Musk Starlink now has a new problem

pianotuna wrote:

n0arp wrote:
Starlink is segmented into geographical service areas, referred to as cells. Each cell has a user limit, as well as other criteria that we aren’t privy to. You have to go into their portal and change your service location, which may be rejected if the cell that contains that service location is full, closed, etc… If you aren’t in or very close to the cell set in their portal, you won’t be able to connect.

So does one set this up over the wobbly wide web? If so that implies one needs to do it before arriving?

Yeah, we plan ahead and will usually set it via our cell phones on the way in. Or at the site, if it has usable cell signal. Sometimes we'll plan a few weeks ahead, and grab a slot somewhere we expect will be busy. We're heading to Quartzsite in a couple weeks, and have already configured SL for that cell to ensure we get a slot.

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
As described, this appears that Starlink beam down it's signal through earth-bound relays where you are actually connected.

In that case, it defeats the purpose because my intent is to have signals anywhere I go on the concept that I'm actually connected directly to Starlink satellites.

My personal hotspot and booster may be better but still watching when Starllink would have enough satellites and bandwidth to enable direct connection for which I heard Musk saying that this is the intent.

During the initial launch, the signal path was from your edge equipment, to a satellite, to a ground station. They are now enabling signal paths between satellites, so you can be farther from a ground station and your signal path will be from your edge equipment, to a satellite, to any number of other satellites, to a ground station. In the end, it sounds like they will drop the requirements to tie your service to a specific cell, to enable "true" mobile usage. For now, the signal paths available in your particular area of the sky denote availability, as well as their capacity planning. More satellites, and more satellites with the satellite to satellite connectivity enabled, will reduce the constraints -- but it's all still in beta and being phased in somewhat slowly.

We've used StarLink multiple times where cell service was nonexistant, even though we have a robust setup for 4G/LTE that usually allows us to find signal where others can't. Again, StarLink is just another tool to have in addition to your 4G/LTE providers. Not a replacement at this time.

As described, this appears that Starlink beam down it's signal through earth-bound relays where you are actually connected.

In that case, it defeats the purpose because my intent is to have signals anywhere I go on the concept that I'm actually connected directly to Starlink satellites.

My personal hotspot and booster may be better but still watching when Starllink would have enough satellites and bandwidth to enable direct connection for which I heard Musk saying that this is the intent.

n0arp wrote:
Starlink is segmented into geographical service areas, referred to as cells. Each cell has a user limit, as well as other criteria that we aren’t privy to. You have to go into their portal and change your service location, which may be rejected if the cell that contains that service location is full, closed, etc… If you aren’t in or very close to the cell set in their portal, you won’t be able to connect.

So does one set this up over the wobbly wide web? If so that implies one needs to do it before arriving?

crasster wrote:
Can you explain what a "open cells" and why it only works at 40% of the campsites just a bit broader? Trying to understand. :)

Starlink is segmented into geographical service areas, referred to as cells. Each cell has a user limit, as well as other criteria that we aren’t privy to. You have to go into their portal and change your service location, which may be rejected if the cell that contains that service location is full, closed, etc… If you aren’t in or very close to the cell set in their portal, you won’t be able to connect.

n0arp wrote:
We have Starlink and travel extensively with it. When we can get into an open cell, it's been great - we haven't had any issues dealing with obstructions, even up in the mountains with lots of trees around. Photo from outside of Estes Park, CO, with the dish outlined by a red star.



The biggest issue is just finding open cells - we can only use it at approximately 40% of our campsites. When it works, we can expect 150+Mbps down, 30+Mbps up, and low latency without any bandwidth caps. I've used it as much as 2TB/mo. We've had it in rain, snow, and heavy thunderstorms and I don't recall any outages. We're paying almost $100/mo whether we can use it or not, but it's just another tool in the arsenal of AT&T, Verizon, etc we carry to make a living (working remotely) out here.

Based on my experience with it, the Verge's issues probably had more to do with their specific cell than obstructions. It is beta, afterall.

Can you explain what a "open cells" and why it only works at 40% of the campsites just a bit broader? Trying to understand. :)

Notice how all this technology (being ‘chipped’ soon to follow…) has become a ‘one way tunnel’ - one can go in, but once in know that you can’t get out…Musk also has raised this future concern…

3 tons

2oldman wrote:

thomasmnile wrote:
Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!! But do they taste like chicken? :B:B

I like dog better.

I wish I can tell you more.


It's in the bun with too much sweet sauce on the former.

And I was totally too drunk on the latter.:B

Boa, that one really taste like chicken. But then it's last meal was chicken.

LittleBill wrote:
How do you know if you are in an open cell? do you just fire it up and test? Tesla doesn't care that the dish is roaming?

You go into the web portal and attempt to set a new service location. It will accept it if it's an open cell, or deny it if not.

n0arp wrote:

ford truck guy wrote:
Quote -
“ we can only use it at approximately 40% of our campsites”
“ We’re paying $100/mo whether we us it or not”

As long as YOU are ok with paying that much for that little service…..

Yep, not an issue. We can only use AT&T part of the time, or Verizon part of the time... and pay for those as well. Don't really see how that is any different. We've spent weeks to months in areas that we couldn't get decent signal with one or the other.

Between all three, and good equipment, we have pretty good Internet anywhere we go. Since I require Internet to keep paychecks coming in... I don't mind spending a fair bit of money on it.

How do you know if you are in an open cell? do you just fire it up and test? Tesla doesn't care that the dish is roaming?

thomasmnile wrote:
Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!! But do they taste like chicken? :B:B

I like dog better.