Starlink configuring questions for remote tourism project (Nimpo Lake, BC)

[Mike S]

Good afternoon,

 

I am a project manager for an electrical contractor here in British Columbia, Canada and I have been in talks with a security firm to determine whether Starlink would be suitable for our Tourism project that we have taken on.  Basically we are hoping to utilize Starlink to provide network access for a tourism kiosk booth in the middle of no where (zero cell service and abysmally slow local area network contractors) The Starlink system would provide two way network connectivity to a couple of systems.  The first system is a user public interface (help button, Wi-Fi access, display screen etc..) and the secondary system is the back end.. IP camera support, remote system changes, heat detector, door switch alarms etc..  the engineers on this project have the following questions to determine if this system will work for us.  Sorry for the long post.. See below.. 

1. Inbound access (client VPN) requires a publicly routable IPv4 address to be assigned to the Meraki MX WAN port. My understanding is that Starlink offers this with their Business Plans but would be good to confirm with them.

 

2. You may need to purchase an Ethernet adapter. Supposedly the default Starlink hardware kit is Wi-Fi only?

 

3. Need to confirm with Starlink that whatever customer premise equipment they are sending for this service can be set to ‘bypass mode’ (basically reiterating my first point around static public addresses) It appears the equipment can be set to bypass in the technical FAQ

 

4. Research suggests that Starlink has a…unique way of getting access to it’s Satellite stats which requires a direct (non NAT’ed) connection to a private IP range (192.168.100.1?) listening on the Starlink customer premise equipment. This seems to not be easily configurable with Meraki however there are a couple workaround options (unverified) to consider:

 

4. 1. Stick a small unmanaged switch between the Meraki and Starlink, which would allow a PC to be connected as well in an as-needed/ad-hoc situation if access to these stats is required.
   2. Stick a small unmanaged switch between the Meraki and Starlink, setup an additional LAN VLAN (192.168.100.0/24) on the Meraki MX and loop it into the unmanaged switch. This would allow (in theory) the satellite stats to be viewable from an inside host, and perhaps even a VPN user.

 

It’s possible that access to these statistics is rare/unnecessary post-implementation and a non-issue. But best to raise now just in case.

 

5. While Starlink is supposed to be lower latency and higher bandwidth compared to traditional satellite providers, I cannot speak to the reliability of the service. Please ensure that the bandwidth offered by the Starlink service meets your intent for this location. Specs online suggest 10-40mbps upload speed

Any information that you guys could provide would be invaluable as the direct networking support of Starlink itself seems non-existent.  Have a great day!

 

Mike S.

[Mike S]

Anyone?

[RicochetStarlink]

On 10/20/2022 at 9:43 PM, Mike S said:

1. Inbound access (client VPN) requires a publicly routable IPv4 address to be assigned to the Meraki MX WAN port. My understanding is that Starlink offers this with their Business Plans but would be good to confirm with them.
2. You may need to purchase an Ethernet adapter. Supposedly the default Starlink hardware kit is Wi-Fi only?
3. Need to confirm with Starlink that whatever customer premise equipment they are sending for this service can be set to ‘bypass mode’ (basically reiterating my first point around static public addresses) It appears the equipment can be set to bypass in the technical FAQ
4. Research suggests that Starlink has a…unique way of getting access to it’s Satellite stats which requires a direct (non NAT’ed) connection to a private IP range (192.168.100.1?) listening on the Starlink customer premise equipment. This seems to not be easily configurable with Meraki however there are a couple workaround options (unverified) to consider:

 

4. 1. Stick a small unmanaged switch between the Meraki and Starlink, which would allow a PC to be connected as well in an as-needed/ad-hoc situation if access to these stats is required.
   2. Stick a small unmanaged switch between the Meraki and Starlink, setup an additional LAN VLAN (192.168.100.0/24) on the Meraki MX and loop it into the unmanaged switch. This would allow (in theory) the satellite stats to be viewable from an inside host, and perhaps even a VPN user.

 

It’s possible that access to these statistics is rare/unnecessary post-implementation and a non-issue. But best to raise now just in case.

 

5. While Starlink is supposed to be lower latency and higher bandwidth compared to traditional satellite providers, I cannot speak to the reliability of the service. Please ensure that the bandwidth offered by the Starlink service meets your intent for this location. Specs online suggest 10-40mbps upload speed

Any information that you guys could provide would be invaluable as the direct networking support of Starlink itself seems non-existent.  Have a great day!

 

Mike S.

1. As I understand it, a Static IP Address is only available with a Starlink Business account.  Note that Starlink are in the process of converting to IPV6. I’ve no idea how long this will take or how long afterwards they will support IPV4.
2. If you want to connect any wired devices (networking equipment, desktops, laptops, IoT devices) to the Starlink router, you must  buy an Ethernet port from Starlink. Otherwise, the only way to connect is over the WiFi network broadcast by the router. Note that you can plug in one and only one Ethernet port to the Starlink Router. However, you can attached a router or switch.
3. With an Ethernet connector, the Starlink setup cab be configured to bypass the router, effectively connecting your wired device(s) directly to the Starlink network. Note, however, that the static IP address must no provided by Starlink and is only available for Business accounts.
4. I cannot say whether either of these setups for the stats will work. Other customers have reported that bypassing the router renders the statistics inaccessible… or perhaps inoperable.
5. The online Specs for upload/download speed are decidedly not guaranteed. Of course, for a Business Account — which it sounds like you will require in any case — higher data rates are indicated and traffic is “prioritized”, but depending on the geographic location of the antenna, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

In addition, be aware that the Starlink antenna needs clear visibility of the sky. It should either be in a large clearing or mounted high enough to clear most obstructions. If not, service will suffer.

I would suggest you put these questions into a ticket for Starlink support using the mobile app. Creating a ticket on the web might not be possible if you don’t already have an account.

HTH