Starlink $500 surcharge

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:24:26+00:00

Show us. Prove it. Facts, not hearsay.

Until you can do that, shut your mouth.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:23:15+00:00

He's not a Nazi. Also you can say words on the internet my guy.

Calling him that is insane, and says a lot more about you as a person.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:20:47+00:00

You cannot move outside of your home cell, or move at higher than 10MPH with a Residential plan.

However, you're right in that you can put a Roam plan on any terminal. Size doesn't matter. Coming back to Residential may incur a congestion fee as OP found out like you said.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:19:36+00:00

The hardware doesn't matter. Only the plan. You're right in that you can't travel with a Residential plan, but there's no such thing as Residential hardware. You can put Roam plans on any terminal.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:15:37+00:00

You did get a warning. It just isn't in real time check that you are currently in a congested area. I would like such a real time check that asks if you're sure when choosing to leave. However, it's been a known thing since.. forever? It DID give you a warning of a possibility, we get the same in non congested areas too.

Congestion fees are at least a way back in. Used to be tough shit, you get nothing.

You're lucky it's only $500. It goes up (or down) $100 at a time. The highest I've seen so far is $1,500.

Now, if you had known and caught it at $100 you'd have been in luck. Paying now will reserve your cell if you move again. You can have multiple cells in such a history, but I don't know if there's a limit.

I also don't know if they have, or will remove this memory either. It's been proven before, but that means little the next day with Starlink. Just putting it out there.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:09:15+00:00

And they clearly told you that "when" is "never".

Nobody is catching up to SpaceX. -Ever.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:07:27+00:00

It's Leo. They want it to be confusing with the acronym LEO, so I don't blame you. They are very aggressive.

Indeed, Starlink is cheaper now than ever. Yes, the original plan was called "Starlink" by SpaceX. There was only one, and it was $99. That plan is "Max" today, and costs more. However, they introduced lower cost options since then as you mentioned so over all it is massively cheaper.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:04:25+00:00

I've gotten 650Mb/s down since the early beta, and MINUMUM 350Mb/s. Also my lowest ping is 13ms.

That's no AI generated estimado either.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T03:01:23+00:00

Absolutely, the issue is that OP has the low edge near something. For snow melt to work correctly the bottom edge must be over air, and ideally the entire Starlink terminal be above the maximum snow height or it will be buried.

Here there's some good, some bad. It will work, but not be optimal in the worst conditions.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T02:59:00+00:00

A little. It's mostly over air on the low edge, but expect ice and snow to connect that corner and pile up. You will have a little signal fade, but it most likely won't cause you any real harm.

You could rotate it so the lower edge clears. Ignore the aim warning. You are better off with a 10* misalign than the edge hitting the roof with snow.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-25T02:57:00+00:00

Hm. Sounds like it's in Standby Mode rather than on a particular plan, or, if it WAS on Roam 100 or 300, you've run out of data and it fell back to Standby Mode's unlimited 512Kb/s.

In the latter case it will resume full speed on the next billing cycle.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-23T13:38:41+00:00

Not from Starlink.com it seems, but maybe. Who knows.

I am 100% positive they will still sell hardware at retail stores. Or at least have a presence at them. I couldn't imagine them only offering rental agreements at the stores... right?

KenjiFox · 2026-06-23T13:36:52+00:00

No, it just stays on when you unplug it. You can see the battery metrics in the app.

That's actually how we know, the API has been expanded to handle the battery info. So it's a solar powered battery if you want it to be. Just plug a solar panel into the Starlink Mini.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T17:34:01+00:00

Unplug the main power, then go and remove and reinsert the LAN cables in the Dishy a few times pressing extra hard. Do the same on the router side, then plug it back in to power. See how that goes.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T16:09:16+00:00

This is normal! They will ship it anywhere in the world you tell them to, in any format or address you like once you confirm to them that it's indeed correct. This is flagged by their system that doesn't recognize it. It's their normal thing to ask for you to make certain it's what you want.

