Starlink has arrived! Now it won't work.

We have heard of many cases of Starlink customers who have been waiting patiently for their new internet system, when it finally arrives it is hard to hold back the excitement (we know the feeling). It's like Christmas morning for adults and for those rural customers that have dealt with spotty internet service, low speeds, or all of the above. So you follow the simple directions to set up the Dishy in an open area on your property, plug it in to power and wait for the magic.. nothing happens.. why? In this article we are going to talk about some troubleshooting tips and tricks when trying to get your new Starlink up and running.

A common issue we have run into is an incorrect service address. This is something that is often overlooked by a new customer because the shipping address could be correct and thus the Dishy arrives at your door (or nearest post office) and the assumption is, "if Starlink shows up to the correct location then they must have the correct service address". This is not always the case, sometimes the shipping address and service address can be completely different, especially in a rural setting. The customer will know this when signing up (as it is common with rural addresses) but sometimes the location services and mapping system can be glitchy, placing you in a different service area than you originally selected and still allowing your system to be shipped because the shipping address is correct. Your Service address is one of the first things to check when your system arrives. Make sure the beacon/icon on the map lands right on your location if dishy has been set up and you are not receiving internet service. To do this you will go straight to Starlink.com on any browser, log in to your account scroll part way down the page till you see the above image:

From here you can make sure that your service address is correct If it is not then this is also where you can update to the proper service address. In some cases you have to drag the marker to your actual location on the map as inputting the physical address may take you somewhere near (but not your exact location). If you can't adjust the map to your location then submit a ticket to Starlink ASAP and they will help you figure it out The worst case scenario is the service address has jumped to the nearest open sector and you find out on further investigation that your specific location (not just the county or district) is not open for Starlink internet service.

Obstructions, because of the nature of Starlink's system you have to be very aware of your Dishy location on the property. The signals that are being received come from 400-600 kilometers away and therefore need to be incredibly precise for a fast and stable internet. Although the signals do have some obstruction penetrating abilities they are not fool proof in that way. So our advice would be to open up your Starlink app (even better if this is done before receiving equipment) and utilize the built in obstruction viewer: (follow this link to our blog on using the app Where to install your Dishy.. For the most part it walks you through the process, all you have to do is push the Check For Obstructions button and follow the prompts on screen and it will give you a message and some stats on its findings when the process is complete. Make sure to factor in growth when scanning the horizon, the app is good but it is not foolproof. That tree that is just out of the line of sight might be in line of sight come spring or late summer. If you're just over the tops of trees then try to give yourself as much room as possible allowing for growth and wind movement.

Resetting Starlinks Router. Sometimes a power cycle can be a simple fix, and other times you may need to do a factory reset on the router and restart the whole setup process. You may be able to see and connect to the Wi-Fi network but can still be without internet, this does not always mean you have a signal issue at the Dishy (especially if you can hardwire to the Starlink and internet is live). For one reason or another the router may not know what to do and can become ineffective in its roles, this is where a factory reset would come in. Believe it or not any electronics can become overwhelmed even if it is following its built-in programming (always some margin of error), a factory reset can give it a fresh start and help the device to perform as it was designed. To do the reset you will find a pin hole on the router (push and hold for approx. 10 seconds), give it some time to go through its sequences. For the rectangular Gen 2 system power cycle do the following (unplug from power and then plug back in 3 times in a row). Once completed you should be able to set up your network name and password again within the app, save your changes and give it some more time and reconnect one of your devices (for testing) to the newly named network. If you now have internet, awesome! If not.. keep reading for some more tips and tricks.

Updates. Not waiting for the equipment to update is a common issue but not one that people always think of when they are setting up the new system. A lot of the existing customer stories have sounded like this; "so easy! I plugged the equipment in, waited 5-10 minutes, and shazam I now have internet!" On the flip side of that we are seeing a slightly increasing number of customers who get a whole lot of nothing when following the simple setup directions. Because of this problem we now see reports coming back where customers have had to leave the equipment plugged into power for a minimum of one hour before testing again. Allowing the system to completely update all its firmware.

Software updates (new versions) are being released fairly often by Starlink, and the Dishy that you may be waiting for (over a year for some) could very well have missed an update sitting in a warehouse unplugged throughout that wait time. So our recommendation is a) Don't panic.. b) Give it some time. Many have had to wait a full 24 hours (and more) before everything updates, syncs up and starts doing its job. Once up to date it should continue to do that automatically as long as your system is plugged into power and has signal. The last thing any of us want to do is to send back the equipment thinking it's faulty and have to wait again for Starlink to make things right (could be a while). Sometimes patience is the name of the game.

Use Starlink's Troubleshooting Page. You can find some very helpful information using Starlinks app by opening the support tab on the main page, and once in you will find a search bar as well as a plethora of topics geared towards customers frequently asked questions(FAQ). If you are unable to find what you are looking for in the app, another great option is doing a google search for YouTube content as well as forums and blogs (such as this) that may help save you some time and headache. There is a plethora of information lots good but some bad, so be selective on who you choose to follow and listen too but make sure to subscribe and support the good ones:)

Submit a ticket to the Starlink support and they will get back to you as soon as possible, we believe that being a new activation gives you priority in the que, so a rep should hopefully be able to come up with a solution in under 24hrs. They will walk you through step by step the process, the agents we have have been really easy and good to deal with.(I do wish it was live and not digital. Follow the steps in the gallery below to submit a ticket.

Once you have submitted a ticket you'll receive an automated email thanking you and assuring you they got your request. Make sure you get an email otherwise they haven't got yours either. You can expect 24-48Hrs before a response, they don't offer a call in option at this time. You will get a email from them as there response, you can check on your ticket and respond all from within the app.

As you can hopefully now see there are options before throwing in the towel (even more than we have written in this post). Information regarding the new Starlink system is ever expanding, and the community support that is available has been great to see. If you have questions about anything Starlink please reach out to us and we would be happy to help. Take a look in or forums for pictures and answers on a variety of topics. Thank you for reading.