Free DIY Guide

Starlink Installation

Obstruction checks, mounting options, cable routing, bypass mode for your existing router, and what speeds to actually expect. Not the pamphlet version.

If the roof mount is giving you pause -- it should. We'll handle the waterproofing, routing, and router setup for $149.99.

I'll do it myself ↓

2--5 hours depending on mount type and cable run

Intermediate (ground) to Advanced (roof)

Roof installs require ladder safety and waterproofing skills

Internet from space. In theory. In practice, a tree is in the way.

Before you start:

•Run the obstruction checker with the Starlink app BEFORE purchasing a mount or planning cable routes. A bad location discovered after installation means moving everything.
•Do not modify or cut the Starlink cable -- the proprietary dish-end connector cannot be re-terminated. Measure your cable run before installation day.
•Any roof penetration requires proper flashing and watertight sealant. A leaking roof mount is a serious, expensive problem. If you're not confident with roof waterproofing, hire this part out.
•Ground pole mounts in concrete require 24 hours of cure time before loading the dish. Don't rush this -- a pole that pulls out of soft concrete in wind will damage the dish.
•The Starlink dish heater is 100--150W and runs continuously in cold weather. Factor this into your electrical load if you're on a generator or solar setup.
•Bypass mode (using your own router) requires the Starlink Ethernet Adapter -- this is a separate purchase from the Starlink shop, not available at retail.

What you'll need

Tools vary significantly by mount type. Affiliate links go to Amazon search results. Prices vary -- we don't set them.

Starlink app (iOS or Android) -- install before doing anything

The Starlink app includes the obstruction checker tool -- an AR tool you point at the sky to see exactly where obstructions will block satellite signal. This is the most important step and it requires the app.

Drill + masonry or wood bits as neededFind on Amazon

For roof, wall, or chimney mounts. Masonry bit for brick/chimney, wood bit for fascia and eaves.

Starlink pipe adapter mount or wall mountFind on Amazon

Starlink sells official mounts: Pipe Adapter ($29), Pivot Mount ($39), Flashing Mount (roof, $49), Chimney Mount ($99), or J-Mount ($29). Which one you need depends on your mounting surface.

2" galvanized steel pipe + flanges (for ground or wall pole mount)Find on Amazon

If using the pipe adapter mount on the ground or against a wall. 2" schedule 40 galvanized pipe, any height from 2 to 8 feet. Available at Home Depot plumbing section.

Weatherproof cable entry gland or conduitFind on Amazon

The Starlink cable needs to go from outside to inside. Use a proper cable gland (also called a cable entry seal) -- not just a hole with silicone caulk. The cable cannot be cut, so the entry must accommodate the proprietary connector.

Roofing sealant or butyl tape (for roof mounts)Find on Amazon

Any roof penetration requires proper flashing and sealant. Do not cut corners on waterproofing. A small leak around a dish mount can cause thousands of dollars of damage over a year.

Fish tape or wire fish rodFind on Amazon

For routing the Starlink cable through walls and ceilings to get from the mount to the router location.

Ethernet cable (Cat5e or Cat6) + Starlink Ethernet adapterFind on Amazon

The standard Starlink dish cable ends in a proprietary connector. If you want to use your own router, you need the Starlink Ethernet Adapter ($25 from Starlink shop) to get a standard RJ45 port from the router.

Power of attorney (not really, but close)

For roof mounts, you ideally want the property owner's sign-off and ideally a second person for ladder safety. A roof install is not a solo job.

The steps

All 8 steps. Run the obstruction check in Step 1 before touching anything else.

