How to Use Your Own Wi-Fi Router With Starlink

From RVs to homes in remote areas, thousands rely on Starlink’s satellite-powered Internet. On top of wider coverage and decent speeds, Starlink also offers an easy setup process. You can connect it to power, let the dish align, and enjoy a Wi-Fi network. However, you may want to use a personal router instead of the built-in option. I have prepared a guide on how to use your Wi-Fi router with different Starlink models.

Why You Need a Different Router with Starlink

Here are some reasons to use a different router with Starlink:

• Better Signals: If you think the built-in router does not provide sufficient signal power, you may want a more powerful signal. I have seen this setup at large homes, where the built-in Starlink router can’t cover.
• Mesh Wi-Fi: You may also want to use a mesh Wi-Fi system of your choice. Sure, you can get Starlink Mesh from the store, but it may be expensive. Also, if you already have a mesh Wi-Fi system, you do not need an additional purchase, right?

• Better Control: You may also need better control over your network, including QoS settings, parental controls, or VPN. The Starlink router may not have these features, and it makes sense to use your Wi-Fi router for this purpose.
• Advanced Security: I have seen many Starlink routers complaining about the WPA2 security situation with the built-in router. So, if you need an advanced firewall or better security (WPA3) for the Wi-Fi network, a third-party router is the easiest solution.
• Gaming: You lose out on latency while using a service like Starlink instead of fiber Internet. And you wouldn’t want to suffer from Wi-Fi router latency as well, right? You can solve this problem by going for a low-latency gaming router.

On top of these, you may want to retain your existing network preferences while shifting from another ISP to Starlink.

Also, why stick to a suboptimal router when you have already invested quite a lot in a high-end Wi-Fi router?

Things You Need to Use Your Own Wi-Fi Router with Starlink

No matter what you want to do with your Wi-Fi router, you can follow these steps to use it with your Starlink connection. The steps and the equipment you need will be different based on your Starlink equipment. Do not worry; I have specified everything.

Starlink Gen 3 Router

If you have the Starlink Gen 3 Router (2024 Standard Installation Kit), connecting your Wi-Fi router to Starlink is pretty straightforward. The only thing you need is an Ethernet cable, which will connect the Starlink router to your router.

This Wi-Fi 6 router has two Ethernet ports on the back panel. You first need to take off the panel between the RJ45 and Power ports. You can use any of these Ethernet ports to extend the network and connect a Wi-Fi router of your choice.

So, you can go ahead and connect an Ethernet cable to this port and connect the other end to the WAN port of your Wi-Fi router.

Starlink Gen 2 Router

If you have the Starlink Gen 2 Router (Part of the 2022 or 2023 Installation kit), things are a little different. Another component is needed to connect to a third-party router because the Gen 2 Router lacks an Ethernet port. You need to purchase an Ethernet Adaptor from the Starlink shop.

This adaptor takes one connection from the Starlink cable and outputs two connections. One of these would go to the Starlink router, and you can use the other one to connect your router to the setup. This way, both the Starlink router and your router will receive the signal from the dish.

Starlink Gen 1 Router

In the case of the Gen 1 Router from Starlink, you don’t need to worry about adapters. It comes with a built-in Ethernet port, which you can use to connect to your Wi-Fi router. The rest of the steps are given below.

Starlink Mini

Starlink Mini also offers a convenient option when you want to connect it to a third-party router. Because Starlink Mini has a built-in Ethernet port, you can use it to connect to a router or a computer with an Ethernet port.

How to Use Starlink Bypass Mode

You have now connected the router to the Starlink setup using an Ethernet cable, right? This connection is not going to bring the Internet to your Wi-Fi router in a plug-and-play style. Instead, you need to use a feature called Bypass Mode. This applies to all Starlink setups, whether you use an Ethernet adaptor or not.

What is Bypass Mode?

Bypass Mode is a feature built into the Starlink system. It helps you to turn off the Starlink router so that you can use a third-party router instead of the built-in option. Needless to say, it is a convenient feature that can come in handy. When you enable Bypass Mode on your Starlink system, all the router functionalities will be turned off.

How to Enable Bypass Mode

You can use the Starlink app on your Android smartphone or iPhone to manage the router and enable Bypass Mode. The steps are:

1. Make sure that your phone is connected to the Starlink Wi-Fi network
2. Open the Starlink app on your smartphone
3. If not selected, select the Router page to see the settings
4. Go to Settings and choose Bypass Mode from the Advanced menu
5. On the next page, push the slider to the right to activate Bypass Mode

Now that you have activated Bypass Mode, you can configure the router as you wish. If you have already set up a network using the router, the network will have Internet access right now. Because the Starlink router relays the signal via Ethernet, the Wi-Fi router should be able to manage everything smoothly.

How to Disable Bypass Mode?

At times, you may want to turn off Bypass Mode and continue using the built-in Starlink router. The steps to disable Bypass Mode will vary based on the Starlink equipment model.

Starlink Gen 3 Router

To disable Bypass Mode on a Starlink Gen 3 router, you can follow these steps:

1. Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the Starlink router
2. However, make sure that the cable from the Starlink dish is connected to the Starlink router
3. Now, press and hold the Reset button that you can find between the two Ethernet ports for about 5 seconds.

The Starlink system will reset, and you can configure the system from scratch as you usually do. You can use these steps for Starlink Mini as well.

Starlink Gen 2 Router

Unfortunately, the Starlink Gen 2 Router does not have a power/Reset button. So, in order to factory reset the device and disable Bypass Mode, you need to rely on a Power Cycle.

1. Unplug the Starlink router from the power outlet
2. Wait for a few seconds
3. Plug the device back in

Repeat the process SIX times, and you will have the Starlink Gen 2 router factory reset. At this point, you can start with the setup procedure. Though it takes time, you can get the job done.

Our Experience Using Starlink with Our Router

We were quick to start using our router with Starlink instead of relying on the built-in Wi-Fi router. Here are some insights from our experience.

• Using a third-party Wi-Fi router brings a lot of advantages in terms of signal quality and coverage. We noticed this in a large cabin where we have set things up.
• The system we set up was mesh Wi-Fi, and it made all the difference in terms of overall coverage. It did not take a lot of effort from a configuration point of view.
• However, you must be careful about double-NAT issues if you want to use a network switch. You may need this setup if you need Ethernet connectivity.

In general, setting up another router with Starlink isn’t a time-consuming process. Just make sure that you follow the proper steps according to the router model.