Satellite Internet on the lake

[chucker1101]

Thought it might be worth updating this thread, as we're in slow season.

 

Over the weekend, Starlink officially went Beta as they surpassed 800 total sattelites in the air. They are still only accepting requests from North of 42 degrees lattitude, as that is where the satellites are focused today. Lots of articles to read, here's a good one from PC Magazine:

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacexs-starlink-satellite-internet-speeds-impress-early-beta-testers

 

Summarize:

 

1. Base units (antennae, router, tripod) are costing $499 currently, monthly service is $99. There is some question as to whether this will be final price or is a Beta-only price. The biggest issue that has been raised over the last 18 months is cost of the base unit. 

 

2. Speeds are impressive, esp for Beta. Starlink is stating asymmetrical speeds for Beta users should be between 50-150 Mbs down 20-40Mbs up, with 20-40ms latency. This is pretty impressive and is being backed up by all of the beta user interviews i've seen.

 

3. Antennaes require wide sky. Need to find a spot without tree canopy or significant hill blockage.

 

4. There are occasional 2-4 second glitch/delays. The most common reason seems to be the saturation level of satellites still isn't where it needs to be to quickly transfer signal from one to another every time.

 

What I interpret out of this is the following:

 

1. Streaming down services, such as TV, should work very well. 50Mbs (the lower level of expected service) is more than adequate to handle YouTube TV, Hulu, or other internet TV services. The 2-4 second occasional glitches shouldn't be a problem because of buffering. I'd expect all TV services to work well today.

 

2. Interactive uses ( video conferencing, games) will be spotty for a while. This is due to the occasional latency glitch, and somewhat due to slower up speeds. I'd expect this to get better as more satellites hit the air.

 

3. Expensive, but works. It'd be nice to see lower prices, but the service is working well for people using it. Probably a heck of a lot more reliable than Frontier or Century Link for TV and streaming apps. 

 

 

[SkunkedAgain]

I signed up but was apparently not selected to beta test. That sucks about needing a "wide sky" as I would need to either cut down a lot of trees or climb up the tallest one (John Muir style) in order to mount this thing.

 

I appreciate the update. $100/month seems kind of steep, but then again, so is the cost of launching thousands of satellites into space. I suppose that they need to make their money back and then some.

 

If I remember correctly, the beta was going to start this fall as it did. I can't remember if they were going to open it up to everybody in 2021 or 2022.

[Alex E]

near McKinley park and got starlink to test as an alternative to frontier - not mounted properly (rooftop mount was back ordered) so obstructions are an issue. When it works it flies (had some speed tests >160mbps, but does drop for 20 seconds at a time. As chucker stated, it’s perfect for multiple streaming TV that can download/buffer ahead and for all normal internet uses but not great for video calls. 

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for the update Alex E. It sure would be nice to have an alternative up here. It's good to know that it mostly works even with trees obstructing the view. I'm curious how it changes once all the trees get their leaves back next summer.

[Hockeyboys]

Related topic --- We currently have ATT cell coverage and thinking about changing to Verizon.  Our ATT coverage has been pretty good covering all the way to the south parts of Trout Lake and all the way west to Norwegian and Head O'lakes.  Any input on the coverage across Vermilion with Verizon?

[CigarGuy]

I have att and the service seems to be getting worse over the last few years. Neighbors and others on our end of the lake say the same thing. Wife have Verizon and she gets decent service. Anyone have tmobile on the west end? Wondering if they have any kind of service in this area. Talked to att, they are sending me a new sim card to see if that helps. Of the 3 times they were going to send me a sim card, first and third order never shipped,2nd order was the wrong size. Between live calls, chats, I've been on the phone/computer for 3-1/2+ hours! They're customer service sucks!!!

[SkunkedAgain]

Everyone's service sucks. Go to one of the stores and have them swap the sim card. It'll save you a ton of time and hassle. Go right when they open on a weekday!

 

I've got an AT&T work phone but am on the north side of a hill. I get good reception on the water but barely a bar in my place. I added a cell booster on top of my place, which helps out but still is marginal. I've found that similar phones on the same network can have very different results. The same iphone on AT&T could get 3 bars when I get 1 bar. It's magic.

[delcecchi]

We have t-mobile and used to (didn't notice this year) roam on ATT because Tmobile didn't have coverage.   My coverage on the water is pretty good.    At the cabin isn't so good because Wakemup Village is sort of low with high ground to the east that sort of blocks the view of the tower.   

 

Too bad the rumored tower in Gruska's gravel pit over by the Landing fell through.    

 

And Skunked, it's not magic, it's the transmitter and receiver in the phone, and which band it is using.    

[SkunkedAgain]

I prefer to stick with magic.... 

[FishinCT]

I have Verizon. Cabin on moc point. Service seems to get a little bit better every year. 6 or 7 years ago could only text if I put my phone up in one specific window. Now I can stream video with mostly no problems

[BWpineisland]

I have Verizon and I am on the north side of Pine, kinda below the hill. My service was sketchy until I invested in a $200 booster which I put temporarily on my deck. I went from 1 bar to a full 4 bars and can download movies etc off of Netflix. It was the best $200 I ever spent. I can actually talk on the phone inside the cabin and have no problem downloading anything I need. 

[Hockeyboys]

Hey BW --- I don't think I know what a "booster" is.  I'm guessing it's something specifically for mobile service but just not sure what it is.  Can you tell me a bit more?  Thanks!

[BWpineisland]

Look up on Amazon. Plug in cell phone booster into search.  You will see one for $189 by I think a company called “phone tone”.  That’s the one that has worked great for us.  

[CigarGuy]

1 hour ago, BWpineisland said:

Look up on Amazon. Plug in cell phone booster into search.  You will see one for $189 by I think a company called “phone tone”.  That’s the one that has worked great for us.  

Thanks for the info. Can you double check the make and model number? I found the one for 189.00, plus it has a 30.00 off coupon. The reviews aren't super good, but I trust your review more than amazon reviews. They have several, just want to make sure it's the same one. Thanks

[BWpineisland]

33 minutes ago, CigarGuy said:

Thanks for the info. Can you double check the make and model number? I found the one for 189.00, plus it has a 30.00 off coupon. The reviews aren't super good, but I trust your review more than amazon reviews. They have several, just want to make sure it's the same one. Thanks

 

[BWpineisland]

It’s the same one I bought in June. I see the $30 off coupon also. Good deal!   I temporarily mounted it on my deck and pointed the antenna towards Cook and it worked so good I haven’t bothered to mount it on the roof. I was amazed with the coverage. It worked with one of my buddies ATT phone also. Good luck. 

[BWpineisland]

The box it came in is at the cabin and until the ice is good I wouldn’t be back. If you don’t get one before Christmas let me know and I’ll look at the numbers but the ad is identical. 

[CigarGuy]

Thanks, I looked at what band I have and all I can see is Band 2, not the 12/13-17. So I don't know if I should order it or not. I have att, a android phone, if anyone knows if that will work????

[BWpineisland]

Good call. I have no idea. Probably will not work?

[CigarGuy]

Went to att store today, lady says new sim card won't help my issue. They were going to charge me $5.00 for a new card and had to call to get a credit, it's only 5.00, but what a crock of crap. With all the time I have into this. She says she doesn't have authorization to issue credits. So, I've been researching my phone on line, seems to be issues with my Moto g7 phone and reception. When I go up next, I'm going to try my old phone and see what kind of signal I get. I don't remember if I have similar issues.