Starlink in the marina

[GrandWood]

Really getting tired of being throttled every night here in Poulsbo, WA. Day in and day out, 6pm and all goes bad, constant buffering.

What good is mobile priority when I get slammed for residential customers who pay less.
Works about as good as dial up back in the day.

Thinking I need some other option worth a rip. Gonna try my phones hotspot, as the marinas connection is garbage as well.

 

[GrandWood]

Hotspot at least it’s not dropping out, but pixelated 60%of the time.
Internet is such a scam, contacted Starlink, and they tell me to select the 2.00 a gig extra crap for faster speed.

Why call it mobile “priority” when you don’t have zip for priority, and then “unlimited” is a joke as well, 528 gig and they hammer ya. It’s not effin unlimited.

Strangle Elons ass right now, lol

 

[Delfin]

Might be some other issue with your setup. Just returned from a two month road trip traveling to Texas. Regardless of where we were, Starlink was always on. We watched TV via streaming every night, and never saw any slowdown.

 

[GrandWood]

Might be some other issue with your setup. Just returned from a two month road trip traveling to Texas. Regardless of where we were, Starlink was always on. We watched TV via streaming every night, and never saw any slowdown.

I dunno, I don’t have anything special, Starlink is how it came in the box, I use a iPad, iPhone and have a projector tv. Starlink works great till right around 6pm, when of course everyone’s home from school, work and demand is high.

Seems I just use it to much and I end up in low data mode. Tells me in settings on iPad that it’s in low data mode.

Worked great all summer long cruising around the south sound. Just been for about the last month now tied up in a marina experiencing this.

Guess it’s just since all the rain, been holed up inside and using it to much is what I’m seeing now looking through the site and reading online.

I didn’t realize I was limited to 528GB, when they say unlimited, I hadn’t realized there was a cut off.

After looking over the site, I selected residential while here in the marina for the winter, won’t start till the 20th, see if that fairs any better.

 

[tiltrider1]

Get off Mobile Priority. Just use the basic home service, it’s cheaper and it gives you the highest priority. When you leave the dock you can up grade to Regional Roam for a month.

 

[SteveK]

I didn’t realize I was limited to 528GB, when they say unlimited, I hadn’t realized there was a cut off.

Where did you find limited to 528GB
Here is what I found, it has been like this since I got Starlink.

Starlink Fair Use Policy​

I noticed this past month less wheel spinning slow down however.

 

[SteveK]

After looking over the site, I selected residential while here in the marina for the winter, won’t start till the 20th, see if that fairs any better.

Maybe if you hurry you can still cancel that change. I recall reading once you switch to residetial you cannot switch back to mobile.
In any event if you read my previous link, residential bandwidth is also reduce during heavy use periods.
Remember when Starlink map showed hexagons. Not sure but I think each hexagon was served by one satelite. So if you are in a hexagon with a lot of users service slows down. If as shown you are travelling in less used areas services does not slow down.
Just the way it is.

 

[tiltrider1]

Unless something changed in the last month, I have been switching to residential each fall and Regional Roam each spring.

 

[SteveK]

Unless something changed in the last month, I have been switching to residential each fall and Regional Roam each spring.

as we have noticed things do change monthly. Today all I have found is this.

• If you currently have the Roam 50GB (Bundle) and upgrade to the higher-priced Roam 50GB plan, you will not be able to go back to the lower-priced plan.

 

[tiltrider1]

Ah yes, I was talking about switching between the $120 plan and the $165 plan. This is different than jumping between the 50GB bundle and the higher priced 50GB plan. Two different animals.

 

[mvweebles]

Ah yes, I was talking about switching between the $120 plan and the $165 plan. This is different than jumping between the 50GB bundle and the higher priced 50GB plan. Two different animals.

In the past, changing back to residential was prevented. Musk has redefined the old saying "the only constant is change."

