***Update*** New Starlink 12v Conversion Kit Available, no cutting of the cables required!
NEW STARLINK 12 VOLT CONVERSION KIT!!!
I’ve been using this kit for the past few months now and so far it has been great. Makes for a very clean and easy 12 volt conversion that does not require cutting of the stock Starlink cables. You’ll also need a power supply along with this kit.
Part 1 – Cable Adapter
Part 2 – POE Injector
Part 3 – Power Supply
Starlink satellite internet has been a game changer for us. Allowing us to venture further off grid while still having internet to work remotely, perfect for our nomadic travels.
The only hassle has been the fact that the Starlink Power Supply is only powered by 120 volt AC. Well that has now changed!
Here’s how we converted our Starlink Satellite Internet to 12 volts DC. And yes this works for 24 volt and 48 volt systems as well.
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How Does Starlink Work
This guide is based on the V.2 square Starlink system. I’m not familiar with other versions so I can’t say if this would work for different versions.
Unfortunately at this time there is no Starlink 12v adapter. In order to make a Starlink DC power adapter let’s first get a basic understanding of the Starlink components. There are two parts to the Starlink system.
Part 1 – Starlink Satellite Dish
The satellite dish is what houses the actual modem and provides all of the ‘Starlink’ functionality including the Starlink app functions.
The dish connects to the Starlink router/power supply(part 2) by way of a shielded Cat5 ethernet cable. A proper Starlink install of the dish is vital for optimal internet speeds.
Part 2 – Starlink Power Supply and WiFi Router
The Starlink Power Supply and router does two things. First it broadcasts the internet WiFi signal. And second it takes in 120 volt AC power and converts the voltage down to 48-56 volts.
This 48-56 volts of power is then fed into the ethernet cable by the Starlink power supply which is how part 1, the dish, gets its power.
Stock Starlink Power Supply Specs:
Starlink rv power requirements:
- Starlink runs off of 100-240V, 50-60Hz, and consumes around 50-70 watts on average.
- Starlink RV power requirements are the same as residential
- The high performance dish uses about twice the energy.
How Does The Starlink Dish Get Its Power
Since the dish itself does not have a dedicated power cord, the power for the dish is provided by way of the main cable.
This is termed POE or power over ethernet. When you look at the Starlink system it’s not obvious that the cables are just Cat5 ethernet since Starlink uses its own proprietary connections.
Because the system needs POE to power the dish it’s not as simple as just cutting the cable and attaching a a standard router since they are not designed to provide POE power.
In order to power Starlink on DC power we will need to remove the Starlink power supply and router from the system.
The Starlink power supply and router will be replaced by three components,
- Standard WiFi router
- POE injector
- DC power supply
Goals For This Project
Click below for a video going over the steps of converting your Starlink Satellite Internet to 12 volts.
Benefits of Starlink 12 Volt Conversion
In addition to the obvious benefit of powering from a DC source there are several other perks to the Starlink 12v conversion.
The big one for us was shortening the lengthy 75 foot cable that connects to the dish. For residential applications this isn’t a problem but for Vanlife and Overlanding all that extra length is a lot to deal with.
We find that we typically mount our Starlink dish to the roof of our overland truck which needs only 5-10 feet of cable.
By cutting the Starlink cable and replacing the connections with network RJ45 connectors we can choose whatever length we need.
The remainder of the cable can also still be used and simply added into the system should you want the Satellite dish a littler further away from your RV or camper.
Another benefit to converting the Starlink connectors to RJ45 fittings is that there are some nice wall pass through connectors that can be wired into the side of your camper box.
These provide a clean water-tight connection for the Starlink cable.
Beginners Guide To Campervan Electrical Systems – A great place to learn or refresh on the basics of campervan electrical systems. We go over Watts and Amps, 12v Vs. 24v systems, charging sources, and the difference between standard batteries and Lithium.
Building Starlink 12v Power Supply
In order to build a Starlink internet system that will run off 12 volt, 24 volt, or 48 volt DC power you will need the following 3 components.
Head to our Amazon Store for a complete list of everything needed(Click HERE)
1. Power Over Ethernet(POE) Injector
This device is what connects inline with the ethernet cable to provide the power that the dish needs to operate. This combined with the DC to DC converter is what makes the Starlink 12v power supply.
Now this device doesn’t actually provide the power as it is just the mechanism that provides a way to introduce power.
Starlink POE Injector
5-58 volt DC 130 watt POE Injector. This is the POE that we have been using with good luck. It’s affordable, small, and so far has held up well.
2. DC to DC Converter Power Supply
To provide the needed power to the POE injector we need a source of at least 48 volts to power the Starlink.
These DC to DC converters are available in various configurations for either 12 volt or 24 volt systems but must be capable of the Starlink wattage of at least 130 watts at 48 to 56 volts.
With the DC power supply connected to the POE, the ethernet cable can now be powered with the 48-56 volts needed for the Starlink dish.
Starlink Power Supply 12v
12 to 48 volt 130 watt DC to DC Starlink voltage step up converter. This is the unit we’re using now. We originally had a 48 volt version that eventually died on us. We now keep a spare just in case.
3. DC Powered Router
The final component needed for this conversion is a DC powered router. This is an easy one as almost all routers are powered by 12 volt even if they have an 120 volt AC plug.
The router that we will be using is a router that also has an internal cellular modem which takes a dedicated SIM card for cellular data connections.
This single router now can provide internet by way of cellular SIM card or Starlink. In addition some routers can even load share or load balance. This is where the data is split between the different sources of internet which can increase upload and download speeds.
Here’s the router we are using which I highly recommend. They also have a similar version that lets you use two different cellular SIM cards at once.
MoFi Router Cellular Modem
We needed the option to have a cellular connection in addition to the Starlink. This modem has an internal cellular SIM card along with numerous feature improvements including better WiFi range.
Now keep in mind the most basic of routers will work here. You certainly don’t need one as feature rich as the model above. This $30 model below would work just fine.
Basic WiFi Router
This modem is a great and affordable option for those that don’t need a cellular modem. This modem can be powered by 12 volt. Just simply cut the AC power cable AFTER the voltage reducer and connect to 12 volts.
So these are the three pieces of hardware needed to make the Starlink run on DC power and replace the router. If you already have a 48 volt system you would not need the DC to DC converter mentioned above.
Best Off-Grid Air Conditioner For Camper Vans – We took an in-depth look to find the best air conditioner that we could run off-grid in our Overland truck. What we found might surprise you and so far we are loving it.
Starlink Satellite DC Conversion Overview
Here’s a diagram outlining the general setup of the DC conversion. This design is what we used because we wanted to shorten the main cable length.
There is another way of doing a 12 volt conversion that doesn’t require cutting the main cable so that you could always return the system to stock down the road.
This might be useful in the future if you wanted to sell the system. I’ll go over that option next.
The system is fairly strait-forward but let’s run through each part one more time.
From the dish you will cut off the proprietary Starlink connector and replace that with a standard RJ45 connector but wired in a unique way that we will refer to as the ‘swapped’ wiring.
That swapped connector from dish is then plugged into the powered port of the POE injector. The DC power source which provides 48-56 volts and at least 130 watts of power is also wired into the POE device.
On the other end of the POE device is another swapped network connector. This cable is what goes from the POE device to your standard router.
On the router end of that cable you will have a standard T568B wired connector that connects to the router. With this configuration you can now plug your DC powered Starlink into ANY router.
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Starlink DC Conversion Using Ethernet Adapter
Here’s the other option I talked about above that doesn’t require the cutting of the main Starlink dish cable.
For this setup you will need to purchase the Starlink ethernet adapter and replace the proprietary connector on that adapter with a swapped ethernet connector described above. The ethernet adapter has an RJ45 port which you won’t actually use.
***When you cut off the the proprietary connector you’ll see two sets of paired wires. Ignore the smaller wires and just use the larger gauge wire set***
Once you replace the Starlink connection on the ethernet adapter with the swapped connector you just simply plug the Starlink connector from the dish to the ethernet adapter.
The swapped connector on the ethernet adapter then just plugs into the POE injector and the rest of the setup is the same.
