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Starlink Internet coming to Mexico


KevinR

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Going out of business, maybe but doubtful. More likely as in the case of Starlink Mexico they weren't selling as many as they anticipated to support their service. When I first heard the price of Starlink Mexico identical to prices in the States, it was a head scratcher.... they would only attract wealthy Meicans and well-off expats.

Now, I think they can reach more of the up and coming Mexican middle-class, and more expats who can fit the new prices into their budgets. Monthly service is $1,100 MX ($55 USD/ $72 CAD ) and equipment cost $8,300 MX ($420 USD/ CAD $540).

Living east of Chapala in Tlachichilco (past Vista del Lago Country Club) it's a real option and we'll own the equipment and most of our forum users here who have Starlink seem very pleased with their decision. We may be next!

👾 🚀 💯

 

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7 hours ago, Jubilacion said:

More likely as in the case of Starlink Mexico they weren't selling as many as they anticipated

It's because the prior pricing was unsophisticated. There was one monthly price globally, basically the U.S. price. As the email says,

Quote

The price reduction factors in your local market conditions and is meant to reflect parity in purchasing power across our customers.

If you have a look at r/starlink, there are reports of reductions in other countries to a more locally affordable price. Users in southern Spain went from €108/mo to €70 (~$70 USD).

It's maturity, not failure.

LQ

 

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Saw a video of the Zelensky guy talking to the UN security council. He uses starlink. Maybe not next month after the connection he had. Of course they can afford better. Well actually our tax dollars can afford for awhile to buy him something better. Starlink if weather or sunspots service is bad. Fiber optic or cable is the way to go.

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12 hours ago, Stream said:

Well actually our tax dollars can afford for awhile to buy him something better.

Just to clarify, the technical press I've followed has told fairly heroic stories of Ukrainian network engineers' improvisational talents in keeping the Government there online, and of what the (again, improvised) injection of SpaceX-donated Starlink terminals has done for a far-flung civilian population.

The mainstream press' default mode is to flatter the Western taxpayer, but by my reading, U.S. taxpayer largess isn't part of this story, and I think that's worth clearing up. Wouldn't want to congratulate ourselves unduly. :) 

LQ

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just to ride this "Starlink" horse 🏇 a little bit more here's an update.... Muchas gracias! 

As I've shared, living east of Vista del Lago we have struggled with internet the past two years. We are streamers Netflix, Prime, etc. TelMex was too slow with frequent buffering and outages (1.5 Mbps download, no lie); Telcel decent speed 10 Mbps but throttled usage which hurt us bad; then Starlink entered the picture and sealed the deal when they lowered prices.

I ordered the system on 8/27. Starlink arrived 8/30 at iShop. I installed it 9/1 on the roof and were off to the races with speed and reliability. It installed easy as some of you have shared. The downtime and interruptions are non-existent and so far latency is very good. We couldn't be more pleased 2-weeks into service.

Highly recommend and thank you to all who participated in this forum discussion!! 🇲🇽

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Hi All,

I live in rural east Chapala. Seriously considering getting Starlink because everything else is either non-existent out here, or constantly goes down. My question is… has anybody shared their service or account with a neighbor? Seems to me the equipment (and monthly account) could be shared with someone else with the proper add-on equipment. What kind of equipment, I have no idea. Someone told me you could actually share it with someone 25 miles away from the installed dish on a roof. That seems far fetched to me, but what do I know? Of course Starlink probably says No Sharing unless it’s a Business Account. Know anyone locally who can set up the system  to share among neighbors with the proper extra equipment? I’m getting desperate for consistent Internet service but even with the recent reduction in price, I still really can’t afford it on my own. But my neighbor is interested in sharing it. Thanks for the info.

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56 minutes ago, Mary Woods said:

1101001011010011100101010101010...

But seriously, the informed commentaries (such as those of the estimable LQ above in this thread) that I've seen seem to indicate that a generic router attached to the SL gear would support an affordable ethernet cable (say Category 6) of 100 meters, which should include the gentle bending required to fit the cable to your indoor gear, plus, if needed, the burial of the cable in some cheap PVC pipe to reach the neighbors house, and then their installation. 

I did such an installation to my office in the redwoods, and at 100 mt (the published maximum spec) there was no signal slowdown for DSL.  Goofy people everywhere use WiFi unnecessarily, but if it were appropriate in your situation, I don't know if it would effect performance.

