Starlink REV4 on a ship. Experience of using Starlink Internet on a ship

Greetings! In this article I want to share with you my experience of using Starlink on a ship, namely the Starlink REV4 antenna version. In the previous article we looked at the REV3 antenna, which has servomotors for rotating the antenna. The REV4 antenna version does not have motors, and is also larger (in size).

In this article, we will compare the new and old models, consider their advantages and disadvantages over each other.

The article is divided into two parts. The first, which you are reading, is about Starlink REV4. The second article is about traffic control via Mikrotik.

I will not describe all the processes in detail (purchase, transportation and installation of the antenna), since the new model differs little from the old one in these matters. I will tell you some of the nuances that I encountered during the operation of the REV4 antenna.

How much does Starlink REV4 cost?

I bought the antenna, like last time, in Poland. The cost was $410 (1609 zloty, at the rate of 3.93) (1499 zloty for equipment, 110 zloty for DHL home delivery) (07/29/24). At the time of writing, the rate dropped slightly below 3.9 zloty per dollar, and the cost of the antenna in zloty remained the same. Also, upon activation, you will have to pay a monthly fee, depending on the activation time. In my case, activation on a home tariff plan was $85 - 335 zloty (per month).

I also bought a Mikrotik RB750GR3 router (without a Wi-Fi module) for $56 (219 zloty, at the rate of 3.94).

The suitcase remained the same from the previous article American Tourist, in which the antenna and accessories fit very well.

Packing Starlink into a suitcase

Starlink unboxing video

The entire Starlink Kit includes an antenna with a 15-meter cable (if you need more, you can buy it right away), a router, and a unit with a power cable.

45 meter cable for starlink

By the way, this time the cable has RJ45 connectors. And the Gen 3 router has two additional outputs for RJ45, to which you can connect other switches and routers.

Sailors say that you can use a twisted pair instead of the original cable. I will not recommend doing this, because I have not tried it myself and besides, I have doubts about the power part of the cable (how long will this solution work).

Starlink Kit

This is very convenient, because for the previous version of the Gen 2 router, you had to buy a special adapter for cable connection of other devices.

Starlink Gen 3 Router

The Reset button on the Gen 3 router is also different from Gen 2. To reset the Gen 2 router, you had to do some operations with the power cable, for example, turn the router on (off) 3 times.

The process of transportation and installation on the ship

The flight was Warsaw - Istanbul - Colombo (Sri Lanka). We also crossed the whole of Sri Lanka from Colombo to Tricomalee by minibus and boarded the ship there at the roadstead. There were no problems with transporting the Starlink.

As I already wrote in the previous article, problems with transportation may arise in China, India or Arab countries. From the recent experience of sailors, one case can be noted when starlink was taken in China while crossing provinces by car. At the same time, no one has problems at Chinese airports.

Using Starlink on a ship (Internet quality, speed, traffic control)

Initially, as usual, the antenna was simply placed on the deck. We found the most suitable place (in front of the superstructure) with the most open sky and began testing.

Installing the starlink on the deck (the ties are temporary)

Antenna on the bridge wing

The location turned out to be not the best, although there was internet, but part of the sky was "cut off". So we decided to install the antenna on the bridge wing.

Router location in the superstructure

The process of making a mount for the antenna

You can buy a special mount for the REV4 antenna under the pipe. There are many such mounts on sale, you can buy it on Aliexpress or the original on the official website, but I decided that we will make the mount on the ship.

Mounting the starlink under the pipe

There is one nuance here, sailors do not recommend installing the antenna on a metal deck or using metal plates under the dish. The quality of communication will not be very good. Therefore, we used a metal frame with a tiflon sheet under the dish.

Mounting the starlink on the bridge wing

You can see the process of making the mount for the REV4 antenna in the photos below.

