How do I connect my network with a Starlink internet connection?
Starlink's enhanced connectivity has brought a significant change for remote and rural areas that were previously underserved by terrestrial broadband and limited to geostationary satellite and 4G/5G mobile broadband solutions. With the more capable connectivity provided by Starlink, users can now leverage their broadband connections for a wide range of activities, with many comparing Starlink to terrestrial fibre broadband in terms of speed and latency.
Taking advantage of this enhanced internet access, users are moving beyond basic internet usage scenarios of simply browsing, email, and social media and looking to more advanced applications such as streaming and home security, to name but a few. New applications often require devices such as internet-enabled televisions, security cameras, and the whole ecosystem of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. To best serve these new devices, users will likely need to upgrade their local network or potentially face connectivity issues. There are plenty of home and business networking solutions, which we have discussed in numerous articles, such as Optimal WiFi Router Placement, What is mesh WiFi, Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi Networking. In addition, all manufacturers provide guides and videos online to assist customers with installing and setting up their networking equipment.
Integrating your home or business network with your broadband connection is a task that requires careful consideration and planning. It's a process that should be discussed with your internet service provider. At Bentley Telecom, our dedicated technical support team is always ready to offer advice on connecting your network to any broadband service you have purchased from us. We have compiled the below steps as a guide for connecting your network to a Starlink internet system to take advantage of a Public IP or to avoid a NAT issue:
Set the WAN interface of your network router to Dynamic/DHCP – this will allow your router to obtain IP and DNS information from the Starlink system.
Contact the Bentley Telecom support team to request that bridge mode be enabled for your Starlink connection and to enable a Public IP if required. This will disable the router on the Starlink system, allowing your network router to take over.
Our support team will ask some questions before enabling bridge mode to ensure your network router is ready. Still, it is simple to integrate your network with a Starlink internet connection. It is worth noting that once bridge mode is enabled on your Starlink system, you will no longer be able to connect to the wireless network previously provided by the Starlink system. To revert, you will need to complete a factory reset of the Starlink system, which is achieved by powering your Starlink system on and off six times in a row – it is not possible for our team to remove bridge mode remotely. If you trigger a factory reset, our team must apply bridge mode again.
If you encounter instability once your network has been integrated, our team will guide you through a simple troubleshooting process. We will ask you to connect a single laptop or PC directly to the Starlink system to test connectivity. This straightforward step will help us determine if the issue lies with the Starlink connection or your local network. If it's the latter, you may need to review the configuration and layout of your local network. Wireless networks, while easy to set up, can be affected by various factors such as coverage, interference, and obstacles. We recommend reviewing our articles that delve into wireless connectivity and networking for an overview and basic recommendations, we have provided direct links below:
Optimal Wi-Fi router placement
Ubiquiti UniFi Business and Enterprise WiFi
How to setup a home wired network
For more complex local networks, you may wish to procure the services of a professional networking company, which can assist with the design, planning, and implementation of a local network.