Run the Starlink obstruction checker -- this determines everything

Install the Starlink app before doing anything else. Open it and tap "Check for Obstructions" (available even without a Starlink account). Point your phone at different spots in your yard, roofline, and roof. The app uses augmented reality to overlay the Starlink satellite orbital paths on your camera view and marks where obstructions (trees, roofline, chimneys, buildings) will block signal. The dish needs a clear view of a large arc of the northern sky (in the Northern Hemisphere). Starlink satellites orbit from roughly 20° to 90° elevation, across a wide azimuth range. The app shows the exact required sky window as a green zone -- everything in that zone needs to be clear. Interpreting results: the app gives you an "obstruction percentage." Under 1% is excellent. 1--5% means some brief interruptions during storms or heavy satellite use. Over 5% means real degradation -- rethink your mount location. A tree that's 30 feet away at a 30-degree elevation angle can cost you 15% of your satellite passes. Common obstruction findings: South-facing rooflines are clean but east and west rooflines often have chimney or tree obstructions in the northern arc. Ground mounts in open yards often get better obstruction checks than roof mounts near chimneys or HVAC equipment. Don't skip this step or decide "it looks fine" without the app. The visual check is not sufficient -- trees are wider at the top than they look, and satellite orbit paths aren't where you intuit them to be.

Pro tip: Check obstructions at the actual mount height. A pole mount 8 feet above ground on the south side of the house gets a completely different obstruction profile than a roof mount 2 feet above the ridge. Run the check from the exact position where the dish will be.

Choose your mounting location and method

Ground mount: easiest installation, best obstruction potential in open properties. Push pipe into the ground or set a pipe in a concrete footing. Best if you have a clear open yard away from trees. Downside: the long cable run from ground to house requires conduit or burial for protection. Roof mount: excellent for obstruction clearance but requires proper waterproofing and structural attachment. Two main options: - Flashing mount: integrates with roof shingles, most watertight, requires partial shingle removal - J-mount on fascia: attaches to the fascia board at the roofline, easier than a flashing mount but gets slightly lower elevation than a true roof mount Wall mount: attach to exterior wall using a mount and vertical pipe. Good if the wall faces the right direction and is tall enough. Easiest for cable routing -- drill through the wall and you're inside. Chimney mount: Starlink sells a chimney strap kit. Excellent for height without roof penetration. Requires the chimney to be structurally sound (not crumbling brick) and oriented on the correct side of the roof. Pole mount on deck or railing: works if your deck is clear of the house roofline. Clamp to a deck post or install a base plate. Cable routing: the Starlink cable is 75 feet long on standard kits (150 feet on the extended cable, sold separately). Plan how the cable gets from the mount into your house -- through a wall, under the fascia, or down and through a basement entry. Every bend reduces the available length.

Pro tip: The Starlink cable cannot be spliced or extended with standard Ethernet tools -- it uses a proprietary connector on the dish end. If 75 feet isn't long enough, buy the official 75-foot extension cable from the Starlink shop before installation day.

Install the mount

Roof flashing mount: Remove 2--3 shingles at the mount location (slide a flat bar under the shingle nails to lift without breaking). Position the flashing plate, drive lag screws into the roof decking and rafter if possible. Slide shingles back over the top flange of the flashing. Apply roofing sealant under and around the flashing perimeter. This must be watertight. If you have any doubt about waterproofing a roof penetration, let us do this part. Fascia J-mount: Drill pilot holes into the fascia. Drive the lag screws with a socket wrench or impact driver. The mount pole attaches to the bracket. Run the cable down the fascia and along the soffit to your cable entry point. Wall mount: Mark and drill through the exterior wall at the height you want the pole. The mount plate lags into the wall studs -- locate them first. Caulk around the plate where it meets the siding to prevent water intrusion. Ground pole mount: Dig a hole 18--24 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Set a 2-inch schedule 40 steel pipe in the hole. Pack the hole with concrete (one 50-lb bag of Quikrete mixed to a pourable consistency). Let cure 24 hours before loading the dish. Chimney mount: Thread the strap kit around the chimney above the roofline. Tighten until completely immobile. Mount the pole to the bracket. The dish should sit above the chimney cap by at least 12 inches for clearance.

Pro tip: On roof mounts, use a rubber duck antenna or a large heavy bolt as a test weight before mounting the dish -- set it on the mount and check that the mount feels completely rigid. A mount that rocks at all under 10 lbs of pressure will oscillate the dish in wind.

