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 Wi-Fi router to your home setup? What if the included Wi-Fi router isn’t delivering the sort of coverage you need? We’ve been testing and writing about Starlink for years, so we know the ins and outs of the popular yet idiosyncratic internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In this guide, we’ll help you set up your Starlink service to work with a third-party Wi-Fi router.

Many good reasons might prompt you to make the switch. The Starlink router that comes with your dish is adequate for basic Wi-Fi connectivity, and it’s essential for powering and communicating with your dish. Still, it’s not the most sophisticated home networking solution. Gaming routers offer more options in terms of Wi-Fi prioritization and Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Mesh routers let you expand your network to encompass significantly larger areas, better service multi-story homes, and accommodate older construction that may have signal-killing materials like brick walls or steel beams.

And the benefits of using a third-party router don’t stop there. Depending upon which Starlink router you have, you might find yourself stymied by a lack of external connections to accommodate all of your wired devices, like printers or network-attached storage (NAS) drives. Or, you might just be confused about which port is which and how to adjust the settings.

Which Starlink Router Do You Have?

Starlink shifted to new hardware earlier this year, making the Dish V4 and Gen 3 Router the standard for new customers. This move brings with it a number of improvements to both the specs and the performance. But the change also complicates the instructions for adding your own router to the mix. So, before we do anything else, let’s figure out which model you have.

If you got your rectangular dish in 2022 or 2023, you’ll be using the Gen 2 router, a Wi-Fi 5 router that has no external connectors beyond power and the proprietary cable that connects to the dish.

The Starlink Gen 2 router with Wi-Fi 5 was the standard until recently. (Credit: Brian Westover)

For this router, you’ll need to buy a Starlink Ethernet Adapter. To make the purchase, 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.

If you bought your gear this year, on the other hand, you probably have the newer Wi-Fi 6 model, called the Gen 3 Router. It comes with two external Ethernet ports (though they’re slightly hidden, so you might not see them at first), so no adapter is needed.

The Starlink Router Gen 3 with Wi-Fi 6 is what Starlink is selling now. (Credit: Brian Westover)

Whichever router you have, the process of connecting Starlink internet to your own hardware is pretty straightforward but not immediately intuitive. If you’ve got the latest equipment, read on for how to do it. If you’ve got an older version, skip to the section titled “For Older Gen 2 Routers, You’ll Need a Starlink Ethernet Adapter.”

On New 2024 Hardware, Grab an Ethernet Cable

Newer customers will get the Wi-Fi 6 router that comes with the 2024 Standard Installation Kit. Called the Gen 3 Router in support materials, the new router has a low, rectangular body and a removable port cover on the back of the unit that hides two RJ-45 Ethernet ports on the back.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

Because the ports are included, you don’t need the Ethernet Adapter that older Gen 2 Routers require. Using an Ethernet cable, you can connect the Starlink Gen 3 Router to the router or mesh networking hardware of your choice. Whether that’s a mesh system or a gaming router, the process is the same.

(Credit: Starlink)

Once you have your Starlink system installed, with the dish properly aligned, the router connected, and the proper account connected in the Starlink app, you can add a secondary router in just a few minutes, no adapter necessary.

Pull off the rubber port cover from the back of the router to expose two RJ-45 Ethernet ports…

(Credit: Brian Westover)

These will be used to connect your Starlink internet to the third-party router of your choice. You will need a standard Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable (NOT a crossover cable) to connect the Starlink router—either of the two Ethernet jacks in the middle will do—to the WAN (internet) port on your third-party router.

The Starlink router must stay powered on at all times since it powers both the router and the dish. You will also need to power the third-party router you’re adding, so plan accordingly to ensure enough outlets are available for everything.

Next, you’ll need to disable the Wi-Fi on your Starlink router to prevent network issues on the new equipment. Skip to the section titled “Using Starlink Bypass Mode” to learn how.

For Older Gen 2 Routers, You’ll Need a Starlink Ethernet Adapter

If you have the older Wi-Fi 5 router from 2021, also called the Gen 2 router, then you’ll need to buy the Starlink Ethernet Adapter, as mentioned earlier. This $25 accessory connects the Starlink dish cable to the Wi-Fi router and adds a single wired internet connection, which can be used to connect your Starlink service to other devices.