The process of making a mount for the Starlink antenna REV4

The entire structure can be easily removed and moved to other places on the vessel (it is attached to the rails in two places). It is also provided that the antenna can be rotated to improve the signal. The fact is that there are no motors in this version, but the Starlink application has an "Alignment" option, which tells the user where it is better to turn the antenna to improve the signal. When turning the antenna in one direction or another, the antenna alignment picture instantly changes.

Adjusting the direction of the starlink

I noticed that when the sky is clear, this "correct" alignment does not affect the signal much, but when it rains, then pointing the antenna in the right direction (apparently with a larger number of satellites) helps improve the signal.

I also recommend using the Star Debug application. The application gives all sorts of useful information about your starlink. For example, you can see the number of satellites to which the antenna is connected.

Number of GPS satellites

How much does it cost to use Starlink on a ship?

Using Starlink on a ship is not a cheap pleasure, but if you divide the amount among all crew members, it turns out to be quite acceptable. Especially if you work on a bulk carrier and end up in ports or at anchor for months.

Unlimited on Starlink

Attention! Starlink tariffs are highly dependent on the country of registration. They are different in different countries. In this article, we consider tariffs for Poland. African tariffs are cheaper, European ones are more expensive.

When buying a Starlink (in my case), it is registered to Poland, so we will consider Polish tariffs. The home tariff Standard (today it is called Residential), which I can use at home in one place costs 335 zlotys ($85) per month.

In the last article, I considered the Mobile - Regional tariff (430 zlotys - $113), which was profitable to use while sailing around the world, and in Europe - unlimited. Today, this tariff has been renamed to Roam - Unlimited and soon it will not be possible to use it in the ocean around the world, only near your continent (in Europe). For some, it no longer works.

Starlink tariffs (for Poland)

The Global tariff (unlimited in ports around the world) has become more expensive and now costs 1950 zlotys ($513), so everyone switched to Mobily Priority - 50Gb, which costs 1384 zlotys ($365 at the rate of 3.8).

The Mobily Priority - 50Gb tariff allows you to use 50 GB of Internet traffic while moving in the ocean, and then you need to turn on "Mobile Priority" and pay 11.07 zlotys ($2.9) for each gigabyte. At the same time, in the port (at anchor), these 50 GB are burned first, and then unlimited.

Unlimited already starts working in the 12-mile zone to the port (even when moving up to 10 knots).

Antenna location on the bridge wing from different angles

Additional cable protection

The difference between the Starlink REV4 antenna and the REV3

1. Size, motors, mount. The antennas differ primarily in size and filling. REV4 (2.9 kg) is larger (9 cm longer) and has no motors, but is lighter than REV3 (4.2 kg). REV4 has a removable stand, instead of which you can buy and install a mount for a pipe. Rev 3 already comes with a built-in pipe for a special stand, which is included in the kit.
2. Protection. Perhaps the most important (for use at sea) difference between REV4 and REV3 is the degree of protection. REV3 - IP 54. REV4 - IP 67 type 4.
3. REV4: Provides better performance in difficult weather conditions, including heavy rain and snowfall. Rev 4 also has improved resistance to wind.
4. Connection. REV3: Uses a standard cable to connect the antenna to the router. REV4: New cable and connector type providing better connection quality and easier installation.

The difference between the Starlink Gen 3 Mesh router and the Gen 2 Mesh

1. Hardware. Gen 3: Includes an updated chipset, which allows the router to work faster and process more data. Improved work with modern communication standards. Gen 2: Works on a less powerful hardware platform, which can affect the overall network throughput.
2. Wi-Fi standards. Gen 3: Supports a more modern version of Wi-Fi 6, which provides better coverage, speed and connection stability. Gen 2: Supports Wi-Fi 5, which also provides good coverage and speed, but is inferior in the latest standards.
3. Connectors. Gen 3 has two Ethernet ports for connecting external switches or routers via an RJ45 cable. Gen 2 does not have such ports, you need to buy an adapter.
4. Gen 3. Supports connecting up to 235 devices.
5. Power supply. Gen 2 has a built-in power supply unit in the router, while Gen 3 has a separate power supply unit. This is more convenient when it comes to replacement or repair.

