Sigh - Starlink Mod - but alas - No Starlink

[JeffRadford]

What’s up y’all - had the AS of Austin shop do a mod to run a Starlink port from outside the coach at the cable port.

After doing so - it looks like I’m not getting juice to the dish? The router wasn’t powering up at first, but after I unplugged the Starlink to CAT6 cable - router would power.

Plugged in router to CAT6 & CAT6 to dish - but nothing.

You’d think AS would know how to do this right, but I’m assuming there may be some limitation in the power over Ethernet.

Anyone have any thoughts? 😒

-J

[TitusNW]

Which version of the Starlink? v3 uses standard RJ45 568B wiring, v2 does not
Steve

[uncle_bob]

Hi

None of this stuff is "normal" for a dealer. It's a good bet that yours is the first one they have done ....

As noted above, we sorta kinda need to know *which* Starlink you have ....

Bob

[JeffRadford]

Starlink V2.

[JeffRadford]

They said that they’d done them. Guess I shouldn’t have been so trust worthy.

[JimMartin]

Are you using the Starlink router or something else (like a PepLink)?

The reason I ask is because the StarLink dish gets it's power from the StarLink router. If you are using something other than the Starlink provided router, you would need a PoE injector to provide power to the dish.

If you are able to access both ends of the ethernet cable, you might want to get a cable tester and make sure the cable itself is good. You can pick one up from Amazon for about $10: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M63EMBQ/ If the cable checks out, then it's probably a PoE issue.

Have you confirmed that the dish works (plugged it into the provided StarLink router and make sure it fires up and connects?

Jim

[Silver Shell]

can you test the rj45 connector and rule out any problems with that wiring? The v2 is just a standard cat5e with weird connectors but as long as your pairings are maintained through the connector, it should be fine. Maybe make sure it maintains the shielding in case there’s a ground going through there.

[3OnOurWay]

Originally Posted by Silver Shell

can you test the rj45 connector and rule out any problems with that wiring? The v2 is just a standard cat5e with weird connectors but as long as your pairings are maintained through the connector, it should be fine. Maybe make sure it maintains the shielding in case there’s a ground going through there.

Agreed I would check RJ 45 terminations /connections. I wired our house for hard line to stream devices and made errors just because of small mistakes I had 80% success rate on punch down cat5/6 wiring

[JeffRadford]

Originally Posted by 3OnOurWay

Agreed I would check RJ 45 terminations /connections. I wired our house for hard line to stream devices and made errors just because of small mistakes I had 80% success rate on punch down cat5/6 wiring

Don’t 100% follow - BUT - ordered the Ethernet tester that Jim recommended. Also - no additional Peplink:Routers injected into the flow. Literally dish with Starlink jack to an RJ45 into the Cat6 jack. Then inside a Cat6 RJ45 jack to the normal Starlink Router and Starlink jack.

Not sure what Airstream did with my original cable - but ordered an original replacement to test as one would without RJ45 jacks direct from dish to router - no Airstream routing to see if that works.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Ok, with a V2 and running it with all the "stock" hardware, the number of variables goes down a bit.

First up, just as you suggest, I'd test the hardware with each of the cables that you "now have". It could be something really stupid like a brand new cable that's defective. Set it all up out in the driveway and try each of them between the router and the antenna.

If you no longer have the "real" Starlink cable with the fancy gaskets on it, you very much want one. You will need to butcher it to plug into the side of the van. You want that water tight end going into the antenna.

Another quick check might be to simply pop off the orange plug gizmo and take a look behind it. The problem could be something pretty basic (crushed wire / loose wire). I've never played with one of the van side orange gizmos. No idea how hard or easy they are to get on and off.

Fun !!

Bob

[c3man]

Picture shows the Starlink router

[Starlight Mike]

I wanted to hard wire router inside but got too complicated and those cables are very sensitive.
I just put router under the Airstream and it is out of weather and works great

[JimMussulman]

The ethernet cables are shielded (if you look at either end of the cables that connect the router to the dish you will see silver metal on either end. I cannot tell from your photo of the connector in the newly installed port in the side of the trailer or the other one in the third picture, but I'll bet they did not use shielded connectors in either one. That "MAY" be the cause of no power to the dish, at least that is my guess. I installed the same port in mine but replaced the connector with a shielded one and will be testing it out at a rally next weekend. Stay tuned.

[JeffRadford]

Thanks, Jim. Received the OEM cable, and pulled the AS out of the equation. Amazing, everything works as expected. (Sigh.)

Guess I'll be working with AS of ATX to get it right when I'm back, months from now. Cadillac problems.

[JeffKim]

I didn't read anyone explicitly state (or missed it), but the V2 requires the ethernet wires twizzled going from the plug. If they wired it with standard ethernet cable from the plugin to your router Cat 5 plug then it won't work. It will work with V3, did they know you have a V2?

I don't know how it connects into the Smart plug, but if you google it's easy to find what this pattern should be and can compare how it's been wired.

[jagpanzer]

I just added the SmartPlug to my 2023 Flying Cloud 27'. I have the v2 Starlink, but you can use off-the-shelf CAT6 cabling if you purchase a kit like this.

That kit does the wire crossing you need and it will still carry the POE signal properly. I have about 65' of CAT6 from the dish to the Starlink router and no issues that I've seen. I was able to fish the CAT6 from the SmartPlug over to my desk (I have that option in the trailer) where there happened to be a blank wall plate for some reason. Using the same keystone ethernet CAT6 connector that you snap into the SmartPlug, I was able to have an outlet on the wall to plug the router into.

While I'm handy with making ethernet cables, I bought pre-made CAT6 cables along with the keystone ethernet CAT6 female to female couplers off of Amazon. Had to go through eTrailer for the SmartPlug.

Since you had the dealer do it, you definitely have to take it back to them. But wanted to put this out there for anyone else trying a DIY solution.

[NeahBay]

Originally Posted by JeffRadford

Thanks, Jim. Received the OEM cable, and pulled the AS out of the equation. Amazing, everything works as expected. (Sigh.)

Guess I'll be working with AS of ATX to get it right when I'm back, months from now. Cadillac problems.

I did my own Starlink (V2) installation and documented the process, if you're interested. Shielded RJ45 connectors are required, wired according to the T568B configuration.

Since your system works with the new Starlink cable, the problem has to be with the modified cable and/or RJ45. Test from the outside SmartPlug to the inside port to see how that tests. You can pull the SmartPlug (4 screws) and test the RJ45 that plugs into the backside to the other end inside the trailer.

I hope my info helps.
Bob

[waninae39]

not all rj45 cable wire all 8 wires
for ethernet , only 4 wires are needed

the other 4 wires were used to supply power when the std was updated