Skip to content

Commit d845a51

Browse files
authored
Merge pull request #118 from ripleymj/mitch-starlink
2 parents 6666a20 + 9765dc9 commit d845a51

File tree

7 files changed

+135
-0
lines changed

7 files changed

+135
-0
lines changed

README.md

+1
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ For slides rendered to PDF or presentation notes for offline reading, download t
4747
- [Laravel](laravel/Laravel.md)
4848
- [osquery](osquery.md)
4949
- [Salt](saltstack/Salt.md)
50+
- [Starlink](starlink/index.md)
5051
- [Systemd Security](Systemd-security.md)
5152
- [TLS](TLS.md)
5253
- [zstd](zstd.md)

starlink/eero.jpg

21.1 KB
Loading

starlink/eth.jpg

108 KB
Loading

starlink/index.md

+134
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
1+
---
2+
marp: true
3+
class: invert
4+
---
5+
6+
# Lessons and Takeaways from Setting up a Starlink in the Woods
7+
8+
Mitch Feigenbaum - <https://mitchf.me>
9+
10+
---
11+
12+
# Background
13+
14+
- I was tasked by my boss with setting up a Starlink at his cabin in the middle of the Shenendoah valley.
15+
- For reference, it's on a mountain in the middle of nowhere
16+
17+
---
18+
19+
![](woods.jpg)
20+
21+
---
22+
23+
# Requirements
24+
25+
1. **Connect to the Internet**
26+
2. Set up a guest network and a private security camera network
27+
3. Make it secure
28+
4. Allow for remote access to the security cameras
29+
30+
---
31+
32+
# Initial Challenges
33+
34+
1. Starlink router is very limited
35+
a. No guest network capability
36+
b. No ethernet adapter
37+
2. Trees block the view (especially in the Spring)
38+
39+
---
40+
41+
# Dealing with the limited Starlink router
42+
43+
1. Use a third party ethernet to micro usb-c adapter between the router and the dish
44+
2. Use a third party router (EERO Pro 6) to allow guest network functionality
45+
46+
---
47+
48+
![bg contain](starlink_eth.jpg)
49+
50+
---
51+
52+
![](eero.jpg)
53+
54+
---
55+
56+
# Dealing with the trees
57+
58+
1. Used a mount on the side of the house to get a better view
59+
2. Still 3% obstacle obstruction (as calculated on app), causes intermittent outages
60+
61+
---
62+
63+
# Now the fun part
64+
65+
- Starlink requires a subscription to start using it
66+
67+
## Good news
68+
69+
- Starlink allows you to access the Starlink website during the setup to buy a subscription
70+
71+
## Bad news
72+
73+
- Starlink accounts send you email verification on login, but gmail is blocked on the Starlink network
74+
75+
---
76+
77+
# How we solved it
78+
79+
## Not easily
80+
81+
---
82+
83+
# A note on the Starlink Subscription
84+
85+
- If you set up your account as a business, you won't even be shown the home option
86+
- The home option is advertised as $80 a month
87+
- Suprise!!! It's actually $120 a month plus a $100 one time "congestion charge"
88+
89+
---
90+
91+
# Starlink account database speculation
92+
93+
- Once the payment was sent, it said it auto created an account with the email used.
94+
- It auto redirected to the existing account associated with the email, but the account had no subscription on it
95+
- The internet worked after this
96+
- Speculation: the Starlink account database is severely buggy (not too far off considering its owner's other ventures [see X])
97+
98+
---
99+
100+
# Setting up the cameras
101+
102+
1. Used cobra cameras connected to the EERO router with a 100 foot ethernet cable
103+
2. Connected the EERO router to the Starlink router via the adapter
104+
105+
---
106+
107+
# Yet Another Issue
108+
109+
1. The EERO router has an easy mobile interface that allows you to change settings
110+
2. The EERO router has support for UPNP, which the cameras use to connect externally
111+
3. The Starlink Router is unable to be configured until it downloads an update, which automatically happpens... at 3am
112+
4. This can be mitigated by using the Starlink router in bypass mode... which requires the router configuration... which is unavailable until the update is installed
113+
114+
---
115+
116+
# Final Configuration
117+
118+
- Our network topology consists of the Starlink dish
119+
- Which sends its signal to the Starlink router
120+
- Which sends its signal to the Ethernet adapter
121+
- Which sends its signal to the EERO router
122+
- Which sends its signal via ethernet to the security cameras and via wifi to the guest network
123+
124+
---
125+
126+
# Takeaways
127+
128+
1. Everything takes more time on the mountain
129+
2. Starlink needs to think about its actual use case
130+
3. It all sort of works, impressively (90 mbps down, 15 mbps up)
131+
132+
---
133+
134+
![bg contain](speedtest.png)

starlink/speedtest.png

221 KB
Loading

starlink/starlink_eth.jpg

145 KB
Loading

starlink/woods.jpg

6.33 MB
Loading

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)