The Starlink Ethernet Adapter is an accessory from Starlink that adds an Ethernet port to your system. It’s a small device that plugs into the router. The Wifi router that is included with the Standard hardware kits does not have an Ethernet port. So if you would like to connect devices to the internet using a hardwire Ethernet connection instead of Wifi, you will need the Starlink Ethernet Adapter.
In this guide, I will walk you through the very simple steps of installing and setting up the Ethernet Adapter. I’ll also give you my review, including my initial impressions and a long term report of how it’s been working out since I bought it. Finally, I’ll answer a couple of important questions about compatibility and how to go about purchasing one for yourself.
Table of Contents
Video Tutorial
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Setup and Installation
Installing the Starlink Ethernet Adapter is very simple, and there is virtually no setup required. You don’t need any tools or IT skills, just follow these steps:
Step 1 – Unplug the Starlink router AC power cord from the wall. You will want the dish and router turned off while we reconfigure the cables.
Step 2 – Unplug the Starlink antenna cable from the bottom of the router.
Step 3 – Plug the Starlink Ethernet Adapter into the router, where the Starlink antenna cable was.
Step 4 – Plug the Starlink antenna cable into the connector on the Starlink Ethernet Adapter.
Step 5 – You can now power everything back on by plugging in the router AC power cord at the wall.
Give the Starlink system several minutes to boot up and connect to satellites. You can monitor the status of the system from the Starlink App. Once the app indicates that Starlink is Online, you are all set! There is no additional setup required. Your Wifi will continue to work as normal, but now you can connect devices via Ethernet for internet access.
Review
I was an early beta tester for Starlink, when they were still selling the round dish. The round dish router has an Ethernet port built in, so I was confused by the decision to remove the Ethernet port for the next generation hardware that is being sold today to customers. My guess is that Starlink believes most people don’t use the Ethernet port. They are probably right. These days, everything connects via Wifi, from our TV’s, to our computers, to our cell phones. Most people won’t need an Ethernet port, so Starlink eliminated it on the router to lower manufacturing costs. And if your situation requires a hardwire connection, the adapter is just an extra $25 from the Starlink shop.
What else can I say, there really isn’t much to this device. It’s small and simple to install. It just sits between the router and the dish, and gives you one Ethernet port. It’s made of a nice looking plastic that matches the other Starlink hardware. It’s profile allows it to easily hang behind a desk or cabinet. If you’re like me, you will install it, shove it behind your desk, and forget it even exists. That’s a good thing in my book.
Long term, it’s worked as expected. I haven’t had a single issue with it, and I’ve mostly forgotten about it because it just does it’s job. I have my main PC plugged into it so that I don’t have to do any gaming or video conferencing over Wifi. Connecting via Ethernet has certainly proved to be faster and more reliable than Wifi. Is it worth it? Yes, and you don’t have much choice if you want an Ethernet port to plug devices in, or to use an aftermarket router with Starlink.
Where Can I Buy It?
The Starlink Ethernet Adapter can only be purchased at the official Starlink.com Shop. You need to have a Starlink account and be logged in to access the page. It costs $25.
Compatibility
The Starlink Ethernet Adapter is compatible with the following dish/antenna versions:
- Standard
- High Performance
- Flat High Performance
You don’t need the adapter if you have the original round dish. The router for the round dish has a built in Ethernet port.
Although the Ethernet Adapter is compatible with the Flat High Performance and High Performance kits, it isn’t necessary. Those kits include a cable that will connect the dish directly to a 3rd party router, switch, or any other network equipment with an RJ45 connector.
Related: How To Bypass The Starlink Router
I have the ehternet adapter and have tried to connect it to a netgear router that I want to connect a LAN printer – no light appears on the router when I connect the CAT from the ethernet adapter — and I cannot connect to the printer — does this mean the ethernet adapter is faulty
It could be. Have you tried connecting the printer directly to the Ethernet Adapter? Do you have another device like a PC that you could connect to the Ethernet Adapter to see if it connects to the internet?