Check out our favorite Starlink mounting options and accessories…including flat mounts – Best Starlink Accessories
Wiring The Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connections
Ethernet cables are composed of 4 pairs of wire. There’s an orange and white pair, green and white, blue and white and brown and white pair.
I should mention that Starlink uses a shielded Cat5e cable which means there’s an additional layer sheathing as well as a bare wire that helps reduce interference. The shielded wires require a shielded RJ45 connector which has metal on it to maintain the shielding.
Standard RJ45 Connector Wiring – T568B
There are a couple standards for the wiring order of ethernet cables but the one that we will be using is T568B.
This is the wire order that will be used on the cable end that plugs into the router. That same cable will have the swapped or different wiring order on the end that plugs into the POE injector.
Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connector Wiring
Next we have the swapped wire order that is needed to provide a path for the power from the POE to the dish. These connections will be used on both sides of the POE injector and if used, the pigtail on the Starlink ethernet adapter.
Now that you have an idea of the different wire orders let’s have a look at which side of the RJ45 connector is the number 1 spot vs number 8 spot.
If you’re holding the connector with the metal contacts pointing away from you and facing up then number 1 is on the left and number 8 will be on the right.
Required Tools
Here are the necessary tools to make the conversion. These are all less expensive versions of these tools but we’ve found they are holding up just fine.
RJ45 Crimper With Shielded Connectors
This crimper tool has been working great for us and includes plenty of shielded connectors to do the conversion.
Wire Cutters
A good pair of wire cutters are essential. You’ll need a really clean cut to get the wires to pass through the RJ45 connector. Don’t think you can get by with a pair of scissors or a pocket knife.
RJ45 Couplers
This is what we are using to add in the additional length of cable that we cut out. We plan to flat mount our dish on our camper roof but at times might want to extend it away from camper if needed. These privide a good watertight connection.
Network Cable Tester
We do not have one of these but I think it would be really nice to have to make sure that the RJ45 connectors are crimped and working properly. For only $10 it’s probably worth it.
If you haven’t checked out the YouTube on this DIY conversion now would be a good time to give it a look.
Here you can see the actual process of ordering and sorting the wires along with crimping of the RJ45 connectors. You can also get a good view of the finished system and how everything goes together.
Starlink DC Conversion Step by Step YouTube
Starlink Power Consumption
The amount of power that Starlink uses has been more variable than I would have thought. On average I’m seeing about 50-70 watts or 4-6 amps at 12 volts.
The Starlink power consumption would of course go way up in freezing temps with the snowmelt function activated.
With snowmelt active and running I was seeing about 130 watts or 11 amps at 12 volts.
The other thing to consider for those of us using Starlink in an RV is the power saved by not having the inverter running. Just having an inverter on uses power in addition to 5% lost in the conversion from AC power to DC.
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Starlink 12 volt DC Conversion Long Term Review
We’ve been running the Starlink on DC power, 24 volts, for a couple years now. Overall it has been working great. We even keep our dish permanently flat mounted on our roof and haven’t noticed any speed degradation.
While the system has worked well we have had some components that have needed replacing.
We have yet to find a good pass through connector that we like for these RJ45 connections. We have tried several but they all eventually let water in which shorted out the system.
This would typically fry the POE injector which we have had to replace. Fortunately they are rather affordable so we now just keep an extra on hand. The power supply has so far held up but we did purchase an extra to have on hand just in case.
I’ll keep you updated on how our Starlink DC power supply is holding up. Hope you found this article helpful and drop a comment if you have any questions.
Does The Starlink App Still Work With a 12 Volt Conversion?
Yes, the app still works since the Starlink dish and not the router control the app functionality
How Much Does Starlink Cost?
Starlink costs $110 a month plus a one time purchase of $599 for the equipment
What is Starlink for RVs?
Starlink for RV allows you to pause and un-pause your Starlink service on a monthly basis. This option brings your monthly rate to $135 but you only pay for it when you need it.
How much power does Starlink use?
The amount of power Starlink uses can vary, but generally between 50-70 watts of power per hour. It can get as high as 150 watts if the snowmelt function is on.
How many amps does Starlink use?
At 12 volts DC Starlink on average uses between 3-6 amps per hour. It can get as high as 12 amps per hour if the snowmelt function is on.
How is Starlink powered?
Starlink comes powered by a 120 volt AC power. This can be modified to run off 12-48 volt DC power.
How many watts does Starlink use?
Starlink on average uses between 50-70 watts of power. It can go as high as 150 watts if the snowmelt function is enabled and active.
Is there a Starlink car adapter?
Starlink is designed to run on 120v or 220v power. The easiest way to power from car would be to use an inverter rated for at least 200 watts.
How many amps does Starlink draw?
Starlink uses up to about 2 amps on 120 volts or 150 watts.
How To Power Starlink Off Grid?
There are a two options for powering Starlink Off Grid.
Option 1: Use an inverter and just simply plug in the existing Starlink system into the 120v inverter(Least efficient).
Option 2: Eliminate the 120v system and power directly by way of 48v system(More efficient)
What Size Inverter For Starlink?
Starlink can draw up to 150 watts so in general it’s a good idea to double the size of inverter. So a 300 watt inverter would be enough to power the Starlink.
Hello! My name is August, and I’m a devoted traveler and travel blogger living full-time on the road. I made the decision to leave my 9-to-5 job and pursue a nomadic lifestyle, and it’s been an incredible journey. My passion for experiencing new cultures is what drives me, and I aim to motivate others to embark on their own adventures through my stories, photos, and advice. When I’m not discovering the wonders of the world, I indulge in skiing, mountain biking, and savoring the unique flavors of different places.
Can i use this PoE https://www.telcoantennas.com.au/mikrotik-gigabit-poe-adapter
Max current on that looks to be only 2amps, that is a little low in my opinion. Might be fine.
I have a 400w inverter connected to my 12v house battery. Plugging starlink into that seems like a simple solution?
That would work just fine. Starlink runs well on most inverters. You’ll burn a little extra battery power but not a huge deal for most folks.
I already have a battery power box that uses EGO 56 volt batteries – and then (with “inverters” I have installed) delivers 12 volts, 24 volts, and the straight output of 56 volts. It looks like your suggested PoE will accept this 56 volts – and simply pass that through to the Starlink antenna – do you think that 56 volts to the Starlink would be acceptable? I could not find a 56 to 48-volt inverter.
I am thinking that it would probably be OK. I use these same 56 volt batteries to run a rather sophisticated telescope mount that requires 48volts – and that all seems to work just fine.
By the way – EXCELLENT article on the Starlink conversion to DC!!!
And I may have my “inverter” and “converter” terminology wrong. I did just find this unit: https://www.dwe-oss.eu/product/dc-dc-converter-48v-to-48v-375a/
Which might just be the ticket – just to be safe.
That definitely wouldn’t hurt but I would do a little more research and I think you’ll find that 56-58 volts is just fine and likely better than 48 volts.
I think the 56 volt will be fine and many people mention that 56-58 volts is actually ideal and closer to what the original Starlink router delivered. The facebook group Starlink Hacks has some great information on this topic. Sounds like a great setup you have.
Thanks again August – that is what I suspected. Similar to most things that say they want 12 volts – running 13.5 to 14 is just fine, if not better.
I even called the manufacturer for that MoFi router and they said anything between 11-15 volts is fine.
Hello all.
I am following the instructions of this article using the adapter instead of the main cable.
In your video i see 4 pairs.
However, after i stripped mine adapter i see 8 pairs. 4 pairs are thicker than the other 4.
So i am a bit puzzled.
My question is, what pairs do i need to use to follow the instructions.
The idea is to leave the main cable as it is and connect the cable via the adapter to the poe input.
What is the best solution in this case?
To bad i cannot add any pictures to clarify.
Thanks for any input.
Hi Bob, Just ignore the pairs of smaller gauge wires. You can just cut them off. The thicker wires are what you want to use.
