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Starlink Internet Access

daveandmarcia

Has anyone living here in Costa Rica bought and installed Starlink for Internet access? If yes, please share details. Where did you buy the system? Who installed it? And, most important, how satisfied are you with it?

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Phones and Internet in Costa RicaWi-Fi/Internet coverageTELEVISION IN COSTA RICAQuestions about KolbiHow do I get local CR phone number to use in USA for banking needs?
daveandmarcia

Update: Starlink has recently released its Generation 3/4 in Costa Rica. That equipment is compatible with the new satellites that the company is currently releasing into its "low earth orbit" satellite band. Once the new hardware became available here, we took the plunge. My understanding is that their Generation 2 hardware is not compatible with the newest type of satellite they're deploying. That's why we waited for Generation 3/4.


Starlink also offers a mobile kit that can be installed on boats, trucks, motor homes, etc. I didn't investigate that.


Starlink is simple to install, but, like many other things, learning on the job can be daunting, so we opted to engage an experienced installer to buy the "kit" here and install it on our roof (where I dare not go). It went smoothly and in a couple of hours we were up and running. While we become comfortable with this new system, we will continue to keep our original ISP as a backup. The kit contains all the components you'll need for a basic rooftop installation (dish, cables, power supply and router), but you may need additional accessories like a longer cable from the dish to the router or the hardware for a pole mount out in the yard or on the side of the house.


Starlink works best with an unobstructed view of the northern sky. Trees, buildings, etc may degrade or block the signal between the dish on the ground and the satellites in the sky. That view need not be perfect, but there are limits.


Starlink requires that you use its app to register your account and arrange to pay via credit/debit card. The app also provides some customization like a sleep/wake schedule, blocking adult content, etc. The monthly fee for the basic service here in Costa Rica is c33,000. There is no contract; you can withdraw at any time.


I have been constantly running Speed Test and always get download speeds of well over 200mps and, sometimes, over 300mps. That's much faster than the speeds our current ISP provides. Too, it appears to be unaffected by cloud cover or the heaviest rainfall.


So, after five days' experience, as Oscar Meyer would say, "I think we have a wiener!"

rainagain

Good to know. I have had extra issues this year with my wifi from my elec. provider... not sure if it is the extremely wet year, or what ???  I was even ready to blame the Pecho Amarillos who sit on the cable and tease my cat.   I asked a few neighbors... they just don't realize bad service when they see it; so I either have to think more like a Tico... or jump on Star Link.   Don't really want to use anything from Musk considering his character.   

But thanks again.   

B O L O G N A ...  always loved that song...  and as a kid... we used to see the Wiener Mobile a lot; always exciting.

Pura Vida