Route the cable and seal the entry point

The Starlink cable comes off the dish via a proprietary connector. Do not cut, crimp, or modify this connector. Route the cable from the dish along the mount, then toward the house. Secure the cable every 12--18 inches with exterior-rated cable clips (UV-resistant plastic or stainless steel). Do not use zip ties alone on exterior runs -- they degrade in UV and snap within a year or two in direct sun. Cable entry into the house: you have two main options: 1. Through-wall cable gland: drill a hole slightly larger than the cable (about 1/2 inch for the standard cable body), feed the cable through, and seal with a weatherproof cable entry gland. Available at electrical supply or Home Depot. Seal the gland with exterior silicone caulk. 2. Existing penetration: route through the same hole used by existing cable TV or coax -- the existing seal is usually sized for coax but may need enlarging. Remove old unused coax and route the Starlink cable through the same entry with a new gland. Interior routing: from the entry point, route the cable to the room where the Starlink router will live -- ideally central in the house for best Wi-Fi coverage. Use cable staples inside walls or a surface raceway if running along baseboards. The router must be plugged into a standard wall outlet (150W power consumption at peak). Position it in a location with good airflow -- the base of the router runs warm.

Pro tip: If you need to go through an exterior masonry wall (brick or concrete), use a hammer drill with a 1/2" masonry bit and rent a larger core drill bit for a clean hole. Drilling masonry with a standard drill is miserable and leaves a ragged hole.

Power on, connect to the Starlink app, and confirm dish alignment

Plug in the router. The dish will power up automatically and begin pointing itself -- the Starlink dish is motorized and moves to find the optimal satellite alignment angle on its own. Watch the dish (from a safe distance) -- you should see it move within 30 seconds of powerup. Open the Starlink app. It will scan for the router and connect you through the initial setup flow. Create or log into your Starlink account if you haven't already. The app will show a startup sequence: booting → searching → connected. First connection typically takes 2--5 minutes. If it takes longer than 10 minutes, there's a signal issue -- check the obstruction checker again from the actual dish position. In the app, go to Statistics → Uptime and check the signal quality. Also check the Obstruction Map (a heat map of where the dish is actually losing signal based on satellite passes). If you see consistent red patches in one direction, that's a persistent obstruction -- a tree or structure blocking satellite paths in that arc. Downtime due to obstructions: anything under 0.1% downtime means excellent placement. 0.5--1% means occasional interruptions. Over 2% is problematic for most use cases.

Pro tip: The dish takes 20--30 minutes to build a full obstruction map. Run the app while doing something else, then come back and check the map. The initial 5-minute check doesn't capture the full picture.

Configure bypass mode for your existing router

The Starlink router is functional but basic -- 2.4GHz and 5GHz combined network, no VLAN support, limited firewall control. Most people with an existing router or a preference for better Wi-Fi gear want to bypass the Starlink router and use their own. To use your own router: you need the Starlink Ethernet Adapter ($25, from the Starlink shop in the app). This plugs into the back of the Starlink router and gives you a standard RJ45 Ethernet port. Connect that port to the WAN port of your router. Then, put the Starlink router into bypass mode: in the Starlink app → Settings → Advanced → Bypass Mode → Enable. This disables the Starlink router's DHCP and NAT functions, passing a public IP address to your downstream router instead. Your router then handles all routing, DHCP, Wi-Fi, and firewall functions. This is the recommended setup for anyone who wants proper network control, multiple VLANs, or simply better Wi-Fi hardware than the Starlink router provides. Note: bypass mode requires your router to support DHCP client on its WAN port (virtually all routers do). After enabling bypass, reboot both the Starlink router and your router. Your router should pick up a public IP within 30 seconds. If you're using the Starlink router on its own: in the app, rename the network, set a strong password, and update the firmware. Do this before handing the Wi-Fi password to anyone.