Great video – thank you!! One thing that puzzles me – it makes perfect sense that if you are injecting 48 volts into the PoE, then that 48 volts will go out to the Starlink antenna – however, will the PoE also put out 48 volts to the Router. Is that OK? Does the Router need its own (typically) 12 volt power supply – or is the PoE giving it the voltage it needs with the ethernet cable plugged into the Internet port of the Router?
My understanding is that the POE only injects the power to one leg of the network cable. So the cable going to the dish will be powered but the network cable going to router is not powered. The router does need it’s own 12 volt power supply and most routers are designed for 12 volt DC power.
August – EXCELLENT – the separate 12 volt to the Router makes perfect sense – no problem – and that is what I suspected. You may wish to add that little tidbit to the article and diagram that you have so thoughtfully put together already. It is so thorough that one tends to just stop thinking about how to do it – and simply follow your directions exactly – wire by wire by wire – but you do not show that 12-volt wire to the Router – and the PoE thing sort of confuses it.
Thanks Bob that’s good advice. I can definitely make that a little more clear.
Thank you for article (and the video), very helpful
I still don’t own the system so pardon with my possibly ignorant questions:
1. Where the starlink app connects to? Is the control software running on the starlink dish or the starlink router?
2. When going the “starlink ethernet adapter” route. Do you think it will work if we use the ethernet port of the “starlink ethernet adapter” to connect the 3rd party router instead of the thernet port on the “POE injector” (use POE injector only to inject power)? Seems like it would require disabling starlink router in starlink app as shown in https://youtu.be/4zHlgJhgyfg?t=377
Thanks.
Hi,
1. The starlink app connects to the dish by way of ANY router. All the functionality of the app is retained as that is not dependent on the router.
2. It’s my understanding that the ethernet port on the ethernet adapter does not provide the needed POE power for the dish. Where would you power the dish with POE power?
Hi there, I cut the plug of the Ethernet adapter and it has 2 sets of pairs? One is thicker than the other set. Do I use the thicker set of pairs?
Dan,
I’m not sure, I have not cut one of those open yet but I know a lot of people have. The Starlink Hacks group on Facebook has some good info on these conversions. I’ll see if I can dig anything up.
Dan, I just ran into the same thing and I simply cut and ignored the smaller set of wires. Having done so, the dish seems to work as it should.
Fully set up and didn’t even realize it!! August – I finally got the required Starlink Ethernet Adapter and RJ45 shielded connectors and wired everything up – just like you show. Works awesome!! Of note 1) the 56 volts that I am dumping in from the EGO batteries seem to be just fine 2) the tp-link router you recommended works great, and 3) I am confused with where/how/if to set up the tp-link router. Should I use the Starlink app on my phone? Apparently, you don’t need to do anything. Having said that, the “Network” and “Statistics” tabs are now grayed out – and I am missing some functionality of the app – like “Stow” and “Heat”. Did I miss something? Should I have gone in and used the “Bypass” mode? Any thoughts appreciated.
You’ll set up your router just as you would with a traditional internet connection. Simply plug in your starlink to the router and follow the router setup instructions to create your wifi network name and password. Then connect your phone to the new router wifi and open the starlink app. The app should be working now. Are the other parts of the app like speed test working? I’ve never had network or stats grey out.
August. What amp size do you recommend for the 12v to 48v converter? 5 amps? Thanks. Steve
Steve, you’ll want to go with at least 150 watts. I’m currently using a 200 watt version. I would look at the watts and not amps since amps will change with voltage. Some of the listings show the amps on the 12v side and some show the amps on the 48v side which can be confusing. But the output should be around 4 amps at 48v which gives you about 200 watts.
Great article and instructions but has anyone measured the total wattage after the conversion to 12 volts with the router.
Thanks. I unfortunately don’t have a way to get the watts of just the 12 volt system as I have additional components on that circuit. Maybe someone else can chime in. I think the power saving will primarily come from not having to run the inverter for the Starlink system.
Hi August, thanks for making this information available for everyone.
Is it that much more efficient to run Starlink over direct DC vs using an Inverter from your DC system to run the standard Starlink router? A good quality inverter has about 10% power loss.
Are we only saving ~10% by switching Starlink to a DC power supply or are there other losses I am not considering?
For my inverter just to have it switched on runs me about 1 amp per hour and then you have the 10% loss on top of that. So when I don’t need my inverter on this can save a lot of energy. I also wanted to ditch the stock Starlink router in favor of a better one. So I think the biggest savings is in the ability to turn your inverter off. If you always have your inverter on then the savings is probably negligible. Hope that helps.
How are you powering your router? Using the wall wart and a/c power or did you modify the router to run directly off of d/c?
I just fried an old router I had laying around attempting to run it off my battery directly. The plug says 12v 1.5a output but it started smoking when running it directly off 12v. Thanks!
The router is designed for 12v so I just cut off the ac plug as well as the inline 110 to 12v converter box and then wired that to a fused 12v source.
Hi, I just wanted to thank you for this write-up! I was successful in getting a new router running on 12v with my whole system now running off 12v as well. Well done! Super happy. Thanks so much.
That’s great Josh I’m glad this helped. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi, so it worked great for 3 or 4 days but now when I connect it says no internet connection.
The Starlink app says online with a spinning icon that never turns green and after 30 seconds or so the online notice goes away and it says to connect to Starlink Wi-Fi.
Any idea why this may be happening?
I’ve rebooted my router and reconnected all my Ethernet connectors. The light on the POE is on and everything seems fine otherwise.
Have you tried restarting the starlink app? I would start there first. Otherwise it sounds like a poor connection somewhere.
Yeah, I’ve tried everything. I’m going to mess with it more today and if no luck, I will revert back to the original router and see if it connects to rule out the dish.
Hello again,
I have a doubt (an other yes :P)
I use the following poe injector:
http://www.yulinca.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=378
As i read on amazon that someone used it with success on a dishy v1 (more power, so v2 should be fine).
However, i am a bit in a strugle with the crimping.
You said in the video that your poe injector has a different cable wire. Is this due to the poe converter or is it due to the starlink dishy v2?
if its for the poe converter, then the standard poe wire shoud be fine (568b). if not, then i need to use your wire diagram, independently of the poe injector that we use?
thank you
90 watt is a little low but worth a try I suppose. Have you also watched my Youtube video? That might help.
The different wire order or “swapped” as I will refer them as is due to the Starlink system so that it matches what Starlink wants.
So on the diagrams in this post whenever you see the “swapped” RJ45 connector, that is a different wire order than the standard 568b wire order.
So both RJ45 connectors that plug into the POE will be a “swapped” wire order.
Now the wire going from POE to your router will have a “swapped” end plugging into the POE but a NORMAL end(568b) that plugs into router.
The wire going from POE to your v2 dish will be a “swapped” RJ45 connection.
I hope that answers your question.
Yes i have watched the video, mulitple times.
The thing is, when i plug it in the poe converter it does not detect anything.
let me clarify:
xedge router does not see any activity led when i plug in the cable created as indicated on this site.
Also when i put both ends with 586b as website of the poe device indicates.
at least an activity led should burn. Both cables have been tested, and passed the test with a cable tester.
i have tried the following possible solutions:
your instructions on this website.
586b on both ends.
non indicates activity on xedge router, tested mulitple ports, ports work with other equipment.
It can be that my poe injector is doa.
however, when i pluged in dishy via the adapter on the converter, it had no internet, and after plugin it back to starlink router, i needed to rest it.
Otherwise it would not detect internet. So, something is happening.
I think i will try to order your indicated poe injector, and avoid bricking dishy.
thank you.
Are you trying to power the router with POE? That is not what the POE is for. The POE is for powering the Starlink Dish. The router needs to be powered separately.
You should NOT be plugging in 568B wire connectors to the POE. Both plugs going into POE should be the “swapped” wire order.
Great material,mate. Thanks for that, really helpful.
One question, though. Am I confused or are the wiring schemes for the swapped end of the cable different in the full diagram and the close up a bit below? On the full diagram, solid orange is followed by light blue, and on the close up it is followed by solid blue.
Can anyone please confirm which one is right?
Just making the conversion in a sailboat installation, that’s the last missing part. Wish me luck.
Thanks a lot.
