Quote:
Originally Posted by Flowergarden
I am considering that option too. I am on Zoom calls for work, all day, and it is critical that they be stable. Sometimes I am using an interactive tool (not, but like a game) at the same time. My concern is connectivity when I’m off in the boonies with little or no cellphone service. On the Starlink map, pretty much everywhere I go I would be waitlisted, receiving lower priority service. Do you have experience with that situation, jjaj823? How has it worked out for you?
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My experience is similar, but not exactly the same, so I’ll lay out my issues and experiences as well as solutions I’ve tried.
First, in terms of starlink service, I have found download speeds in “waitlisted” areas to still be highly acceptable…I’ve been in waitlisted areas almost exclusively so far but still see average speeds in the 40 - 70 mbps range. But, upload speeds are pretty bad, usually in the 5 - 7 mbps range. Which makes emailing spreadsheets painful most of the time.
In terms of deprioritization, I haven’t found that to be a deal breaker. That period is from 5pm - 10pm local time, and during those periods, I have been able to stream to 1 or 2 devices while my son plays Xbox. Speed range is probably 20-30 mbps for download, and probably < 5 for uploads. Those are just guesses since I haven’t actually remembered to speed test everything during that time.
My biggest issue with Zoom calls is that they typically have 3 components: video, audio, and sharing. Typically, I can get reliable calls with 2 out of 3, but have not had much luck when trying to do video, audio, and share my screen. Typically, I will do video and sharing via starlink and simply call into the Zoom using my cell phone not on the network.
I can already hear the next question…”but what about areas of poor cell service?”
Glad you asked… 🙂
In order to account for that, I purchased a cheap cell signal booster from Amazon…I paid less than $100 for it. It hasn’t failed me yet! In fact, I was parked at a relatives which is located in a valley and cell signal is non-existent. Having the booster pointed in the general direction of the closest tower resulted in a jump from no service to 4 bars and the ability to make calls and use mobile data. Not bad for a cheap off brand. I have a tethered device that I have unlimited 4g data on to backup the starlink or use when driving.
The final hardware I use is an outdoor access point used in WISP mode…basically instead of rebroadcasting a connected WiFi signal, it allows me to access the wifi signal via wifi connected directly to my router.
The next question will no doubt be “but how does that help? If one drops, you still have to switch over?”
That is absolutely correct! In my case, I use a service called Speedify which allows me to bond all of those connections together. Essentially, the service distributes the load amongst them all and means I don’t lose internet unless all of my connections have dropped. Is it perfect? No…but for me, the trade offs are worth it. It costs about the same as a monthly VPN subscription and even includes VPN functionality.
Since I have done this, I really haven’t had any issues with working. Overall, about $1,000 spent in terms of hardware, including mount. Not cheap, but as someone who lives and dies by the internet, we’ll worth it. I’ve been using it for about 2 months so far.
Speaking of hardware mounting, everything is mounted on a harbor freight collapsible flagpole that I place in a flagpole hitch mount. It is a little top heavy for my liking, but I made some stabilizers that magnet to the back and they have survived sustained 10-15 mph winds and gusts to 30 without a problem.
Sorry for the long post, but I figured more detail was better here. Let me know if you need any further clarification, and I’ll see what I can do!
-JJ