Pro tip: Starlink assigns a shared IP address in CGNAT -- meaning you cannot host services (web server, game server, VPN) that require inbound connections unless you use a CGNAT bypass service or Starlink's dedicated IP option (available in some plans at extra cost). Check your plan if inbound connections matter to you.

Speed expectations and understanding Starlink performance

Real-world Starlink speeds vary significantly by plan, location, and time of day: Residential Standard: 50--200 Mbps download, 5--20 Mbps upload. Latency 20--60ms. Sufficient for streaming, video calls, and remote work. Speeds are lower during peak evening hours (7--10pm local time) when network is congested. Residential Priority: 100--250 Mbps download, faster upload. Better consistency during peak hours. Costs more. Business / Priority Access: designed for consistent performance and support SLAs. Mobile (Roam) plan: same hardware, but allows use at any location. Lower priority than Residential on the network. What affects your actual speed: - Obstructions (as discussed -- the biggest factor you control) - Distance from gateway ground station (different regions have different capacity) - Time of day -- Starlink has acknowledged congestion on the residential network - Weather -- heavy rain causes attenuation on Ka-band but is usually minor. Snow accumulation on the dish is handled by the built-in heater (dish heats up to melt snow), but ice storms can temporarily affect performance What Starlink is excellent for: rural internet access, remote locations, RVs, boats, locations where fiber or cable aren't available. It is not competitive with fiber on latency-sensitive applications like online gaming or high-frequency trading. Speed tests: run speedtest.net from a device connected via Ethernet to your router (not Wi-Fi) for the most accurate reading.

Pro tip: Run speed tests at different times of day over your first week. Note your peak and off-peak speeds. If peak-hour speeds are consistently under 30 Mbps, contact Starlink support -- your area may have capacity issues that get addressed as more satellites launch.

Troubleshooting: what to check when it stops working

No connection on first boot: confirm the dish is moving (motorized self-leveling). If it's not moving, check power. Confirm the cable is fully seated in the router (the proprietary connector clicks in). Reboot by unplugging the router for 30 seconds. Persistent "searching" state: obstruction is the most common cause. Go to the Starlink app → Obstruction Map and look for red areas during the search period. Move the dish if needed. Slow speeds: run the app's speed test from within the app (Network tab → Speed Test). If in-app speeds are higher than what you see on devices, the bottleneck is your local network, not Starlink. If in-app speeds are also low, contact Starlink support or check the Starlink subreddit for regional outages. Intermittent drops: check cable connections at both ends. Inspect the cable for any damage -- the Starlink cable is proprietary and a damaged section cannot be repaired, only replaced. Check the obstruction map for brief satellite transitions in a gap. After bypass mode: if your router isn't getting a WAN IP, confirm bypass mode is enabled in the app, power cycle both devices with the Starlink router coming up first, then your router 60 seconds later. Dish won't heat in snow: the heater activates automatically when the dish detects snow accumulation. If snow isn't melting within 20 minutes of being detected, the heater may have failed -- contact Starlink support.

Pro tip: Join the Starlink subreddit (r/Starlink) -- it's the most current source for regional performance reports, firmware update news, and real installation photos. The Starlink official community forum is also useful for equipment issues.

Skip the roof ladder?

We handle the obstruction survey, mounting, weatherproofing, cable routing, and router setup. Connected and tested before we leave.

From $149.99 on-site

Same-day available · Satisfaction guaranteed

Planning help or stuck mid-install?

A Geek reviews your obstruction map, advises on mount location, and walks through the router setup remotely.

From $49.99

By the numbers

Typical DIY time3--5 hrs

Geek time90--120 min

Typical download speeds50--200 Mbps

Tree obstructions foundmost first sites

Online or still searching?

If you're connected, speeds look good, and the router is configured the way you want -- you just brought real internet to a place that didn't have it.

If the dish is still searching after an hour, the cable won't reach, or the roof is making you rethink your choices -- we have a ladder and experience with both.