Starlink Review (2026): Slow Internet? Read This First!

Are you stuck with slow internet and finally thinking about saying yes to Starlink?  Here’s my video and written review.

Get Your $100 Starlink Credit Here

I was in your exact situation three years ago. I was using a MoFi router that worked off cellular towers, but the speed was still pretty poor and constantly buffering. When Starlink became available, I jumped on the opportunity, got up on my roof, and installed it. It has been a complete godsend.

But before you buy, you need to know what the setup actually requires, the extra adapters you might need, and whether it makes financial sense for you. In this review, I’m covering everything a new Starlink owner should be aware of, plus I’ll walk you through a brand new off-grid installation at my pole building in northern Wisconsin where there is zero cell service.

Before we dive in, I want to save you some money right up front.

TROYPOINT DISCOUNT: Use my special promotional link below to automatically get a $100 Account Credit applied to your new Starlink system!

Get Your $100 Starlink Credit Here

Current Starlink Plans & Pricing

Starlink currently offers a few different tiers for residential users. I am only covering the fixed Residential plans here, though they do offer “Roam” plans for camping and traveling.

• Residential 100 (Up to 100 Mbps): $55 per month. (This is the plan I am setting up for the pole building in this review).
• Residential 200 (Up to 200 Mbps): $85 per month. Includes free professional home installation.
• Residential Max (Up to 400 Mbps): $130 per month. Includes free professional home installation and a Starlink Mini kit for on-the-go internet. (This is what I currently use for my main home setup).

If you choose the $55/month Residential 100 plan, professional installation is not included for free, but you can add it at checkout for $99. Honestly, I don’t consider myself a handyman whatsoever, and I had absolutely no problem doing the installation myself.

When you go to the Starlink website, you simply plug your address into the box to see if service is available in your area and get a full breakdown of the upfront hardware costs. (Remember, they offer a no-risk 30-day money-back guarantee, so all you have to lose is the time you put into the project).

Hardware Setup & Mounting

Planning where you want to place the unit is the most important part of this process. I strongly suggest installing it somewhere on your roof so you get the best possible reception by pointing it at a clear sky.

For my home setup, the Starlink router is positioned at the bottom of the stand, and the included 50-foot cord runs outside directly to the Starlink on my roof.

For my new off-grid pole building installation, I am using the new Gen 4 Starlink kit. My Starlink came with a kickstand that I needed to remove to connect my mounting hardware.

1. I pulled up on the plastic tab and removed the stand.
2. I inserted a separate pipe adapter (purchased from Starlink’s accessory shop) into the same slot.
3. I climbed the ladder and attached the dish to a pipe component that was already present on the side of the building.

Note: If you purchase the pipe adapter, you are only getting the part that connects to the Starlink. You must provide your own pipe and mounting hardware for the building itself.

Using Your Own Router (Bypass Mode)

The kit comes with a capable Starlink router. If you are going to use the included router, I highly suggest going into the router settings and splitting the connection so you can take advantage of both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands separately. Typically, you get faster speeds with 5 GHz, while 2.4 GHz pushes through walls better and covers a larger area.

However, I prefer using a full-featured router. I put my Starlink into Bypass Mode, which completely shuts off the Starlink Wi-Fi and hands off everything to my attached Asus router running Asuswrt-Merlin firmware. This gives me total control over my network.

The Starlink App Experience

The Starlink mobile app is incredibly well-designed and walks you through the entire setup process with clear diagrams. It instantly found my system and even offered a video tutorial for my specific mounting adapter.

Here are the best features inside the app:

• Obstructions Tool: Gives you a 3D map of how well your Starlink is performing and whether repositioning it will help avoid trees or rooflines.
• Subscriptions: This tab allows you to change your plan or pause your current service. This is huge for me. Because my pole building won’t be used as much in the winter, I can just pause the service and save money until spring!
• Settings: Offers options for adjusting the Snow Melt feature, setting a sleep schedule to save power, and managing software updates.
• Speed Test: A built-in tool to check your exact download and upload speeds.

Real-World Speeds & Performance

Starlink adds a disclaimer that speeds will be slower during times of congestion. When I first got the system three years ago, I noticed diminished download speeds between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Lately, I haven’t noticed this nearly as much—likely because SpaceX is constantly launching new satellites. Even during peak hours, it was never so bad that I couldn’t stream or download.

My Home Setup (Residential Max): The max speed for this plan is 400 Mbps. I consistently pull above 250 Mbps, hovering right around 300 Mbps on average.

My Pole Building Setup (Residential 100): After finishing the install in the middle of the woods with zero cell service, I fired up the speed test. I was extremely happy to see I was getting the max download speed for my plan: 100 Mbps.

While the upload speeds are generally lacking across all plans (usually 10-20 Mbps), this isn’t a problem for most users unless you are constantly uploading massive video files to the internet.

TROYPOINT Tip: You might think you need blazing-fast Gigabit internet for 4K streaming, but you actually only need about 15 to 25 Mbps. Paying for more speed won’t change your streaming experience. Think of it like buying a car that can do 130 mph, you will never use that speed.

Get Your $100 Starlink Credit Here