi 6 built in.
Liked this video. Not just to redeem part of your spendings. But I really liked it. Thanks
50GB is good because residential cable internet by Rogers in Toronto has a 60GB cap
I'm waiting for your review Cris. Thank you, as always great work 💪😀
As always… Great product review video! 🙏 Thank you!
You don't have to aim it precisely? Just aim it in a general direction?
Nice review. I just might get one.
Where did you buy your shirt? USB-A sunset
I have also noticed that some back country aviators are installing the Starlink mini on their planes.
This would have been so nice to have while playing Ingress. We had to use BGAN modems at considerably higher costs in order to play in remote areas without any mobile 3G/4G connection options.
These are coming along nicely compared to what I supported with MicroSAT and GigaSAT in the FedGov LEO (Low Earth Orbit) systems. Less industrialized countries will be a substantial market when these go mainstream.
Great content as always Chris. Any chance you could do a breakdown video on what happened with the Crowdstrike 'episode'? Your clear and concise delivery will likely make it manageable for we muggles. Thanks.
So how do all the people around the world afford this? This plan (not to mention the dish) is more expensive than my current unlimited internet plan. I get it's great if you're on the move and all, but that seems to be a small market. I thought Starlink was to provide internet to the entire world? At these prices, it doesn't seem like it's made for anyone other than van-livers, RV owners and people in the middle of nowhere.
In Costa Rica the price is $45 for unlimited data.
Yea it should be a device fee and free internet after that
@@SativaVertein germany the unlimited plan is 78 Dollar (72€) and the 50gb around 46 Dollar (40€) with Internet Speeds better than Most Providers and still cheaper
Yet another great video. Thanks for the comprehensive review.
Excellent review!
Thank you for comprehensive video. I have a question, is Starlink 3 available for Australia?
Yes
Thanks great review 😊
This content is informative, starlink mini got good signal strength.
Great review, thanks for sharing. So if I follow you correctly, the wireless router is contained in the mini dish its self? It looks like a handy piece of equipment to have. I could take that with me out to my grandparents farm in the country. The price, however, is pretty awful unless you did catch a sale or something.
excellent review. thank you
I am wondering if the Starlink Mini will work out in the ocean.
I wonder if it's good enough to take onboard in a crew ship and put it in my room windows
Would be interesting to do a speed test combined with knowledge of where the satelites are.
Starlink is THE BEST. Super quick!
Yeah they need to do better here in Australia for people who use it while carvaning around, the mini is $799 vs $599 for gen 3. The available usage plan is either $80 for 50gb download or $179 for unlimited data which is the same as the gen 3 $179. So for me I might aswell save 200 dollars and buy the gen 3
Great video! To the point and thorough.
The down side is if you have to put your dish 30 feet away from the RV and you want to connect it directly to your own router, you will now have to sring a 30 foot network cable out to the dish also.
A Crosstalk expert helped me get Starlink connected as backup internet with my Unifi Dream Machine. I very much appreciate their help.
outstanding video
The only usecase for this "mini" is you absolutely need to be mobile as much as possible. And that you know you have proper reception. The smaller the dish, the worse the reception it will have. So for those off-grid and off-road users, I don't see why you would anything other than the first edition, where you know you have a proper size dish, since you won't be anywhere flat and open. Or are the general sat. coverage now (...) good enough? I run with 4g and 5g mobile and almost never have a problem. Where there's low coverage, I'm just glad I'm free to do something else. I also don't have to struggle with "Starlink" support.
LOL starlink mini has faster downloads and lower latency then the best home internet that is available where I live in Alberta Canada ! We don't even have fiber available for home use and I pay over $100 a month for my plan
I am curious as to speeds and latency for starlinks northern region connections
Excellent information very clearly presented. Thank you!
Very cool! That strikerfab mount is awesome!
it definitely makes the Mini even more portable! They're even coming out with suction cup 'wings' for it soon so that it can be mounted to the underside of a sunroof while you're driving. Can't wait to test that out.
It looks like you have a lot of trees nearby. Are any in the dish's line of sight? How does your obstruction report look?
Also, if you want to connect an ethernet cable, you will have two cables (the regular power cable plus the ethernet) running to the Mini, correct? I believe the ethernet connection for the standard residential dish is indoors, so only one cable has to go up to the roof.
Great review, thanks!
There were no obstructions in the direction I was pointing the dish.
And as I said in the video, if you're doing a residential deployment, the Mini is not the best tool for the job. You'd want the Standard residential dish for that.
I have the Gen 2 unit here. The previous owners of this house mounted the disk on a pole and the whole thing actually rotates when needed. First time it did that I was like 'did something hit the unit' since I didn't know it could do that.
And I did buy the Starlink Ethernet adapter piece for it ($25 iirc). And to your point, only one cable comes into the garage from the tower out in the yard. It connects to the wi-fi router and I have the ethernet cable in the other jack of that router. I have that enet cable connected to a switch and my devices get cables from it. Of course, along with wi-fi for phone. So far so good.