How To Use Your Own Wi-Fi Router With Starlink

So you’ve got your Starlink satellite internet service up and running. But what if you want to add a different router to your home setup? What if the included Wi-Fi router isn’t delivering the sort of coverage you need?

If you’ve looked at your Starlink router, you’ve no doubt noticed there are no extra connections—there’s a spot to plug in the power cable, and another for the dish connection, and that’s it. It’s a far cry from Wi-Fi routers that might give you as many as eight Ethernet ports for connecting devices like printers and network-attached storage (NAS) drives. If you need a wired connection, the Starlink router will leave you high and dry. You may also be wondering what to do when you want to connect your Starlink system to a router that supports more advanced features, or to a mesh system for whole-house Wi-Fi coverage.

For these problems, you’ll need to turn to the accessories sold through the Starlink shop, which is only available to Starlink customers. In addition to dish mounts and replacement cables, the company store offers accessories for networking your whole home, whether by adding wired devices or extending your Wi-Fi coverage with a compatible third-party router.

To Expand, Start with the Starlink Ethernet Adapter

The first accessory to consider is the Starlink Ethernet Adapter. This $25 accessory connects between the Starlink dish cable and the Wi-Fi router and adds a single wired internet connection, which can be used to connect your Starlink service to other devices.

That makes it the ideal accessory for connecting networked devices such as printers. It also makes it a great option for using a separate router or mesh system with your Starlink internet connection.

Using the Ethernet Adapter and your own router or Wi-Fi mesh system, you can get whole-house coverage and advanced router features for the cost of a few cups of coffee. It’s also simple to set up, thanks to a plug-and-play design. Instead of connecting your dish cable directly to the Starlink router, you plug it into the Ethernet Adapter, which plugs into the router instead.

That’s all there is to it—there are no power cables to plug in or system settings to fiddle with. In seconds, you’ve got an Ethernet port right next to your Starlink router.

There are a couple of caveats, however, when it comes to using your own networking gear. The Starlink router uses an older wireless standard (802.11ac, known as Wi-Fi 5), making it tempting to upgrade by adding a faster Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E router (we’ve listed our top picks below). With expected download speeds topping out at 200Mbps, the extra performance offered by a speedy router won’t actually be available for now, but you might want to future-proof your network just the same.

You may also need to change the network settings in the Starlink app, activating Bypass Mode to use the Starlink connection with a separate router. This step is not needed for basic networked devices such as Ethernet-attached printers or storage devices.

Do You Need a Starlink Mesh Wi-Fi Router?

Adding a third-party router isn’t the only way to extend your Wi-Fi coverage. True, the standard Starlink router may be light on features, with none of the buttons, indicator lights, or settings menus that characterize most modern networking gear.

However, it does have one trick up its sleeve that doesn’t seem to be widely advertised: It’s mesh-capable using the Starlink Mesh Wi-Fi Router ($130per node), and you can add up to three nodes per user account. Each node uses the same Wi-Fi 5 dual-band wireless as the standard router and has an identical-looking design.

By adding an additional node, you can extend your Wi-Fi coverage without running wires or fiddling with powerline Ethernet extenders. The mesh node picks up the Wi-Fi signal from your existing Starlink router and extends it, providing seamless coverage across a broader area.

For the record, in my own testing I’ve had no complaints about the range of my single Starlink router. Even in a large home on an acre of land, I haven’t encountered Wi-Fi dead spots anywhere on my property. Upstairs or down, close to the router or at the far end of the house—or even out in the yard—I enjoy a stable, capable Wi-Fi signal on all of my devices.

That said, there are all sorts of reasons you may still need to add a mesh node or two. While my wood-framed and drywalled home may be free of dead spots, you might not be able to say the same for a home made of brick with lath and plaster walls. Taller dwellings such as a three-story house, or a deep basement surrounded by signal-swallowing dirt and concrete, could also leave you feeling a bit disconnected as Wi-Fi fades out in different places.

The Starlink Mesh Wi-Fi Router also has the necessary connection to connect the Ethernet Adapter to your mesh node, giving you a wired port wherever you need it in the house.

As with adding your own router, you also have the option of connecting your Starlink system to a third-party Wi-Fi mesh system such as one of our top-rated ones listed below. Depending on your needs, any of these products can be a great alternative to Starlink’s own mesh hardware.

Setting Up Starlink Mesh Wi-Fi

If you need an extra Wi-Fi node, the setup is simple, with the technical details handled through the Starlink app. The hardest part is simply finding a good spot to plug it in.

First, place the router in an area with a strong Wi-Fi signal from the base unit, but closer to the problem area where you want stronger Wi-Fi. A good rule of thumb is to head in the direction of a weak spot, whether up a flight of stairs or across an expanse of property, and then plug the node in at the farthest point that a stable signal is available.

While Starlink doesn’t specify the exact range of its mesh nodes, the installation materials do advise that the nodes “work best when they’re no more than one to two rooms apart from each other.”

After you’ve positioned the mesh node, plug it into a power outlet. From there, it’s merely a matter of opening the Starlink app, waiting for the app to recognize the new node, and then following the onscreen instructions to pair the node with your existing Wi-Fi network. If you need to extend your wireless coverage farther, repeat the process with a second or third mesh node.

Still wondering about Starlink? Check out our full Starlink review and detailed guide to setting it up at your home.