(Credit: Starlink)

That makes it the ideal accessory for connecting networked devices such as printers. It is also 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.

Starlink’s $25 Ethernet Adapter fits between the company’s dish cable and Wi-Fi router. (Credit: Starlink)

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.

A couple of caveats do exist, however, when it comes to using your own networking gear. This 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).

Using Starlink Bypass Mode

Regardless of which router you have and whether or not it requires an adapter, you’ll need to put the Starlink router into Bypass Mode. This disables the Wi-Fi on the router, letting it function purely as a modem and power supply for the dish, passing the internet routing duties on to the secondary router.

To do this, you will open the Starlink app and navigate to the Settings menu, where router settings should be selected by default.

(Credit: Brian Westover/Starlink)

If the Starlink dish settings are shown, simply use the slider at the top of the settings page to switch over to router settings. In the router settings, scroll down to Advanced settings and select Bypass Mode.

(Credit: Brian Westover/Starlink)

Once in the Bypass Mode page, there will be a simple slider and a warning message about Bypass Mode disabling Starlink Wi-Fi. Slide that slider all the way to the right to put the router into Bypass Mode.

Finally, you’ll need to configure the new router according to whatever instructions it comes with. Using Starlink as your internet source, you should be able to set up the router or mesh system as you would with any other ISP, with no additional changes needed for use with Starlink.

Disable Bypass Mode With a Factory Reset

If you ever want to switch back to standard router functions, you’ll need to reset the router to factory settings. That process is a little different depending on which router you have.

To do a factory reset on a Gen 3 Starlink router, you’ll disconnect the extra router but leave the Starlink router connected to wall power. Using a paperclip, you can press the reset button on the back of the Starlink router, which returns the router to default settings and back to normal function as the Wi-Fi router for your Starlink dish.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

For older Gen 2 Starlink routers, it’s not as straightforward. Instead of a simple reset button, you’ll need to power-cycle the router six times in a row. And since the router has no power button, that means unplugging and re-plugging the power cord that connects to the router. (It’s easier to do this by unplugging at the wall outlet than on the router itself since the bulky plug end is a bit awkward.)

Unplug, wait at least 1 second, and then replug, waiting for the power light to turn on. Repeat that five more times. After the sixth power cycle, the router will default back to factory settings.

What’s the Best Router for Starlink?

Pretty much any router can be used with Starlink internet by following the instructions above, whether you need something affordable, something made for gaming, or a range-expanding mesh system. If you’ve got an older Wi-Fi 5-equipped Gen 2 router, then you’ll benefit from even the most basic Wi-Fi 6 router from our selection of the best cheap routers. Anything you add that has Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E will be a significant improvement for your home network, and most will include parental controls and security features that the basic Starlink unit doesn’t have built-in. Newer Gen 3 Starlink routers already offer Wi-Fi 6, but you could always upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7.

Connectivity standards and speeds aren’t the only factors that go into choosing a router for Starlink, though, especially if you’re into online gaming or live in a larger home.

For gaming, we recommend getting a gaming router that’s made for the job. The standout capabilities include advanced QoS, which lets you prioritize gaming traffic above other uses, and gaming-focused firmware that offers everything from network monitoring and optimization to geo-filter tools that automatically prioritize closer host servers for faster connections with less lag.

And if you’re finding that the stock Starlink router Wi-Fi signal isn’t covering your whole house, the best way to eliminate dead spots is to use a mesh router. These systems use multiple connected nodes to provide larger coverage areas for Wi-Fi, expanding to handle any house or property, no matter how large. Each node in a mesh network is its own source of Wi-Fi signal, allowing you to eliminate dead spots and stretch your Wi-Fi as far as it needs to go. These systems have their own features, like apps for managing the different nodes and additional security and monitoring tools.

How to Set Up Starlink Mesh Wi-Fi

But mesh networking isn’t limited to third-party hardware. Starlink has mesh capabilities built into its routers. If you need an extra Wi-Fi node, you can use the older Gen 2 Router with both old and new Starlink routers, while the current Gen 3 router can also be paired with other Gen 3 units.

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.

(Credit: Starlink)

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 where 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 in-app instructions to pair the node with your existing Wi-Fi network. If you need to extend your wireless coverage across even greater distances, 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.