Use the close up image for the wire order. The overview image doesn’t have the modified wire order I should update that image. Sorry for the confusion.
Thanks a lot, mate.
Happy to help
Hey,
I was finally able to get the connection to dishy from a edge-x router.
PoE output is stable, and dishy is reachable on the homepage.
However, dishy complains it needs the wifi router of starlink.
I am also not able to connect to internet using dishy.
Cables are crimped using above code and cable tester confirms it.
what could be wrong with it ?
cables used: cat 6a shielded.
tycon poe injector.
sufficient power transformer for dishy (tycon is green).
I will leave it on during tonight, to see if it comes online.
But from what i see it should already be online.
Any ideas or tips?
thank you
please disregard the last post.
it seems that starlink did needed some time to activate everyting.
i do have now internet without starlink shity wifi crap thingi..
yay
Glad that’s working for you. Thanks for the feedback
I’m building out an overland truck camper and just purchased the new high performance starlink. Do you happen to know if the new high performance mobile version also uses 48-56v? Fantastic article for DIY overlanders! Thanks!
I can’t say for sure. I’m also curious about that. You might try the starlink hacks group on Facebook.
Hi August!
Great material!
I’m about to make kit number 2 with an extra ethernet adapter.
The manual says that the power converter should be at least 150W. I understand that in my case I buy a “step-up converter” 12V -> 48V/56V, which has 4-6A and therefore over 200W. This is understandable to me.
Unfortunately, I do not understand this: when I am looking for POE (unfortunately, I cannot order the one you recommend for the EU), it shows me that this equipment also has the power of W.
And here I totally don’t know what’s going on, I understood that it is the converter that injects electricity into POE and POE further. So why is the “W” value shown next to the POE device itself? Does it matter?
Even with your recommended POE, I found information that it has 90W.
With those found on my market, it goes from 15W to 60W for a POE device.
What am I not understanding…?
So some POE’s do in fact come with the power component already built into them. They will be pretty obvious as they usually have an outlet plug associated with them.
The POE’s without a power supply have wattage ratings because that is the recommended max wattage. Or at least that’s the only logical thing I could come up with.
I would just go with the highest wattage POE you can find with a step up converter as your described. Sounds like you’re heading in the right direction, just a matter of finding available parts.
Hope that helps,
So do you need to set the Starlink router to bypass mode, or since I’m leaving it unplugged then no. I did everything in the video, but have no internet access. I cannot tell if I have power to the dish.
Not sure if I crossed wires or it is a technical issue. Do I have to re-start the Starlink like it is my first time using it through the app?
You don’t need to do anything with the old Starlink router. You’ll know you have power to the dish when it first gets plugged in and moves to position itself. I would try just restarting the app but there’s no need to do anything else with the app. Sounds like it might be a connection/wiring problem.
Thanks for the excellent write up and tutorial.
Question on the Ethernet adapter version. Would it not be possible to wire the ‘step up converter’ directly to the cutoff end on the Ethernet adapter, and use the RJ45 Ethernet connector provided by the ‘adapter’ to connector to the router? All the injector is doing is gathering the correct wires, and in starlink’s case nonstandard. Am I missing something? Little unsure about how the shield would factor in here..
I’m not sure I understand exactly what you’re thinking. The POE injector is applying power to one of the wires in the ethernet cable.The POE injector itself does not have power which is why you have to also supply power to the POE injector. So that solves getting the power within the ethernet cable that is needed to power the dish.
The next challenge is that the wire order is not standard on Starlink and thus the reason we need to wire them in the correct order. The Starlink ethernet adapter is not a POE injector or power source. The ethernet adapter simply allows you to swap the wire order on the ethernet adapter without having to cut your main cable going to the dish.
Let me know if that helps clear things up. Thanks
I get what you’re asking. I guess it all depends on the wiring inside the magic ethernet adapter. Sounds theoretically possible, .. has anyone cut one open and identified the guts (if any) and wiring diagram?
If you look at the pinouts for the PoE connectors, you’ll notice that there are no signal pins separate from power pins. (If there were, you might in principle be able to wire the 48VDC supply directly to the power pins and passthrough the signal pins.)
Instead each wire carries a combination of signal and power. This is done through op amps or something similar so that the signal is overlaid in an isolated manner onto what is effectively a bias voltage.
So the injector isn’t doing a lot of work, but the data rates are high enough to call for more than just a couple of diodes and capacitors and hope for the best. The injector is still probably the least expensive and least sophisticated device in the system.
Great presentation, and thank your for sharing your knowledge!
Caught your comment in the video about an external port and found this weather resistent SmartPlug RV Internet Inlet – https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Power-Inlets/SmartPlug/SM38FR.html
Any latecy or impact on power using something like this?
Thanks for the info, I have seen that plug but I can’t confirm if it’s a shielded connections. It doesn’t look like it from the pictures.
Hello. The dc/dc converter in your Amazon link is not available anymore. I was thinking of getting this one but the output is 240W.
—-
12V 24V to 48V DC Step Up Converter (Input 10-25V) Boost Voltage Transformer (5A 240W) https://a.co/d/g2DCaCW
—-
This might be a newb question, but will this blow out the dish if it’s too much or will the dish just simply use less juice and it’ll work fine? I’m using the new high performance flat dish. Thank you!
The dc/dc converter you mentioned will work fine. It doesn’t matter if it’s oversized(higher amps/watts) as the dish will only call for what it needs. Oversizing is never a bad thing as it’s best if the dc/dc does not run at max output all the time.
I just recently saw on Amazon a dc/dc converter that boosted up to 56 volts. I didn’t see it now when I just looked. Probably sold out. But that one would work as well.
Thanks
After following the instruction my router does not seem to recognize a cable attached. I understand by getting rid of the box I can’t access directly the dish. Any way I can trouble shoot? I would like to find out if this is a power or a data problem. If I plug the Router piece in the LED’s do not show any activity on the Router.
So you actually can access the dish phone app as the starlink box is only a router. The functionality of the starlink app is all based in the dish(there are a few functions you loose but the majority of them work). I don’t know how to trouble shoot if it’s a power or data issue. There are ethernet cable testers that check the continuity of the wiring in the connections. I’ve never used one but they are pretty cheap. That would be a good place to start as it’s possible one of your RJ54 connections are bad.
Does the POE show power? They usually have a light on them somewhere.
Hi, I am confused with the wiring swap for the Starlink pinout. There are 2 wiring diagrams in the article.
On the first pic under “Starlink Satellite DC Conversion Overview” the swapped wire order is: OrangeW, Orange, BlueW, Green, GreenW, Blue, BrownW, Brown
On the second pic under “Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connector Wiring” the swapped wire order is: OrangeW, Orange, Blue, GreenW, Green, BlueW, BrownW, Brown
Some other sites show either of these so I am very confused as to which swap is the correct one?
Thanks
Hey sorry that first overview image is a bit confusing. Ignore the wire colors in the overview image. Just pay attention to the swapped wiring and the standard wiring labels.
If you scroll down I have a zoomed in image showing the swapped and standard wire order, those are correct and what you should follow.
What are people using for routers that run off of 12 volts? I’m worried that I might fry a router because my RV has voltages higher than 12v when the batteries are fully charged. A router that will safely run on 11-16vdc would be perfect. I do not need, nor wish to pay for, a cellular capable router like a Mofi unit.
Good question. All routers that I have ever seen are capable of a range of voltages like you mentioned. You’ll just have to look up the specs of the router. The basic router mentioned in this article would work fine.
Thank you!
I have the starlink working no problem speed tests and all functionality. I can’t get internet to the router. I have the swapped connections going to the POE and the regular end going to the router. Have tryed different cables with no success. Also reset the router still nothing. Any ideas?
Excellent article this is… Very helpful. Thank you.
My 2800W Magnum inverter eats ~ 3A at idle so cutting that out of the equation should be a big win. I’m looking forward to decreasing the power draw to run the Starlink.
Addendum: I ordered and just received the WiFi Router you recommended (TP-Link AC1200). I see that the power supply is rated at 9VDC & not the expected 12 VDC.