There are Microwave systems for a few hundred bucks that require line of sight and many have a range of a mile or so that might interface with SL - some of them are considered 'plug and play'.  

I've always thought this kind of facility sharing was a great idea, with the right partners...

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First, all my reading says that one can share their Starlink connection BUT not if one is charging for that. However, no one is going to know nor find out that someone in the countryside of Mexico is sharing with a neighbor.  Just be aware that whatever your neighbor might be doing on the Internet, it really is YOU that is doing it legally.

Also, depending on how far away your neighbor is, the connection could also be done wirelessly in addition to a copper wire as mentioned above. Using some sort of 'extender', a wifi signal could be transmitted from your casa to the neighbor's casa. Depending on the repeater chosen, 400' is doable... maybe more I don't know.  A device such as a Ubiguiti M2 could be deployed. Things like this would require someone with the technical knowledge to set it up... not very lay-person oriented. 

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22 hours ago, utilitus said:

LQ above in this thread

Hola. Lou Quillio here, your friendly neighborhood Google software engineer and all-around bon vivant. Mucho gusto.
 

23 hours ago, Mary Woods said:

I live in rural east Chapala. Seriously considering getting Starlink

Should work well, depending.

  • You need a flat surface, preferably elevated, to place the satellite dish on. A standard rooftop mirador works well. Without this, you'd need to mount the dish somehow, which is doable but adds complexity. A patio at ground level can also work -- again, depending.
     
  • The site for the dish (a jargon-y term is "dishy") needs an unobstructed view of the northern sky. No walls, foliage, tall trees, etc. If you're hard by the mountains, that can also limit the view. The best way to check suitability is to get the Starlink smartphone (or tablet) app. It has a cool tool for finding a good location.
     

     
  • There are no refunds. You buy the dish outright, and own it. You can, however, sell it.
     
  • Starlink won't know or care that you're sharing. They also won't hold your hand. It's still a service for semi-nerds.
     
  • How close is the neighbor? You can get a very rough idea by pacing-off the distance. An average-sized man's stride is 2.5 ft. Consider 90 meters or yards (270 ft.) to be a hard limit, and a 100 ft. cable would be nice. Sharing wifi from house-to-house will likely be unsatisfying. Other solutions are possible but more complex.
     
  • You'll need some networking gear. At a minimum you'll want a dumb ethernet switch, to act as a splitter, a long-ish length of ethernet cable, and a wifi gateway device for each house. A gigabit switch can be ~$30 USD, a decent 100-200 ft. CAT 6 ethernet cable maybe $20-$40 (light color, if the sun will be on it).

    There are many choices for what I'll call a wifi base station.Figure $100 USD for each house. One of you could possibly use the provided Starlink Wifi, but I'd forgo their device, split the Starlink signal, and each go your own way.
     
  • How well a wifi signal permeates one's house is of course an individual matter. If you're happy with good wifi in one room only, or one floor, things are simpler.
     
  • Remember, jointly owning a $500+ USD item (and a $55/mo bill) has social implications. Better know the neighbors well.
     
  • I'm not available for hire.

That's about it. Start with the Starlink app, to see if you have a good site. If not, Starlink's not for you.

LQ

 

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Mary,

In addition to the suggestions above, I will add that it IS possible to share an internet source using just Wifi.  There are available many relatively low cost options for fairly long distance transmissions.  Generally, this would be done using more powerful 2 Wifi antennas, one connected to the source and another at the home (or homes) of your sharing partners.

Clear line of sight is imortant, some limited obstructions might be easily overcome, depending on the specific issues/location.

Consider as an example, many R.V. parks offer Wifi, which in some cases have a single source servicing entire parks.

Without knowledge of your specific location, the loction(s) of those that you would be sharing with, and the physical obstructions between any two points, it's difficult/impossible to say for sure exactly what you'd need and how well it would work. 

I have done quite well with long distance Wifi arrangements in multiple locations, simply by using a single (much) better Wifi antenna at my end, and demonstrated the possibilities to multiple RV'ers who've also improved their Wifi in a "game changing" manner. 

If you'd like to discuss more, please send me a private message.

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I have a product on my RV... WifiRanger Sky 4..... which acts as a "booster" of RV park weak wifi signals. It's not merely a booster but rather can 'reach out' to camp wifi signals and then re-broadcasts a new wifi signal strong in your trailer and outside of it. Works well and is said to be able to enhance signals from 1/4 mile away. I can't attest to THAT kind of distance but....

