Starlink router extension

[colette04]

My husband dropped the starlink rectangular dish off the roof 3 stories high. I purchased a new kit. Now I have an extra router. Can I use this extra router as a mesh/extender for my house?  Did I need an ethernet cable to use the second router?

[RicochetStarlink]

If you plug in the second router -- without an Ethernet cable -- it should link to the main router and create a mesh network. You will see the request to connect the second "mesh" router in the Starlink app...

[LarsMac]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:07 PM, RicochetStarlink said:

If you plug in the second router -- without an Ethernet cable -- it should link to the main router and create a mesh network. You will see the request to connect the second "mesh" router in the Starlink app...

Related question from newbie.

My current set up is SL router extended to second building via and older Netgear WiFi extender to support wired network. 

I want to replace the Netgear with a SL Mesh router. I need to maintain the wired network in that building. Will the mesh router support SL Ethernet Adapter to support my current wired network?

 

 

 

[RicochetStarlink]

@LarsMac,

I am going to assume for the moment that your "older Netwgear WiFi extender" has one or more Ethernet ports to which you have devices attached.

Install the second SL router as a mesh router. Order one Starlink Ethernet Adapter from the Starlink store (or Amazon or Ebay). This plugs into the Router and provides a single Ethernet port for wired networking. If. you are supporting multiple wired devices, use an inexpensive Ethernet switch, not a router or WiFi access point. Plug the switch into the Starlink Ethernet Adapter and plug your devices into the switch. 

HTH...

[LarsMac]

On 5/9/2024 at 7:31 AM, RicochetStarlink said:

@LarsMac,

I am going to assume for the moment that your "older Netwgear WiFi extender" has one or more Ethernet ports to which you have devices attached.

Install the second SL router as a mesh router. Order one Starlink Ethernet Adapter from the Starlink store (or Amazon or Ebay). This plugs into the Router and provides a single Ethernet port for wired networking. If. you are supporting multiple wired devices, use an inexpensive Ethernet switch, not a router or WiFi access point. Plug the switch into the Starlink Ethernet Adapter and plug your devices into the switch. 

HTH...

Thank you for the reply. 

Yes, That is what I am hoping to do. 

 

current

SL dish -Gen 2 router ) ) ) NetGear WiFi EXtender  --cabled---  to house devices. 

Plan

SL dish -(Gen 2 rtr shop((((mesh)))) gen 2 rtr house) ---cabled---Enet switch linked to house devices. 

  While the first option is simple, the Netgear is nearly 20 years old. 

 

 

 

[LarsMac]

On 5/9/2024 at 7:31 AM, RicochetStarlink said:

@LarsMac,

I am going to assume for the moment that your "older Netgear WiFi extender" has one or more Ethernet ports to which you have devices attached.

Install the second SL router as a mesh router. Order one Starlink Ethernet Adapter from the Starlink store (or Amazon or Ebay). This plugs into the Router and provides a single Ethernet port for wired networking. If. you are supporting multiple wired devices, use an inexpensive Ethernet switch, not a router or WiFi access point. Plug the switch into the Starlink Ethernet Adapter and plug your devices into the switch. 

HTH...

So, Received new SL router and Eth Adapter. 

Routers meshed without issue. 

I am having a problem with the Ethernet adapter connected to the new node. It will not connect a device to the router. Device reports no cable attached. I've verified the Cables I am trying to use. The new SL Node works fine connecting via wireless. Just the Ethernet Port never connects to wired devices.

Question: IF you have two nodes meshed, can both nodes support Ethernet adapters? 

 

 

 

[LarsMac]

27 minutes ago, LarsMac said:

So, Received new SL router and Eth Adapter. 

Routers meshed without issue. 

I am having a problem with the Ethernet adapter connected to the new node. It will not connect a device to the router. Device reports no cable attached. I've verified the Cables I am trying to use. The new SL Node works fine connecting via wireless. Just the Ethernet Port never connects to wired devices.

Question: IF you have two nodes meshed, can both nodes support Ethernet adapters? 

NOTE: 

So, dug out a little 5 port switch and tried. The Switch never even sees a signal from the ethernet adapter port. plug the switch into home network, and attached device logs right into the network. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LarsMac]

Update 20240529 

Cleaned up network after whatever happened yesterday Dropped new SL router from network, spent the next hour or so recovering network and getting back to what had been working. 

 Had to actually POR the main router.  SL router does not seem to like changes in architecture, it seems. 

The power-down allowed me to remove the old Ethernet adapter from main router. 

This AM, re-verified old  network, verified all functionality. 

I plugged old Ethernet adapter into new Router, and powered up. Currently, New Router is merged with old one and this PC is feeding off the new router via old cable, and all is OK. 

It looks like the new Ethernet adapter is DOA. That is pretty annoying. Caused a lot of headaches. 

 

[LarsMac]

Quick follow-up. 

This setup works very well. New node inside house is meshed with the original node on Dish. 

 

Aside: We have had a number of rather violent wind and Hail storms.

Our dish was knocked of the roof by neighbors' Flying trampoline, and we found it battered and bruised in a rain puddle in the driveway. 

After drying it out, we reconnected, and tested, and it has been working fine for over a week. 

 

[LarsMac]

Update, again. 

Last night, we experienced an outage, after the SL ran a code update. 

The dish seemed to get "stuck" and reported that the motor was stuck, and it could not reposition to sync. 

Investigating, I found that the dish feels very loose in its mounting. 

I POR'd the main router, and after returning to service, everything is working for the last 18 hours. 

I've secured the dish mounting but the dish itself is wobbly inside. 

Question: 

I have been searching for a way to acquire a new Dish. 

Is that possible? 

[RicochetStarlink]

I believe you can order a new kit from the Starlink Store on the support Web site.

[GHP]

As our home is somewhat long, we are having difficulties in getting WIFI to both ends of the home with the router in the middle of the home.

Should I expect to have full WIFI coverage if I were to purchase two additional routers/mesh units to install in each end of our home while connecting them wirelessly?

[RicochetStarlink]

That depends on the length of your home. Starlink mesh router work best when less than 100' apart.