Hello, following the deployment of the STARLINK router with a FORTINET 60F (7.0.12 Mature OS) box for IPSEC coexistence at a corporate site, we have noticed a negotiation issue between the FORTINET interface and the ETHERNET adapter of the STARLINK router. The FORTINET port is set to AUTO, and we have a 1Gb connection, but we are experiencing significant packet loss in the PING. The only solution we have found so far is to decrease the FORTINET speed to 100Full, but this results in poor throughput for our IPSEC VPN. Is there a problem with the adapter? Thank you in advance. Kind regards.
This seems to be a common issue with the Starlink router and Ethernet Adapter. Lots of other people are having the same problem, even years ago, without much in the way of a solution from what I’ve read.
My suggestion would be to upgrade to the High Performance hardware, so you can ditch the Starlink router and Ethernet Adapter completely. The Standard hardware wasn’t designed for anything too advanced, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Starlink intentionally limited the Ethernet Adapter in some way. Most customers aren’t relying on 1 gig home networks, or really any task that would push the Ethernet connection beyond 100 mbps.
I do not agree with this. We have thousands of clients that use ethernet networks at their home. Starlink is also used by small businesses as well, for both backup at work and also for their home offices if they work from there.
How would I connect my Starlink Gen 2 to my home coax network?
You can’t connect Starlink to coax.
Do you mean connect to the network that your Cable internet vendor is connected to, or do you mean directly to the Cable Modem/Gateway?
If you are connecting to your home/business network that gets internet from a cable vendor, then you will need a firewall/router with dual WAN capabilities, that just means that your router has 2 internet inputs and can failover from one to the other in case of an outage. Hope that’s it.
If you mean attaching the Starlink router to the actual Cable internet gateway as a backup or to increase speeds, that’s not possible, at least with the ones I’ve worked with.
Thanks for explaining how this stupid thing works. It’s frankly unbelievable. Not everything connects to wifi and not everyone WANTS everything to connect to wifi. Fuggin thing is called a router and doesn’t have a network port!?!?!?! Would be nice if they were availabel for $25, they’re hard to source at all in many contries and I’ve seen one place selling them here for a couple of hundred dollars each! Despicable bull shite from Starlink.
I was told by our tech person we can have either WiFi or a hardwire connection, but not both, with the high-performance dish, and it has something to do with the shape of the plug where the ethernet adapter plugs into the HP equipment. Is that correct? We need our dish to be able to do both, and I want to use the mesh nodes, not a third-party wifi router.
No, that isn’t right. If using the included Starlink router, you can plug the Ethernet Adapter into the router, and then use the included “router cable” to plug the Ethernet Adapter into the power supply. Ethernet is provided by the adapter, and Wi-Fi from the router.
That’s what I thought but he said for the high-performance dish the angle of the cord is different ??. I’m not there in person right now since I’m traveling, but I don’t understand why that would be the case.
I think he is looking at the wrong cable. The HP kit comes with a couple different cables. There should be one cable that plugs into the power supply at one end, and then a right angle connector on the other end that can plug into the Ethernet Adapter or directly to the router itself.
Possibly – I’ll look into it more when I get back at the end of the month. Thanks for the feedback!
From the Ethernet adapter, how many feet of Cat6 can be run? 100Meters? Less?
I would stay under 100 meters for the best performance.
Will Apple TV work with the latest Starlink router and the Starlink RJ45 wired adapter?
Yes, I haven’t heard any reports of issues with Apple TV devices.
hi I have the rectangle starling dish, so no ethernet connection, I purchased a ethernet connector to run stuff with ethernet, it didn’t work and after a few frustrating days concluded it must be faulty. ordered anew one and its arrived and same thing, can’t get my computer to connect to starling via ethernet.
I have rebooted the starling several times and nothing different.
does anyone out there have any suggestions????????
Most likely a faulty router. I would create a support ticket so Starlink can send you a new one to try.