Gen 3 Mesh Router

Gen 3 Mesh Router

Router Specifications (Gen 3)

• IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
• Tri-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• 4x4, MU-MIMO, OFDMA
• WPA2 Security
• Operating Temperature: -22°F to +122°F (-30°C to +50°C)
• IP56 Rating (Waterproof), Suitable for Indoor Use.

Specifications (Gen 2) of the router

• IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards
• Dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
• 3x3, MU-MIMO
• WPA2 security
• Operating temperature: from -22°F to +122°F (from -30°C to +50°C)
• IP54 protection rating (waterproof), suitable for indoor use.

In summary, we can say that the new version is better, but there are some nuances. For example, the previous version of the antenna turned itself where it needed to search for satellites, and the new one periodically needs to be directed manually. On the other hand, some users had motors that failed and had to repair the antenna or use it as is, pointing the antenna simply upwards. But everything else has become better: IP protection, support for new standards, RJ45 connectors, a separate power supply, no moving parts.

Connection quality and internet speed

The internet speed from Starlink is very good and is in the range of 100 - 300 Mbit/s, depending on the region of operation. During strong wind, rain or pitching, the speed may decrease and the signal may be interrupted for some time. But the overall picture is very good and temporary interruptions do not cause much discomfort.

Speed test Starlink

Speed test Starlink

I will not describe the antenna operation in detail, because everything has become even better than in the previous version. You can read the previous article, and there everything was already very good.

Starlink REV4 Speed ​​Test Video

Updated Starlink app (new features)

About half a year has passed since the previous article was written, and since then some things have changed in the Starlink app.

Internet statistics

Internet statistics

Internet statistics have received a new design, the "Power draw" item has been added, in which you can see the energy consumption of the entire installation in real time. Relevant for those who connect Starlink to an autonomous power supply.

Power draw

In the Network section, you can now block (pause) devices by MAC address. In this case, the user remains connected to Wi-Fi, but loses access to the Internet. This is a very convenient option, especially when devices such as Apple Watch or HomePod "climb" into the Internet without asking.

Updated Starlink app

Connected users

Users on pause

The Alighnment option helps the user manually point the antenna towards the best GPS signal.

Router settings

A little more options for managing IP addresses.

Starlink interference map

Now you can reset the interference map for the antenna.

Billing

In billing you can see the next payment receipt.

Actually, there are still some minor changes, and as usual, the traffic control option is missing, for example, by MAC address.

Starlink Revision 4 (REV4) refers to the latest iteration of SpaceX's user terminal for its satellite-based internet service. Introduced in February 2024, this version is currently available exclusively in the United States.

Key Features and Improvements:

• Enhanced Design: The REV4 terminal boasts a higher Ingress Protection (IP) rating, indicating improved resistance to environmental factors. Unlike its predecessor, the housing is constructed with a complex design and sealed using automotive-grade sealant, enhancing durability.
• Redesigned Electronics: The internal printed circuit board (PCB) has been overhauled, featuring new antenna electronics. This redesign aims to optimize performance and reliability.
• Increased Power Consumption: Users have observed that the REV4 terminal consumes more power compared to earlier versions. This factor is particularly significant for off-grid users who rely on limited power sources. (reddit.com)

User Feedback:

Discussions among Starlink users highlight both the advantages and challenges of the REV4 terminal. While the enhanced design and performance are appreciated, concerns have been raised regarding the proprietary cable connectors. These connectors can be prone to damage, leading to potential inconveniences, especially for users in remote locations. (reddit.com)

Please note that as of March 2025, the REV4 terminal remains available only in the U.S., with no official announcements regarding its release in other regions.

How to control Starlink traffic on a ship?

In a separate article "Starlink REV4 + Mikrotik. Internet traffic control on a ship using Mikrotik" the configuration of the Mikrotik router for traffic control and Internet distribution among crew members is considered.

I will probably finish this article here. If you have any questions or experience using Starlink on a ship, then write in the comments to the article :)