Will it work on a nominal 12V supply; ie 12.0 to 14.2V?
Do I need to get step-down converter or should I look for a true 12V ready WiFi router?
-evan
Here’s a link to the specs on that router. The specs show 12v at 1 amp. No step down converter you should be fine. I think they work with a rather large span of different voltages.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-c1200/#specifications
Thanks.
Sorry for the slow reply.
-Evan
August, I have the same problem as Evan. IMO, you are referring here to the Archer C1200 but your Amazon link has everyone ordering the Archer A54 which IS a 9 Volt product. I’m now stuck with this thing.
I suggest you check your links and if you agree with me, correct them before others lose money blowing up the lower rated router. And if I’m wrong, apologies.
I believe we are talking about the same thing, here’s a link to the manufacturer page. The Archer A54 is the AC1200, https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-a54/
That’s the exact router I’ve used and is still working. What does the voltage range say on the square AC adapter?
I’ll start looking around for another one if this is no longer working.
Try this one, https://www.amazon.com/Dual-band-Gigabit-WiFi-Internet-Router/dp/B08KJF5BS7/ref=nav_signin?crid=1ULBHJX9KQ6BI&keywords=router&qid=1705962158&sprefix=route%2Caps%2C262&sr=8-9&returnFromLogin=1&th=1
My inverter is also a power hog it helps a lot. Check out DishPowa, they have a nice poe injector and soon plan on a 12-48v unit as well.
Many Mikrotik products can accept a wide range of voltages; some’ll do 8-30, others can accept up to 57v
So I’ve tried this setup, using the Ethernet adapter (thankfully, since I’ve had to go back to the stock setup for now)
I was planning on powering my wAPac using the same 56v being fed to dishy. Actually, .. the wAP part worked fine. Got some cameras hooked up to it, .. it was being powered off the 56v by way of converter from the 12v bus of my solar setup. At this point, .. the Starlink was powered by an inverter, all was well.
I cannot get my Starlink to work off of DC. I have spent over a decade in IT, including installations, so working with the wiring is nothing new for me. I tried it both ways on the crossover wiring, doing both sides of the PoE. (tried it w/o swapping on the data side the first time and of course it didn’t work)
Ow,O,BL,Gw,G,BLw,BRw,Br
Ow,O,BLw,G,Gw,BL,BRw,Br
I’m using the ‘Tycon’ PoE injector from Amazon, and I tested and saw voltage on all wires as expected.
Dishy starts up.
I can even ping Google
I can (and I found this funny and frustrating) get the occasional Facebook message in/out – I know it was working b/c my phone was in Airplane mode and I was on my wAP network.
But.. when I went on my laptop and ran recursive ping, .. things did not look good. It would ping fairly regularly, with good (great) times to 8.8.8.8 .. but it would only get through a MAX of 10-12 pings (sometimes as few as 4) before it would drop out for a few and then start again.
I know Dishy is fine b/c when plugged back in to the stock router, it works.
What the heck am I missing?? I’m hoping someone has some suggestions..
So I have tried using this POE Injector as the one you use in the article is unavailable in the UK.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardened-Industrial-Injector-12-48VDC-Connecting/dp/B07KKBDQ1B/
Everything else I kept the same… The POE light doesn’t come on (the power light does just not the POE one) though which suggests that a nonpowered device is plugged in (According to the injector pdf)…. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
12v Leisure Battery -> 12v to 48v DVC to DC -> The above POE Injector -> Starlink Dish
Should I set it up using all the Starlink equipment first? so the app goes beyond the “connect to the router” phase?
Sound like there’s something wrong with the wiring to the POE injector. The ports on the POE are not interchangeable. Make sure the ethernet cable port with the power is going to the dish. The non powered ethernet port on the POE goes to router.
Double check that the 12-48v going to POE is working and in fact sending power.
I don’t see any reason to set it up with the original equipment first. Although it wouldn’t hurt and it will likely have an update but all of that will still happen using the POE system as well.
I have reattached the starlink wire together and plugged it in and done the initial setup it’s all working fine through that with the router and thus the dish powered by the mains.
I checked the voltage going into the POE is 48v with a volt meter and it is, so getting enough power.
I will try re-wiring the ethernet maybe I messed it up, unfortunately, the shielded RJ45 I have don’t allow the wire to come out the end so have to look through the clear casing and cut to the right size from the start so may have made a mistake there.
I don’t think the other ethernet needs to be even plugged in for the POE to send power though.
Also found this which is the pdf for the injector https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Ejb+22XtL.pdf
Pins 4, 5, 7 & 8 provide the power is that ok with the swapped layout?
Switched to the same POE injector you use had to get it shipped from the USA to UK and works great now!
Thanks a ton for the writeup. You should have a donate button! I’ve been working on my DC conversion for a while and seem to be stuck. I’ve got a square dishy and using the “uxcell DC 12V Step-Up to DC 48V 8A 384W” and a Tycon Systems POE-INJ-1000-WT High PoE 4 Pair Injector. I have (had) 2 SL Ethernet Adapters, one with the OG plug and one with a “swapped” RJ45 (wo, o, bl, wg, g, wbl, wbr, br). I successfully got everything working using my gl.iNet GL-AXT1800 router and the SL Ethernet adapter off the SL Router. But when I plug my dish into the Ethernet adapter that plugs into my Tyco POE, it doesn’t work.
Some tests I did:
– Plugged an ethernet cable with swapped RJ45 into the POE and the other end with a regular T568B cable into a POE tester. It read 48v.
– Cut an old dishy cable so I could test the individual wires. Plugged it into the SL router, as well as into an Ethernet Adapter plugged into the SL Router. Used a voltmeter at 200v ac saw that each wire registered ~1.8. But when I plugged that cut wire into the Ethernet adapter plugged into the POE, it had no readings.
Any ideas of more things to test?
I’m honestly not sure. The fact that you’re not getting anything from the POE configuration must mean something isn’t wired up right or the POE injector is bad. Are you sure you have the connections in the right port on the POE? One PEO port is for the router(non-powered port) and the other port(powered) is for the dish. Sorry I don’t have a good answer for you.
I’m so mad at myself. ;). To make it easier for me to work from my workbench, I bought an AC to cigarette lighter adapter so I can just plug in a cig lighter with rabbit ears that I wired into my DC step up. After days of trial and error, I looked at the AC plug on that adapter and noticed it was only 2 amps. Once I plugged the same setup into a real cigarette lighter adapter in my van, everything worked! Gotta watch those amps!
For those with the slow speeds after the conversion, the problem is your powersupply. I tried everything from redoing my connectors to replacing my POE. Apparently the 12 to 48V step up that says irs good for 5A is not. Ended up using a 1500w variable one and she fired right up… good luck
Which one did you buy?
DC-DC Converter Module Boost DC Step Up Voltage Regulator CV Stabilizer Power Supply Module 10-60V to 12-97V 1500W 30A https://a.co/d/9t1OYwq
Can someone suggest a AC (120V) version of 4 wire 90 watt POE injector, please? Maybe from Amazon, if that’s not asking too much? 🙂
I don’t need to melt snow, as I live in a tropical climate.
I don’t need RV style. Don’t want to convert 12V DC to 48V DC for my injectors.
I could use some help, please. I’ve completed everything. Cables made, items procured. And tested, tried. And I can’t get to even the first hop 192.168.100.1
I am trying to do something a little different that most of you here. I don’t need a mobile version. I want to run mine on 120V AC using a POE Injector with its own power. I guess, I could follow suit and get a 12V brick, a buck converter to 48 volts, the recommended POE injector, but that’s a lot of gear that should be able to do with one 120V device.
My Starlink is working fine. Been online for months. I just want to eliminate the Starlink router and use my own. As you know, there’s a router bypass inside the Starlink configuration. Funny though, I can connect a mesh router/system to the Starlink via the Ethernet Adapter and the mesh router connects without a hiccup. When I do this, I can see both the Starlink WiFi SSID and the Mesh WiFi SSID.