Ethernet cable question. does the adapter use a 6 or 8 wire connection?
There are 8 pins on the connection. It’s an RJ45 port.
Hi Noan Clarke,
Thank you very much for your detailed article ” How To Bypass The Starlink Router.
Could you please help me solve my problem with old model round dish ( with AUX port on bottom) StarLink internet router
I think I accidentally set it in some strange mode. It is behaving like this in row being connected to my WiFi network “ValLor2022″ CH6 (2437 MHz) (20MHz)
and
” (2437 MHz) (20MHz) CH6 (2437 MHz) (20MHz) (TP-Link).
1. “ValLor2022” connected upload and download for 20 seconds
2. switched to “ValLor2022” connected “upload only” for 20 seconds
3 switched to “ValLor2022” connected “download only” for 20 seconds
repeating this sequence indefinitely
The “ValLor2022_EXT” sometimes up and sometimes totally gone (not shown at all).
What should I do to remove “ValLor2022” and “ValLor2022_EXT” completely and set new WiFi network(s)?
Please help me, I am shucked.
Best Wishes,
Val
I would factory reset the Starlink router. With the Gen 1 router, there is a reset button to press with a paperclip or something small. Then you can set up your Wifi network again.
I’m currently on DSL at the house and we run a cat5 from the house router to a garage office so it has its own wifi. If I get this adapter and Starlink in the house can I do the same setup? Will it run a secondary router? The garage is too far for wifi.
Yes, simply replace the DSL connection with Starlink and your setup will work the same.
Hi! Have you personally used the Starlink ethernet adapter with the high performance dish? I’ve used that ethernet adapter many times with the residential Starlink dish, but I tried to use it with a high performance dish and it completely crashed the Starlink router. I had to factory default the router to get it back online. I unplugged the system from power when making the change. I’ve found zero documentation from Starlink showing that this adapter works with the HP dish.
It is compatible according to their website. When you visit the online shop, the Ethernet Adapter is shown as an accessory for the High Performance dish. I haven’t personally used this setup. Most people will go straight to a 3rd party router with the HP hardware, so the Ethernet Adapter isn’t necessary.
Thanks. Seems like I cannot look at the shop unless I am a Starlink customer.
Hi there, we have had our Starlink for two months and are very happy with it. We are wanting to extend coverage to our man cave to run a golf simulator. I would also like to have wifi in that building 100 feet from house clear view. The building has metal siding, I think I can get signal to the building with a TP Link point to point…my question is can add a router to that client port to run a wifi signal in the man cave. I am not tech savvy at all so hesitant to get started. do I need to bypass the home wifi via starlink to do that?
The easiest way to do this would be to run the TP Link router in “access point” mode. It won’t act as another router, it will just expand Wi-Fi coverage.
Hi Noah, thanks for the incredibly useful information! We are building a new house and our only option for high speed internet is Satellite and obviously Starlink is by far the best way to go. I am considering doing Cat7 throughout the house. My question is what is the best way to setup the network? Ethernet hub after the adapter then switches or just daisy chain switches throughout the house? We will be streaming television throughout the house, have a security system that works best with ethernet, have 2 separate AV stations, and 2 computer desks that will need to be setup for video conferencing, using Zoom mostly. Also would you recommend a third party WIFI router? Also is there a better way other than what I am asking? Thanks!
I would install a central network cabinet somewhere in the house, and route the Starlink cable there, with the Starlink router and Ethernet Adapter also inside the cabinet. From the Ethernet Adapter, connect to a network switch. All your devices can also be run down to this switch. A 3rd party router or mesh system is recommended for more advanced networking settings, but the Starlink router will be fine for most applications.
Thanks Noah, I hired a networking specialist and he 100% agrees with you and it is what we will do.
Good afternoon!
Noah Clarke, thanks for sharing your knowledge and how to use the adapter.
I have a difficulty, maybe a problem.
I have 03 kits and for each one we buy the ethernet adapter, when using the adapters our internet bandwidth limited to 5Mbps for download and 10/15Mbps for upload.