Set-up is not for a novice but once set up it's pretty easy to use. Cost several hundred dollars and uses DC current so would also need a AC-DC converter, readily available. Also note that the Sky4 is only one of several options available from WifiRanger (now owned by Winegard) including routers etc. 

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Radio signal transmission/reception isn't something I have expertise in, but I do have some practical applications experience.  Other's will certainly know more of the technical aspect than I do and should feel free to correct my every error.

All our basic radio devices, computers, notebooks/pads (with Wifi) wireless home phones, Cell phones, modems, range extenders, CB (citizen band) radios, etc. (some but not all Wifi routers) have several things in common related to this discussion. 

They are (commonly) "transceivers" meaning they both transmit and receiver radio waves, the frequencies ranges of Wifi (cell phone use an additional/different frequency range for non-Wifi). 

Their "power" is also commonly quite low, regulated by law, and thus they don't have much "range", much ability to receive or transmit very far or through metal, cement/brick walls, thick foliage, through hills and such, which is I believe the basis of the "line of sight" concept.  If you can't "see" the other end (transmitter or receiver) you likely won't have a usable radio signal.

For comparison, many of us years past have used Walkie-talkies as kids, at work, in the military service.  Such experience reminds of how limited the ranges of such devices were in childhood and all the kinds of things that hamper decent use. 

Another similarity is, they all have antennas, either internal or external or both.  And nearly all of these antennas are of low potential, somewhat matched to the low power of the device.  They are not (generally) intended for even medium distances nor for use three rooms down the hall.

More power in the device alone can/may help but isn't always sufficient for desired results.  (Devices for increasing transmission power exist)  But, an improved antenna can often make a HUGE difference in both signal strength and quality.

Many of the modems we get from the various internet services companies have an internal antenna, some have the ability to add an external, others come in the box with one or more external antennas.  (The latter will almost certainly allow for greater distances/thicker walls)

There are lots of devices available for improving Wifi signal strength and quality which equates as well to distance.

Personally, I have purchase and used various products from Alfa Network https://www.alfa.com.tw/ these can usually be found on Amazon as well as many other sites.

For a simple and HUGE increase (most cases) in Wifi signal strength and quality for a computer (most any device with Wifi and a USB port) I have used something similar to this: Alfa AWUS036NHA Wireless B/G/N USB Adaptor.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Alfa-AWUS036NHA-Wireless-USB-Adaptor/dp/B004Y6MIXS/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=%22alfa+network%22&qid=1663864705&sr=8-6

This USB adapter happens to have a 5 dB (Decibel) Omni directional antenna.

A few words about the meaning of dB values...  A Decibel is a way to measure sound waves (be it from voice, neighbors radio, Wifi, etc.), and, most importantly, the expression on a logarithmic scale.  Bigger number increases dramatically the potential.

I'm not the right person to explain radio signal power, amplitude, etc., but in simple terms, an antenna with a higher dB rating is going to give you more of what you want for Wifi transmission/reception (within the limits of the power of the devices we are all using).

So, a 10 dB antenna is generally going to give a far better signal relationship than a 5 dB antenna. 

The device mentioned above uses a 5 dB antenna, and has "changed life" for many RV folks I've met, once they plug that into their computer.  Doing nothing else.  Seriously.  (many other devices will do the same)

As the dB rating increases, generally, the (Pole) antenna length will increase, but, the signal processing from a pole antenna happens at the tip.  So, in mounting, the entire antenna may not need to be exposed, but, a higher (elevation) mounting, higher off the roof, will help.

A pole antenna, having a Omni directional type of coverage, will pick up and send signals in (almost) every direction.  So, it can reach Wifi sources from off to your left and off to your right, in front and behind it's location.

Using a device almost identical to the one noted above, signals can be received (with clear line of sight) for miles.  Of course, the signal power of the transmitter/receiver in the specific devices are certainly low power, so there are inherent limitations.  None the less, I have proven this to myself over and over again.

A pole antenna is commonly used (where an external antenna is in place) for locations where you might place the Wifi modem in say, the middle of the house (or RV park), and the transmissions will be going off in all directions in relatively equal proportions, including to some degree, up into space (which is wasted energy).

This has value in such settings, but, for longer distances, moving to a directional antenna may make more sense.  Directional antennas use a focused beam of sorts, taking the same dB potential and pointing it at a more limited, specific direction, and depending on specifics, may have a range from 180 degrees horizontal, to perhaps 7 degrees or less.