When I remove my regular Ethernet Adapter, and plug my modified version in, then connect a cable from the data side of the AC POE Injector to a laptop, I am hopeful to be able to bring up 100.1, but no yet. The Starlink app shows the Starlink is OFFLINE. And below that, there’s a message, Starlink is Disconnected. I can’t tell if Dishy is getting power from the POE side. Laptop is not connected to any other network or WiFi.
And since I am using a 120V POE injector I picked. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it’s not a 4-wire unit. It’s a 90-watt device, and I don’ need to melt snow here, so I figured 90 watts would be enough since the Starlink specs as a whole say it uses between 50-75 watts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MJJTH2B?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
So, maybe someone that know what they are doing, can look at this link and give their opinion if it’s a suitable AC powered POE injector. Please speak. I can send this one back. What do you think? (I am going to post this request in a couple of places.)
I guess no one has notice my previous post. I’ve read everything written here. I picked up one tip that might have made a difference for me. Not it looks like the POE is powering dishy. The app was showing OFFLINE. Now shows DISCONNECTED. So, looks like its powered, and that’s a help/improvement. But I can not get it to land on the 100.1 page. So, have it plugged into a router although, I’ve not been able to give it a static path. Stumped what to do. But will play around.
I’ve figured out part of my own issue. I caused it. Months ago, I had changed the subnet for dishy, so I was not going to reach the landing page. I put the Starlink router back in play and used it to reset the system. After it finished, I needed to setup WiFi again, so I assigned a SSID. And via wired, I can hit the landing page, at 100.1. But there’s nothing that allows me to setup a static Id, or forwarding address, on this landing page.
Thinking this through, tried another way. I got one of my old routers, and set its gateway/subnet to 192.168.1.1 to match what Starlink’s using. That didn’t allow a connection. So, I cheated and changed the old router’s SSID to match the new SSID that I gave Starlink. Saved, and restarted it all.
I can tell now, that my 120V AC POE Injector is powering dishy. Starlink app shows “DISCONNECTED”. But even with matching subnet’s and matching SSID, it won’t connect. My old DLink configuration says, no Internet cable is plugged into the WAN port, though it certainly is.
Some progress.
My point is, anyone having some of the issues I am, should try a Factory Reset of Starlink. Might help.
Well, still stuck. I’m not receiving data signals on any router from the POE injector. Was using this POE injector. Just returned it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MJJTH2B?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details.
Trying something different. Ordered the Tycon POE unit, and going to try powering it with this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GFQZFC1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Still trying for a AC solution vice a 12V>48V method, for anyone keeping notes.
I surely wish someone would offer some ideas or advice of what to do. I’m stuck. (and thanks, in advance)
Hi Sam,
I’ve been researching this mod myself and I think I see what your problem may be. The PoE injector you purchased was an active PoE injector (IEEE 802.3bt compliant), rather than a passive injector. I purchased a similar one and have been chatting with the manufacturer – I’ve just found out it will probably not be compatible. This is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BDWQQF6V?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
A passive injector supplies power on the pins all the time regardless of whether the downstream device can take the power or not. An active injector is “safer” because it does a “handshake” with the downstream device and, if the device can’t take the power (or doesn’t return the handshake), the injector will not supply power. A good article about this is here: https://www.smarthomeperfected.com/passive-poe/
The Starlink dish needs a passive injector that supplies power over all 4 wire pairs, like the injector the Outside Nomads used (and many other modders have used). I would prefer to use mains power also, but the challenge is finding a reasonably priced passive injector with the power output we need (~90W-100W).
Hope this helps.
Alex.
Alex, thank you, thank you, and thank you one more time. I will try that one.
I can’t imagine whey the one, works for other folks on their mobile approach. I ordered same they are using. But your suggestion and explanation is certainly worth the effort. One mo’ time, thanks.
I am grateful for the advice. Please don’t read my frustration has criticism. In my ongoing saga, an update. I came in at the top, and I see someone has produced a “kit”. I am ordering the $30 Dishy cable to RJ45 part. I have the POE Injector by edimax you recommended. I can power the $30 side with a 48-56v power supply, I have. So, I won’t be buying the $75 injector side of that kit. Maybe this $30 part will resolve my POE issues.
I can’t get to the dishy home page, or get out to the Internet using RJ45 or a wired router/WiFi. regardless of my two methods.
I have the Tycon Injector INJ-1000-WT recommended, which I use with a 120V power supply that provides 48-56V. I see I am sending 48+ volts from the power supply to the Tycon and the Tycon power is lit. No way of telling if Dishy is power up, because she ‘shuts down” right about the same alignment when she boots up/is booted up. So, since it never comes up/online, and
I currently have to hardware methods for trying to skip the Starlink router.
And I have the POE Injector by edimax, I can’t get the green light lit on the POE side, though power is lit. Since this is passive POE, with Starlink swapped adapter on one side and 568B swapped on other side, I I should be able to hit dishy’s homepage or get out on a router. Still can not. I believe I still may be using the wrong pinout for the swapped side of the Starlink adapter.
I have re-read this article many times.
I don’t know what swapped pinout we are supposed to use.
At the top, under “DC Conversion Overview, the first diagram now says “Disregard the wire order on this diagram correct wire order images below.”
So, please, where below are those images?
Is it the very next image that has a green box, DC-DC converter? Or is it the “Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connector Wiring” for the Tycon POE 1000-WT?
Because its not clear to me. (I’ve asked and been answered before, but still not clear with recent updates to the article.) I’ve tried both pinouts now more than once. I have chopped up my Starlink adapter so many times, I am running out of cable to strip for a RJ45 connector. I believe the pinout is my hump in the road.
Sorry this hasn’t been working for you. If you scroll down in the article you’ll see the heading, “Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connector Wiring.” Below that you’ll see an image of the wire order for the swapped connections. It’s un up close graphic showing the wire order. Is this what you’re talking about?
Yes, that’s what I am asking. Is the TYCON POE pinout the one we should be using on the cut adapter?
I ask, because everything before, I have been using the pinout from the two equip/detailed spread diagrams. And those pinouts are different than the TYCON POE pinout.
Would be really useful to all, if the diagrams had some note or number next to it, so we could refer to the proper one, and save all this guessing and finger scrolling. I think. No offense intended.
Sam,
I’m still not sure what you’re getting hung up on. I double checked the article and everything is correct. If you are using the starlink Ethernet adapter than use that overview photo which shows the connections whether they are standard or swapped. ALL RJ45 connections plugging into the POE should be the swapped wiring.
I do want to share something interesting. My main router is an ASUS ZenWiFi ET8. In the configuration, it has a feature called Dual-WAN. I can (have) designate(d) which router LAN port I choose and plug in a second separate ISP RJ45 connection. I have plugged my Starlink router’s adapter’s RJ45 cable in and treated it as a failover backup Internet connection, that is engaged automatically when the main goes down. And it has a selection to rollback to the main, when the main comes back up.
So, I can have my main ISP connected to my home network, and my Starlink as secondary failover backup. It works with the Starlink router passing the Internet connection to the ASUS, but really want to get the Starlink router out of the lineup. Pretty cool.
Thanks for sharing that. Those failover systems are great. That’s exactly what we have set up except our primary is Starlink and our failover is cellular.
Separately a suggestion for anyone putting a RJ45 on the really thin wires of the cable. If you spend some time trying to put the 8 wires into a RJ45 pass-thru, you soon learn they won’t stay put. They won’t stay where you need them to clamp them down. Don’t.
Here’s an idea. Go old school. Take a standard CAT 6 cable and strip the wire down, until you get the installation off, and do the same to the Starlink cable small wires. Now, solder them together and and seal them with shrinkwrap. Don’t fight the tiny wires. Just use them to connect to regular size CAT5/6 and put a connector on it. You can do this on both ends of the cable, if you desire. I can’t think of a reason we need to do it to the Starlink adapter, but maybe. Certainly need to be able to the long cable. Just trying to payback for the help, I have been getting. 🙂
I got my setup working. I can’t explain why it works, but I can explain what it took – at least part of it. I am going to have to give some pictures names to help this make sense. I will name picture that has TYCON POE and the wires 1-8 vertical – T-PIN PIC. I will use the other picture w/ complex cables & DC-DC Converter in a green background box. I’ll call it Adapter-PIC.
