{"id":43894,"date":"2024-06-28T16:34:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T20:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=43894"},"modified":"2024-06-28T16:34:30","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T20:34:30","slug":"starlink-mini","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/starlink-mini\/","title":{"rendered":"Starlink Mini"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chris Wedel<\/a> (via Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

However, since I first began using these low-orbit satellites to power my internet, not only has the price gone up $30 per month<\/a>, but the speeds and reliability have degraded significantly. I’ve talked to others in my area who use Starlink, and since January, we’ve experienced frequent downtime and fluctuating speeds between 30-50\/2-10Mbps. I’m aware Starlink states that what I’m getting served is within stated expectations. I could deal with that if it were consistent and reliable and also if I wasn’t getting charged $120 per month. <\/p>

[…]<\/p>

This has forced me to look for alternate options. For the last two months, I’ve gone back to T-Mobile Home Internet<\/a> because I can get T-Mobile for only $50 per month and because speed and reliability are on par with what I’d been getting from Starlink. But even getting T-Mobile at my house required some extra work and money on my part. If you can believe it, I had to first walk into the store and ask for a modem and reassure them that I knew my experience might not be great because, officially, according to the T-Mobile website, the internet isn’t available at my home. I also had to purchase a $400 external antenna kit designed to connect directly to the router since I don’t get a good cellular signal from any U.S. carrier at my house, and I need the boost from an antenna. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Thomas Ricker<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

The new compact DC-powered Starlink Mini<\/a> is about the size of a thick laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router right inside the dish. And despite using less power than other Starlink terminals, it can still deliver speeds over 100Mbps.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Notably, the Mini kit consumes an average of just 20-40W compared to the 33-62W we measured just two years ago with a Standard Actuated dish and separate AC-powered Wi-Fi router. That means you can power the Mini dish for two to three hours from something like an Anker Prime 27,650mAh (99.54Wh) power bank, or a little over an hour with smaller 10,000mAh (40Wh) portable batteries you probably already have laying about. It requires a USB-C PD power source with a minimum rating of 100W (20V\/5A).<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

In the US, Starlink Mini is an add-on to Residential plans — at least for now. The Mini kit costs $599 which is $100 more than the standard dish, and will cost an extra $30 per month to add the Mini Roam service to existing $120 Residential plans. That gives Starlink Mini users up to 50GB of mobile data each month, with the option to purchase more for $1 per GB, according to early-access invitations sent to some exiting US Starlink customers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n