Same amount of "power" as Omni directional, just focused, and therefore, resulting in a greater distance reach.

Using a directional antenna, you may not need to greatly increase the dB since all the signal is focused, as compared to shooting out in all directions, the focused power of a 5 dB will reach much further than that of an Omni directional 5 dB (pole) antenna.

Using the same USB adapter device noted above, and replacing it's included, 5 dB antenna, with say, a 10 dB (pole) antenna, will show you Wifi (clear line of sight) from perhaps 10 miles away.

In my case, using this combination, I can see Wifi modems located across the lake.  I'm not saying I can use those, first and foremost, I don't have and haven't tried to acquire the passwords.  This statement is just for understanding the potential.

The item below is a 10dB directional antenna with 66 degree horizon and a 16 degree vertical.  Actually, that's quite a wide spread, but would be suitable if there were say, two or more houses some distance away that you wanted to share with.

https://www.amazon.com/Alfa-APA-M25-directional-connector-WL-ANT-157/dp/B00R1PA9EO/ref=sr_1_15?crid=3OVJ2R6YAY0L4&keywords=%22alfa+network%22+antenna&qid=1663865944&sprefix=alfa+network+antenna%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-15

For greater distances, or, in the case of limited line of sight, you might choose something like this...

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Range-Directional-Wireless-Security-Surveillance/dp/B0B386PY5N/ref=sr_1_19?crid=3TACNG2GO2U1E&keywords=%22alfa%2Bnetwork%22%2Bdirectional%2Bantenna&qid=1663866343&sprefix=alfa%2Bnetwork%2Bdirectional%2Bantenna%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-19&th=1

I've a similar one purchased when I was learning/experimenting with what might be accomplished over distances.  It is really quite remarkable.

Alfa and many other companies offer many other options, including "Yagi" and "Parabolic" types of antennas.  (A proper parabolic antenna can read 20 miles for about $200 usd.)

My preface of the above was aimed at just boosting something like a computer's ability to have decent Wifi.  USB is only one of the adapter types available.

The next step, specially if you're really dealing with some distance or obstruction, is to equip the source with something similar.

Adding a simple 5dB external antenna (and turning it on in the settings/options) to a modem, will (obviously?) increase the strength.  In some cases, it might be all that's needed to improve household, multi-room use.  In other cases, a larger dB antenna or, having one on both the modem and the computer might be required.

A focused beam (directional) antenna at each end, has the potential to give high speed transmissions over many, many miles, mostly depending on how much you spend, mixed with a little bit (or more) of understanding.

Perhaps I should add that significant atmospheric conditions will probably degrade such signals, heavy rain, very fast winds, snow.

Some of you may know of the Chapala internet service called Spyderweb.  They deliver internet using similar kinds of equipment mentioned above, over long distances, though, they also may also use different wave lengths for a part of the process.  They send (or did) from Chapala across the lake to places like Tuxcueca or San Cristobal, and relay from one of those to Jocotepec.

So, Mary, if you've read this far, you may not understand all the details, but you might understand that, depending on how many houses you'd want to share your signal with, how far they are, what obstacles (line of sight) need to be over come, it is quite possible, even feasible to achieve.  Including say, to someone on the other side of the lake.

And there are devices which you can include in your set up (only need one) that would control/limit who can access your Wifi, hours of operation and even, limit the bandwidth they can individually use, based on various factors that might make sense (time of day, overall consumption), so that no one participant is using so much that it limits what's available for the others.  (You can even make it so you get the Lion's share if you want)

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25 minutes ago, LarryA said:

In my case, using this combination, I can see Wifi modems located across the lake.

This is often called "stumbling" -- that is, sniffing out [relatively] nearby wifi networks that broadcast a SSID (a network name). Using a stumbler in a car as you drive around is called "wardriving." It's not unethical. If somebody objects to you discovering their wifi network name, they should stop broadcasting it.

If I were an RVer I'd be all about prosumer wifi gear.

But for a case where you agree to share with your neighbor, between two, fixed locations, I'd just use ethernet if I could or a pre-made length of fiber optic cable if I couldn't. SFP transceivers (fiber<->ethernet) get cheaper all the time.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sfp%2B+transceiver

LQ

ps. A pre-made length because terminating fiber optic cable requires expensive professional gear.

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