My fault that I don’t know which pin out I need to use. But I tried something weird. My adapter is wired for the Adapter-PIC pinout. Maybe it needs to be the T-PIN PIC pinout. So, I made a short cable. It has the Adapter-PIC pinout on one end, & the T-PIN PIC pinout on the other. I used a RJ45 coupler and connected the Adapter-PIC cable end, into the Adapter-PIC end of my Starlink adapter. The other end is pinout for T-PIN PIC. I plugged it into the Tycon POE injector from my goodie bag. Data end of injector, as you know uses a swapped wire cable (Adapter-PIC) like wired end & the other end is 568B, I plugged it into an old Netgear router. I used this router because it’s got a lamp indicator that shows when it connects to the Internet. I powered the Tycon POE injector using a 48-56V power supply. (Most people are going thru all this to use 12V. I want to use 120V, just get rid of the Starlink router.)
It worked. It took the usual 5-ish minutes for dishy to come back online. But I soon saw weak then strong signal on the router. After messing with this a while, on a hunch, I removed the weird Adapter-PIC / T-PIN PIC cable. And it still worked. What’s crazy, is, without this weird cable it’s the “normal” adapter > Swapped wires cable >POE injector< Swapped wires cables that everyone else has been successful using without all this drama.
Now, that I have this working, I tried the 120v Edimax POE Injector from Amazon that has been suggested. With or without the weird cable, it did not work. I have never been able to get the POE light on the Edimax's end to light up. Power light comes on, but never the POE light. I think I will return it.
One more odd thing I am seeing. After getting it to work, I wanted to bring up the Dishy webpage. Could not. 192.168.100.1 does not work, or its name. My router’s gateway is 192.168.1.1, (normal), but Dishy first assigned me to private subnet 169.254.116.x and then after a reboot, assign itself to 10.0.0.x and the gateway address is 10.0.0.1 and the laptop was 10.0.0.2 Works, even if this is unusual, so I will use it until it doesn’t work.
I’ve got that “cable adapter” from that Kit on order. Intend to try it, swap it for the Tycon.
August, thanks for your help.
Just closing the loop here and summarizing some of my success. I could not have done this without you. Thanks.
I am not trying to be roaming or mobile. I want this setup so I can use my own router. I am currently using the Tycon POE Injector, but I have the Yaosheng Dishy Adapter on order via Amazon. I will report if it works, when it arrives. Easy swap. With the Tycon POE Injector, I was using a 110V to 48V power supply. Handy and worked okay. But its fan runs nearly all the time, and too noisy. So, looked for something else. Found a 48V, 3A, 144W brick $24.00 and tried it. No fan, no noise and works great. I recommend on with enough Amp that it doesn’t turn off on its own.
Frankly, we can do this for just a few bucks, and its worth the money and effort to have a way to use or eliminate the Starlink router, just in case. That’s $25 for the Starlink Ethernet Adapter, $17 for the Tycon POE Injector, and $24.00 for a 110V-AC/48V-DC power supply. Make a couple of cables and bingo.
A tip – I learned and which I had tried sooner. Find an old non-mesh router that has lights on it for status. Use it to gauge your success. When you think you are wired and up, plug into that old router.
Use it to show you if you are getting an Internet connection. Sometimes, the app’s dishy status is behind updating itself. You may have an Internet even though dishy status looks disconnected. Yes, you can connect a PC and check, but simple to look for router status light.
Once you are connected it can take 15-30+ minutes for dishy to show you are online. Patience is useful.
Here’s a list of what I bought.
YAOSHENG Rectangular Dishy Cable Adapter to RJ45.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYJTHX4P?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Tycon Systems POE-INJ-1000-WT High PoE 4 Pair Injector
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BKV6NYD?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
DROK 48V Power Supply, AC 110V/220V to DC 0-48V 10A 480W Buck Converter, Adjustable Variable Regulated 5V 12V 24V 30V 36V 48V Volt
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GFQZFC1?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
48V 3A Power Supply, LeTaoXing AC to DC 48V 144W Power Adapter AC 100V – 240V Transformer 48V/3A 5.5mm x 2.5mm Output Jack for PoE Switch/PoE Injector
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HYZYDV7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Thank you so much for keeping everyone informed, I’m confident your information will help plenty of others. Glad your system is working well and happy travels.
Hi, great video, but you have some contradictory wiring with the blue and blue/white swapped at different points in the video and images, I think 9:50 mins and 16:40 mins you will see the contradiction, I think the second one is the correct one.
Oh thank you i’ll take a look. The safest bet is to just follow the diagrams in the article. Good luck with your conversion.
The diagrams are the same as they were in the video, one contradicts the other.
Is it the overview image you’re referring to? The overview image is wrong for swapped but the close up image of the swapped wire order is correct. I’ll try to blur out the overview image wire order as I can not change the video unfortunately.
Yes that is correct, the image with all the items drawn together, I had just finished crimping a connector when I came across that and got confused as I had done mine correctly, I kept watching and was pleased to see the wiring I had crimped later in the video, a phew moment for me.
Has anyone ordered the YAOSHENG POE unit and actually taken delivery of it?
I’ve placed an order but the tracking hasn’t updated in over a week. I’m not expecting it delivered instantly but I would have thought the tracking number would update. If I use the tracking number supplied on any of the ChinaPost look ups, it says nothing is found, so hoping this isn’t a scam outfit….
Anyway, keen to hear from people actually receiving the units to out my mind at ease.
The Yaosheng Dishy Cable Adapter to RJ45 – WORKS.
I saw the Two-Piece Cable Conversion Kit and I ordered from Amazon the Part 1 Cable Adapter. I ordered on 4/2 and it arrived 4/22, so that’s a three week wait. Plan accordingly. There is no tracking of the order, after Yaosheng notifies it’s shipped. My arrival estimate was change twice and final was 1 month after it was ordered. It arrived in three weeks (a week earlier than 2nd projection.)
No instructions in the box, so I relied on the Part 2 POE Injector setup diagram in the Amazon ad. Handy, clip and save it.
Cable Adapter comes with a 12” shielded standard 568B both ends Ethernet cable. You can’t use the short 568B cable, if you only purchased Part 1 vice the two-piece kit. When you view the Dishy cable end of the adapter, don’t let its configuration alarm you. (I did). Looked like it would not work; that the Dishy cable end, would not fit/reach, but lo, it did.
I swapped out my hacked Starlink Ethernet Adapter, for the Yaosheng Dishy Cable Adapter, I had to still use my original swapped cables. Don’t forget to be patient, when everything is correct, its still going to “be a wait” for Dishy to change from “Disconnected” to Online” in the app. And you may need to connect to the replacement Router you are using at the phone.
I cannot emphasis enough to be patient. Once you connect your gear and the cables, wait. Give Dishy time to come online. Be patient. It might not occur right away.
Using my original well-working cables, I got a warning. It appears the Yaosheng cable adapter is a bit more sensitive (or something). The app gave me a warning message that my speed was compromised because the cable is not best quality. So, I removed my made SHIELDED swapped POE Injector Data-2-Router cable, and tried (one of my) made UNSHIELDED swapped POE Injector Data-2-Router cable and the warning went away. (Strange, eh? Both had worked with the Starlink hacked adapter.) Now, up and running.
Just for clarification, I am pleased with the size and price of my $24 110V/48V power supply, and my $17 Tycon POE Injector, so I can’t see purchasing the Yaosheng POE Injector that still requires a 48V power supply. But starting with nothing, I might consider the two-piece kit.
