How to run ethernet cable with STARLINK in new house

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RJS-NEK

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Apr 8, 2021
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I live in rural northeast Vermont, and recently purchased STARLINK, and so far the internet service has been fantastic, especially compared to using our cell phone hot-spots for wifi. We just completed the construction of our new house, and had a blue cat5e cable run from near the main electric panel to an outlet in our office area; we anticipated running an internet line through buried conduit to the house, yet now have STARLINK, so the end of the cable at the panel is not yet connected to anything. Here's my question: can I connect the black cable from the STARLINK dish to the blue cat5e cable, perhaps in an ethernet coupler with 2 female ends? If that would work, then I'm hoping to place the STARLINK power box and modem/router in my office area, and make the connection with a short ethernet cable from the wall outlet to the power box. Any guidance would be most appreciated. Thank you!
 

EngChiSTH

Active Member
Jun 27, 2018
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So you have some existing Cat5e wiring ("blue cable(s)") in the house and want to figure out how to leverage it with new Startlink setup, correct?

What does your current infrastructure looks like in terms of router(s) or switches, do you have a router on it already?

Typically it is

external network (ISP ) -> router (device handling cross network communications) - > switch(es) -> devices

if they given you a router already if you dont have one yourself or dont want to use it, then it is simply connect your blue cable and black cable into the same 'dumb' switch (4 or 8 port switches you will get in every electronics store for <$30). That would be your 'coupler' and extends the network created by ISP through wires you already have.

if you dont want to use their router and has one yourself that you prefer, you may be able to bypass their router and connect their black cable into your router. A little more complicated and you will lose their app access to the device but according to reddit no big deal to by pass.

my recommendation is start with a list here of what you already have and we will go from there.
 

RJS-NEK

New Member
Apr 8, 2021
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Thanks for your prompt and thorough response - much appreciated.

You are correct, I have existing Cat5e wiring: one end goes to a wall outlet in my office, the other end is downstairs and not yet attached to anything. The only other infrastructure I have is what came with Starlink: the dish, black cable from dish to power box, and white cable from power box to modem/router, which I would like to use.

Following your suggestion, I'll connect the blue and black cable into a 'dumb' switch (coupler), and then connect the white Starlink cable between the outlet and modem/router. Hopefully that will do it!
 
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EngChiSTH

Active Member
Jun 27, 2018
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Thanks for your prompt and thorough response - much appreciated.

You are correct, I have existing Cat5e wiring: one end goes to a wall outlet in my office, the other end is downstairs and not yet attached to anything. The only other infrastructure I have is what came with Starlink: the dish, black cable from dish to power box, and white cable from power box to modem/router, which I would like to use.

Following your suggestion, I'll connect the blue and black cable into a 'dumb' switch (coupler), and then connect the white Starlink cable between the outlet and modem/router. Hopefully that will do it!
Sounds good. Here is example product - Monoprice 8 Port 10/100/1000 Mbps Desktop Gigabit Ethernet Switch with Support for Jumbo Frames - Monoprice.com , anyone , anywhere sells basic gigabit switches (amazon, best buy, newegg) and they are all same in functionality. You will need a power source (electric socket) to plug it in but otherwise nothing else to do.
 

Terry Wallace

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Aug 13, 2018
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RJS-NEK

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Apr 8, 2021
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Success! The black Starlink cable is plugged into the black side of Starlink powerbox, and the blue ethernet cable into the white side of the powerbox. The Starlink router, and it's white cable, is plugged into the wall outlet, where the end of the blue ethernet cable was run. Thanks again!

One last question. I may want to relocate the Starlink dish, to a place further away from my house. My understanding is that additional black Starlink cable can be purchased through Starlink ... yet I'm guessing that signal strength would start to decrease after some threshold distance of that black cable, even if the dish picks up a very strong signal from the satellites?
 
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EngChiSTH

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Jun 27, 2018
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Chicago
Success! The black Starlink cable is plugged into the black side of Starlink powerbox, and the blue ethernet cable into the white side of the powerbox. The Starlink router, and it's white cable, is plugged into the wall outlet, where the end of the blue ethernet cable was run. Thanks again!

One last question. I may want to relocate the Starlink dish, to a place further away from my house. My understanding is that additional black Starlink cable can be purchased through Starlink ... yet I'm guessing that signal strength would start to decrease after some threshold distance of that black cable, even if the dish picks up a very strong signal from the satellites?
You may have to ask Starlink on that - typically since these things are digital, it is works or it does not (the whole decrease of signal strength is more for analog pre-digital times). However, physics is (of cause) physics, and there are certain distances these items are rated for specific speeds for - they should be able to easily tell you that.
 
Jul 14, 2017
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A quick google suggests that about 150' (~50 meters) is probably about the limit for a POE cat6 cable. It looks like running anything longer may be problematic given how starlink seems to be doing POE, but I'm sure there will eventually be extenders that are compatible.
 

RJS-NEK

New Member
Apr 8, 2021
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Thanks to all of you for responding to my last question about cable distance and performance. I'll check with Starlink to see what they say.