WiFi Ranger new firmware now support Starlink

[mike625]

For DocJ

Loaded the new firmware "Aspen" for Starlink support which now allows the starlink connection on any of the lan ports.

Would like of like to test load balancing for Starlink and my T-Mobile Home internet "normally they are about the same download speed". You have any best practices or thing we should be aware of ???

Both will be hardwired to the Aspen.

[docj]

At the moment I am using the new WiFiRanger firmware (7.1.0b13) in a Load Balance configuration with my Starlink and a Verizon hotspot. The Starlink is connected via Ethernet with the hotspot connected via 5 GHz WiFi. I could have connected the hotspot via USB, but I haven't gotten around to it. My Aspen has been online for 14 days without a reboot.

I have the "older" round Starlink, so I was able to completely remove the Starlink router with the Aspen being plugged directly into the power brick. If I had the rectangular dish I would have put the Starlink router into "bypass mode."

So far, the Load Balance has been entirely stable even though my Starlink continues to have numerous <2 second outages and about half a dozen >2 second ones.

There aren't any special "tips" needed to make this work as I have described. Just plug it in! Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

[lemodrop9344]

Originally Posted by docj

At the moment I am using the new WiFiRanger firmware (7.1.0b13) in a Load Balance configuration with my Starlink and a Verizon hotspot. The Starlink is connected via Ethernet with the hotspot connected via 5 GHz WiFi. I could have connected the hotspot via USB, but I haven't gotten around to it. My Aspen has been online for 14 days without a reboot.

I have the "older" round Starlink, so I was able to completely remove the Starlink router with the Aspen being plugged directly into the power brick. If I had the rectangular dish I would have put the Starlink router into "bypass mode."

So far, the Load Balance has been entirely stable even though my Starlink continues to have numerous <2 second outages and about half a dozen >2 second ones.

There aren't any special "tips" needed to make this work as I have described. Just plug it in! Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Docj,
I too am messing around with 'load balancing', granted with different equipment. Want to pick you brain & results you've attained while playing with 'laod balancing' with your setup.

I am using the 2nd gen DISHY & have found it broadcasts both 2.4 Ghz signals as well as 5 Ghz signals. RV park WiFi does the same.
Instead of hard wiring the Starlink into my RV lan, I use a combination of one 2.4 Ghz & one 5 Ghz signa concurrently as WiFi as WAN. My device does some signal aggregation & has performed well when using a variety voice/video applications.
Some questions:

Does the Gen 1 DISHY broadcast on both WiFi bands?


Does the equipment you use have the capability to receive/xmit both WiFi bands concurrently?

While using my current configuration (one 2.4 Ghz WiFi & one 5 Ghz WiFi connection) as WiFi as WAN, I have consistently attained download speeds in the neighborhood of 200 Mbps. Upload speeds vary from around 10 Mbps to sometimes in excess of 40 Mbps.
Granted, a speed test is not an 'end all, be all' indicator of how well something is performing. I more concerned about observed reliability & day to day performance.
Any thoughts/observations/comments would be appreciated.

[mike625]

Originally Posted by docj

There aren't any special "tips" needed to make this work as I have described. Just plug it in! Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Can the Aspen load balance 3 ethernet connections? One as starlink, The WAN port and would like to have another on one of the other LAN ports.

[docj]

Originally Posted by lemodrop9344

Docj,

Does the Gen 1 DISHY broadcast on both WiFi bands?


Does the equipment you use have the capability to receive/xmit both WiFi bands concurrently?

While using my current configuration (one 2.4 Ghz WiFi & one 5 Ghz WiFi connection) as WiFi as WAN, I have consistently attained download speeds in the neighborhood of 200 Mbps. Upload speeds vary from around 10 Mbps to sometimes in excess of 40 Mbps.
Granted, a speed test is not an 'end all, be all' indicator of how well something is performing. I more concerned about observed reliability & day to day performance.
Any thoughts/observations/comments would be appreciated.

To answer your questions--

My Gen1 (round) dishy can broadcast both 2.4 and 5.8 GHz bands simultaneously. The default setting is for them to both use the same SSDI but I had separated mine (before I got rid of the router entirely).

Starlink download speeds vary literally on a moment by moment basis as the satellites move over the earth. There is no question but that SL download speeds have dropped over the past couple of months, and you are probably aware that the recently released new TOS and other stuff shows the maximum speed for residential priority service is now ~100 Mbps.

Personally, I am using Load Balancing not to improve download speed but as a way of eliminating the effects of the numerous brief SL outages that I experience every day. I don't do all that much real-time video so I can't be sure that the load balancing is doing what I want, but nether have I seen any buffering lately.

My measured SL speeds have consistently been in the ~30-100 Mbps range which is fast enough for anything I want to use it for. Therefore, I haven't invested much effort in trying to increase the speed beyond that.

[docj]

Originally Posted by mike625

Can the Aspen load balance 3 ethernet connections? One as starlink, The WAN port and would like to have another on one of the other LAN ports.

Yes, the Aspen can easily load balance three inputs. Although I did it quite some time ago, I think I had as many as five connections during one test that I ran. (Two WiFi, one Ethernet and two USB)

The USB port can handle up to three tethered devices through the addition of a powered USB hub.