To the OP - since you said you're running Starlink "out of the box," I assume you are not running a VPN. Starlink and VPNs don't always play nice together.

Also, how have you tested throughput? As important as bandwidth is latency and jitter - I use Speedtest.net which measures these thresholds in addition to upload and download speeds. Some applications start to crater once latency goes past 50ms or so (latency is measured with a "ping" test).

Finally, some Apps have better buffering algorithms. Netflix is generally excellent. The CableTV company apps are not as advanced and tend to hourglass frequently.

Much as I find Musk to be a whackadoodle with a curiously frustrating use experience, there may be some other items to look at than just being throttled.

Peter

 

[GrandWood]

Where did you find limited to 528GB
Here is what I found, it has been like this since I got Starlink.

Starlink Fair Use Policy​

I noticed this past month less wheel spinning slow down however.

I was looking at this last night, today it’s up to the 535. So obviously I was wrong. Kinda in a tizzy last night trying to watch the lions game, so POed I shut it off and missed the great ending.

Even this am I’m still in low data mode.

 

[GrandWood]

In the past, changing back to residential was prevented. Musk has redefined the old saying "the only constant is change."

To the OP - since you said you're running Starlink "out of the box," I assume you are not running a VPN. Starlink and VPNs don't always play nice together.

Also, how have you tested throughput? As important as bandwidth is latency and jitter - I use Speedtest.net which measures these thresholds in addition to upload and download speeds. Some applications start to crater once latency goes past 50ms or so (latency is measured with a "ping" test).

Finally, some Apps have better buffering algorithms. Netflix is generally excellent. The CableTV company apps are not as advanced and tend to hourglass frequently.

Much as I find Musk to be a whackadoodle with a curiously frustrating use experience, there may be some other items to look at than just being throttled.

Peter

Not using a VPN

 

[GrandWood]

Unless something changed in the last month, I have been switching to residential each fall and Regional Roam each spring.

Hopefully that’s how it’s gonna work for me, I switched to residential, have to wait till new billing cycle for it to change.

 

[GrandWood]

I

Maybe if you hurry you can still cancel that change. I recall reading once you switch to residetial you cannot switch back to mobile.
In any event if you read my previous link, residential bandwidth is also reduce during heavy use periods.
Remember when Starlink map showed hexagons. Not sure but I think each hexagon was served by one satelite. So if you are in a hexagon with a lot of users service slows down. If as shown you are travelling in less used areas services does not slow down.
Just the way it is.

hope that’s not the case Steve, I would be really not happy, lol

 

[READY]

528GB sounds like a lot of data use. Can you estimate that in terms of hours of streaming? I was guessing at 4k that would be 2-4GB. If so then 528GB is 125-250 hours per month?

 

[mvweebles]

On Saturday, you streamed over 50gb of data. That's a lot of data (would be over $100 if you opted in to priority data)!!!! Heck, well over 500GB and it appears you're only three weeks into the billing cycle. That really is a lot of data - mobile plan carriers start to throttle around 22GB of data and you're currently 25x that.

Are you streaming this to 4K hi-def TV or something? To be fair, your example probably shows more what a great value Starlink is compared to mobile hotspots, not what a bummer.

Peter

 

[GrandWood]

528GB sounds like a lot of data use. Can you estimate that in terms of hours of streaming? I was guessing at 4k that would be 2-4GB. If so then 528GB is 125-250 hours per month?

Couldn’t say exactly how many hrs per day, for sure 8 or more, as I have podcasts going while working in the boat when weather is crappy outside. I use couple hrs in am with coffee watching news and events on YouTube. 4K projector we watch a movie or two at night, not every night, most nights I read. Have two others on board, and they have iPads and iPhones, streaming games and chatting with friends online. So guess we are using a lot when I think hard on it. Especially this last month, weather has kept us in the boat.