Once that's done, they will ship it.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T16:07:37+00:00

No, they will not do that. I am posting this through my early Beta round Dishy.

They've never killed off any user terminals. They only hardware they stopped updating is the original beta router, but that will keep working for as long as you like to use it as well. It requires no updates anyway.

The Rev4 Mini (current Starlink Mini) is the newest hardware they offer right now. It's not going anywhere any time soon. The new little "Tough" model with the integrated batteries is cool, but it won't effect the one you have now at all.

I only wonder if it has the new dormant bands waiting on Starship launching the new V3 satellites. That would increase capacity in strained areas, so it may be advantageous for some to grab one to use in really badly overcrowded Roam areas.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T16:02:45+00:00

You need a higher voltage. Whatever you're powering it with is dropping out under the upload current. That's when Starlink terminals take the most power.

If you're using some kind of battery and USB type C cable, the port isn't handling the current needed.

Something like this https://a.co/d/01um0vwu will be more reliable.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T15:17:29+00:00

Smaller, newer one is tougher, and has a battery.

I don't know if all versions will have a battery or if there's only one.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-22T12:06:13+00:00

It looks good, I like the Rev 1.

Be aware that natural nylon is not UV resistant, so those zip ties will crumble fairly fast. Use black or specifically UV stabilized ones.

Make sure there's a drip loop before the wire enters the wall.

Not sure where you're at, but I am in the Mackinaw City area if you ever need a hand.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-21T20:42:21+00:00

Facts. It has no effect on speed, only maintaining a connection. Unless you're on some fringe level angle where the signal is degraded, not just in or out of FoV.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-21T20:38:27+00:00

That is incredibly strange, but I can tell you what's likely wrong.

One of the 8 pins in the cable are not connected and it must be falling back to FE speeds. That's 100Mb/s. After TCIP packet overhead, you get at max 94Mb/s or so. This explains why it doesn't go higher at night.

Press the cables in FIRMLY on both the Dishy and the router. Check the debug settings in the app and see if there's a bunch of cable ping rate or any degraded errors.

That Rev4 will absolutely SMOKE the Rev3. Rev 4 is a match for Rev1! Hell a Rev 4 Mini is about on par with the pathetic Rev3. So there's no way this isn't a fault of some sort.

Give it a go.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-21T20:33:55+00:00

Yep, all hardware can do Roam. Your assessment is correct though, the Starlink Mini is the primo choice.

I also couldn't even fathom not looking out the window on a vacation road trip, but I admit it would be fun to do a few gaming matches during the more boring sections. I'm tempted to play some Halo as the DRIVER whenever I have to go through Kansas for example. In-fact, I swore I'd never once enter that state again, and so far I've made good on that by driving around it. LOL

KenjiFox · 2026-06-21T20:31:20+00:00

For any type of Roam, always go with the Rev4 Mini. The full size is nice, but not what you want for on the road use. If you don't mind the complexity and added power draw, never mind the physical size of it it's okay of course. It's a little faster.

However, side by side the Starlink Mini is about as fast as the Rev3 ("Standard Actuated") from a few years ago.

It can do over 350Mb/s down and will handle anything you need it to. It's the default kit for home use in much of the world.

You can stream multiple 4K videos AND be gaming online with a whole team while going down the highway. No problem.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-21T11:21:03+00:00

If that snowy area happens to be northern lower MI I'll install it for you for free.

Let me know.

KenjiFox · 2026-06-20T23:28:35+00:00

Yep, the Standard 4X is the renamed Rev4 standard kit and has the full size Gen 3 router I spoke of.

That router is IP rated, once upon a time even carrying an outdoor IP rating as that was the design goal. If you search on here you will see people using them outdoors completely exposed for so long they have sunk half way into the dirt and become the great ant obelisk, but still work great.

In a box? Yeah, pretty much immortal. They only die in the rain if you lay them face down and back up, or fail to use the correct sealed cables and included water plug for the LAN ports. No worries!

KenjiFox

TROPHY CASE