My 110V/48V power supply came with a 5.5mm male connector. The Tycon Injector has a 3.5mm pluggable Terminal Block Connector. I am not going to cut the end off the power supply to join them. I want a graceful way to connect. I used a 5.5mm DC power connector. But that still requires unplugging the two to turn the POE Injector off. I can do better. I added a DC 5.5mm Male to Female on/off switch between the power supply and the Tycon POE Injector. That allows me a graceful power on/off method. See below for parts.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08933K6G7/?coliid=I3JG4LZE1LS07Z&colid=200Y0I0VJVWX9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C61434H/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pf_rd_p=88097cb9-5064-44ef-891b-abfacbc1c44b&pf_rd_r=5YYWK5GY6Z3MWCQQ50R0&pd_rd_wg=hF06n&pd_rd_w=CH8X8&content-id=amzn1.sym.88097cb9-5064-44ef-891b-abfacbc1c44b&pd_rd_r=1584896f-29ff-4b92-983e-953059136b6d&s=electronics&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&smid=A2C232BUL391Z5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LQTL25P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Hi August
I‘ve built my 12 volt-system with my own router as you described in your video. Now I tested the system and the dish is working, means the dish moves to horizontal position.
My question now is: I can‘t connect with the Starlink app. Should I have first set the system with Starlink-Router to „bypass the Router“ and connect then to my built system?
Because I can connect to my own Router, but I don‘t have internet connection.
Thanks for feedback.
Best regards from Switzerland, René
Make sure your phone(starlink app) is on the same wifi system that you have plugged into the dish. There’s no need to do anything like bypass.
Hey, just wanted say I found this spot on. I had my doubts on how complicated this would actually be, but I simply followed the instructions and presto chango, I now have a DC powered Starlink. Much easier than I thought it would be. Thanks!
My pleasure and glad to hear it’s working well for you.
I have this system built exactly as described above and it works great. However, I find myself using the inverter and stock setup most of the time. I guess I am uneasy about using 56 volts as every other article I can find uses 48. Are you still using 56? Is there any reason I should hesitate using the 12 volt setup all day every day with the 56 volt supply?
I’ve been using mine 24-7 for years even while driving and bouncing around all of Baja. It hasn’t skipped a beat. Good luck.
Thank you for this writeup, I was able to successfully run starlink on my 12v dc system on my boat. I do have one question however.
I purchased the TPLink router you suggested and would like to hardwire that to the DC system, however you indicate cut the cord after the voltage reducer. I dont know what that is. If I look at the power block that plugs into the AC outlet it says “output 9v .85amps” So i’m assuming that is the voltage reducer, but since its reducing power to 9v, wouldnt the router fry if I cut that off and wire it up to a 12v system?
You should be fine at 12v if you read the fine print on the AC plug it will give a range from 8-14 volts most likely.
Hi,
The diagrams under “Starlink Satellite DC Conversion Overview” and “Starlink DC Conversion Using Ethernet Adapter” show the wires in the RJ45 plug alternating striped / solid. (ie o/w, o, b/w, g, g/w, br, br/w)
However in the picture under “Swapped RJ45 Starlink Connector Wiring” this shows pin 3 having blue solid next to orange solid, and similarly b/w next to br/w.
Am I missing something here? Which is correct?
Disregard the overview image i tried to cover up the wire colors. Use the enlarged diagrams below for the correct wire order.
I have hit a roadblock and am hoping you can help. My starling will not power up using 12dc. I am using a Meanwell 12vd to 48vdc power supply, the original Starlink cable, a starling to RJ45 adaptor and POE injector. My starling will indicate “booting” for a few seconds and then show “disconnected.” I have adjusted the Manwell power supply to output everything from 48vdc to 52vdc without any success. The Starlink works perfectly when I use the original router plugged into to AC. Any advice you can provide?
I would guess you have a poor power connection. I would try re-crimping the RJ45.
Hi August, thanks for the article! My setup powered up and connected first try, however I am getting super slow speeds. Average is 3-5 mbps download. Any advice?
Does it take a very long time after booting to obtain higher speeds? I had it powered up for about an hour and never got a higher speed than 10 mbps
I’m not sure what could be going on, that is rather slow. Do any of the diagnostics within the app mention any issues?
I bought yaosheng dishy and adapter in amazon to power my starlink in 12v DC..with DC to DC 12v to 48v in local store with D-Link router…can someone help me to figure why it doesn’t work …
Hi August and Jill,
Thank you for this information! I can’t seem to identify if there are any differences with the above schematic when applied to the Starlink model that I own, the Flat High-Performance Starlink. It’s the model that costs $2500, not the $600 model. All information on modifying the Starlink routers to DC power seem to only address the $600 model. The high performance starlink has a standalone power supply, separate from the starlink router. I also have a Cradlepoint IBR1700 in vehicle wireless router that is wired to 12V DC and I’d like to bypass the Starlink router to the Cradlepoint router. How does that differ than what is outlined above? Thank you so much for your insight! Tim (@vanlifetravelogue)
I have no idea how the High Performace dish differs as I don’t have one unfortunately. I would recommend looking on the Starlink hacks facebook group.
Thank you for the suggestion, August. Have a great day!
Hello It seem that there is a VERY high defective rate from the linked Amazon seller of the POE adapter. Are there any other alternatives or suppliers that would be a better bet?
Thanks, Ben
I’ve also gone through one but at least they are inexpensive. I just carry an extra. I’m also using the POE system that I listed at the very beginning of the article and so far that one has been holding up over the past year.
Great work around if you don’t have an inverter. However the step up convertor is 96% efficient, most inverters are also 96% so the power consumed will be approximately the same with both systems unless you have a 48v system
Agreed except that just the act of having an inverter switched on uses a bit of electricity. Our inverter for example pulls about 25 watts just to have it switched on without any AC circuits turned on. So not having to have the inverter on 24/7 does save quite a bit.
I bought and have been testing a setup with the Yaosheng POE injector and adapter along with the 288 watt version of that 12V to 48V DC step up converter and I’m having problems. I get frequent, very brief “Disconnected” messages in the Starlink app. I wrote to the Yaosheng manufacturer and they are suggesting that these “cheap” DC step up converters are not suitable/reliable for this. That seems odd given that others have been doing this successfully.
I’ve posted the details and their full response on reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/18kbqyh/getting_frequent_disconnected_messages_with/
Any opinion as to what could be going wrong?
(They’re also now making an integrated power converter and POE injector.)
I’m not sure what’s going on but I would agree those step up converters are bottom of the barrel in terms of quality. I’ve been getting about 2 years out of mine and just keep a spare on hand as they are very inexpensive. Never had disconnect problems other than my own RJ45 wiring issues.
After a great deal of troubleshooting, I’ve now determined that it’s not trouble from the power converter or the Yaosheng POE injector or adapter. The problem only happens with my USB-powered GL-iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) router.
I’ve updated my Reddit thread with more detail here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/18kbqyh/comment/kh3mhbc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
I’ve also found some other folks experiencing this same issue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VanLife/comments/17v8m0d/help_needed_intermittent_starlink_disconnect_when/
I’m now going to contact GL.iNet support to try to figure out what’s wrong since I know that others are using GL.iNet routers with Starlink successfully.
After working with Gl.iNet support for a while, I now have an update with a workaround/solution for my intermittent disconnects…
Short answer:
Turn off the “Network Acceleration” option under Network settings for the GL.iNet router.
Longer answer here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/18kbqyh/comment/kuli9hh/
Hello!
I am plannning to buy a Starlink for my RV, and appreciate all of the excellent comments on this email chain, but without an engineering background, do not understand how to convert it to 12 volt input. Is it possible for someone to please explain this to be in simple terms?
Thank you so very much!
Philip
The article covers exactly what you’re asking for. The easiest solution would be to buy the kit mentioned in the very top of the article.
Hi There,
What a great tutorial! Just ordered all the necessary tools and materials. Just a quick question. I expect to have many feet of cable left, with which I would like to make an extension cable in case Dishy needs to be positioned away from our RV. Should I wire both ends of the extension cable with a swapped RJ connection?
Thanks in advance!
When adding extensions all that matters is that the wire order is the same on either side of the extension connector.
Hi there,
Thanks for the great tutorial! Just ordered all equipment needed for the conversion. Two questions.
1. Should I first connect to Starlink using the original router?
2. If I want to add an additional extension cable using a utp connection box should I just add two swapped rj45 connecties to both sides of the extension cord?
Thank you in advance for your reply!
It doesn’t matter just make sure you use the same connection order on either side of the junction box.