 

[GrandWood]

On Saturday, you streamed over 50gb of data. That's a lot of data (would be over $100 if you opted in to priority data)!!!! Heck, well over 500GB and it appears you're only three weeks into the billing cycle. That really is a lot of data - mobile plan carriers start to throttle around 22GB of data and you're currently 25x that.

Are you streaming this to 4K hi-def TV or something? To be fair, your example probably shows more what a great value Starlink is compared to mobile hotspots, not what a bummer.

Peter

Thanks Peter, I guess we are burning through it, and now that I have a bit better understanding of how Starlink priority works, guess I need to chill, and be happy with it.

Kinda feel like a dolt now, not up on a lot of the new technology and how it all works.

 

[mvweebles]

Thanks Peter, I guess we are burning through it, and now that I have a bit better understanding of how Starlink priority works, guess I need to chill, and be happy with it.

Kinda feel like a dolt now, not up on a lot of the new technology and how it all works.

Years ago when mobile hotspots first came to market, my employer - a management consulting firm - equipped all of us consultant road warriors with the hotspots. I was on Weebles in San Francisco and bored so started watching TV via whatever streaming service existed back then.

The next day I get a call from our IT department asking me what the heck I was doing - I had burned through two months worth of data overnight. I had no idea. A very mild tap on the wrist and I got the clue.....don't feel like a dolt. Most of us have been there (or will be).

If it helps, if your goal is have background stuff going, running it on a phone or tablet will greatly reduce the throughout. Bluetooth speaker or earbuds provide much better audio.

EDIT - podcasts (audio only) take very little bandwidth. Another tip is to download movies when on Wi-Fi to watch on the boat.

Enjoy!

Peter

 

[psneeld]

Not sure what is going on but I have mobile roam and have traveled over a big portion of the US with it.

The only time mine pixelates is when I am in a fairly wooded RV park and have more than 50% obstructions. Yes I get throttled down to 20 -30 mbps around dinner time in some places, but never enough to interrupt TV streaming.

I also have had the TV streaming news, weather (hurricane stuff), movies etc for the better part of 8 hours a day for just about every day of the month. Much of the time it's background noise...but it is always there and bever a blip.

This is not an unusual situation as I have met plenty of people and read plenty of posts that are relating the same stuff... that Starlink seems like a dang miracle in both it's flexibility and consistency of service.

 

[SteveK]

Starlink gives one example for GB useage.

• For 50GB/mo plans, keep in mind that 50GB is approximately equivalent to 20+ hours of high-definition video streaming.

 

[tiltrider1]

Back when I was actually monitoring my GB usage I was going through 150 GB a week. Mostly it was 4k streaming. If I was paying for something other than unlimited I would want it to be at least a 1 terabyte a month.

As to being confused by Starlink, well, join the club. Worse, just about the time you have it all figured out they change the rules.

What is interesting about Starlink, they haven't appeared to take any service away. More like they add features and raise the price. Like the last change, we can now travel faster and farther off shore but we need to pay more. For most of us its no benefit just more money. However, in the past we were gaming the system as travel was actually not allowed now its allowed and we just pay more. So did we loose or did we just get legitimized.

Musk is like the stock market, past performance does not guarantee future results.

 

[Sanford Gentry]

Here in the Midwest my $25 Visible Wireless account works great most of the time for streaming. They have some limitations but in general a great deal. Get an old phone and try it for one month. If you PM me I can send a discount code.

 

[tiltrider1]

Visible says it only gives 50 GB at a non throttled speed and then you get throttled. So while you get unlimited data you might find it useless for streaming during high traffic times.

 

[psneeld]

Here in the Midwest my $25 Visible Wireless account works great most of the time for streaming. They have some limitations but in general a great deal. Get an old phone and try it for one month. If you PM me I can send a discount code.

Everyone brags about their wireless account till they are someplace that there is no cell coverage.

Then they all come to the Starlink owners asking questions with a tear in their eye.

If you never leave cel/wireless coverage...sure there are better deals.... that's NOT why Starlink was made.