Did you encounter this problem in your test?
NOTE: When using the router’s wi-fi network, I have an average of 200Mbps.
If you get this result with 3 different kits and Ethernet Adapters, I’m thinking the device you are connecting to it is the problem. Probably a link speed setting.
Did you get this resolved? We’re having the same problem.
Hi there, thanks for a very helpful blog. I have a question regarding my existing wired home network. I had no problem setting up the Ethernet adapter, and restarting the starlink router and having successful connection to the existing network. However eventually (typically a day or so) the connection is lost to the network (while the starlink hub still works fine) and I have to restart the starlink hub to reconnect the network. The Ethernet adapter connects to a D-link switch, where cables run out to sensors, an AirPort Extreme base station which serves as Time Machine for a couple computers with a usb cable to a printer so it can be accessed wirelessly, and a cable also runs from the d-link switch to separate building where there is an apple wireless hub in what I think is extension mode for wireless and also Ethernet connections to sensors, solar panels and a computer. Sounds like a complex setup, but it has worked fine with our old router on dsl, and I simply switched from the old router to the starlink hub through Ethernet adapter. Where do you think the culprit for dropped connection may be? Is it starlink hub, d-link Ethernet switch, having other wireless hubs in bridge or extension mode on the the local Ethernet network? Would be delighted to hear any suggestions. Thanks!
Are there any other network routers involved? I’m not familiar with the Apple products mentioned, but I’m assuming the AirPort can act as a network router? If so, and you are doubled NAT’ed (having two routers on the same network), that can cause issues like this.
Thank you, yes the airport extreme can act as a network router, though it is set in bridge mode. I keep it on there as a time machine to back up my laptop wirelessly. The other router in the separate building may also cause such an issue. I could disconnect and see if that helps.
Or would setting the starlink hub in bypass mode potentially resolve the issue?
If you don’t mind the router in the other building handling everything, it would be best to run the Starlink router in bypass mode. Keep in mind, this disables the Wifi on the Starlink router. If you don’t have other access points, that might be an issue. Alternatively, you could run the separate building router in access point mode and leave the Starlink router on.
Thanks Noah. I actually disconnected both other routers to see if that would help, and I still lost LAN connection to the starlink hub after a few hours. So Bypass mode might be best to try. I saw on the app that the starlink router will require a reset if I wish to disable bypass and return to normal status (if I find out it does not help my LAN connectivity). Have you ever heard of people having issues with resetting their starlink hub?
By the way, can the d-link switch cause similar problems with connectivity?
Haven’t heard of issues doing a factory reset on the Starlink router. The switch can cause issues, depending on the type of configuration it has. Is it acting just as a hub or are there advanced settings in place like VLAN’s?
it is an unmanaged switch acting as an ethernet hub. https://amzn.to/3rNtQhY
Well I went into bypass mode, and then nothing worked. And then I realized I had been bypassing a Gargoyle hub I had put in the original network before the router to measure individual device bandwidth usage. The house router was set in bridge mode, and the second router working as a second access point. This may explain the dropping network, the fact it was running without the gargoyle hub it initially had. Needless to say, hooked up Gargoyle, with Starlink in bypass mode, and all is working swimmingly. Thanks for taking the time to help me troubleshoot, and hopefully this is a resilient resolution 😉 sure enjoy Starlink after DSL! Thanks again.
Hello, I have Starlink and will be using a series of TP Link deco M4’s to create a mesh to boost the signal.
My first question is ; should I use the Starlink router as the router to disable it and use the deco as the router?
If I do then am I correct in thinking I use bypass mode on the Starlink and then I need to use my decos in router mode and not AP mode?
second question ; what will give faster speed. Starlink router and mesh as AP’s or bypass Starlink and use docos as router.
many thanks
Hi Noah –
first question should read –
should I use the Starlink router as the router OR disable it and use the deco as the router?
No problem, I understood what you meant. I recommend disabling the Starlink router and using the Deco router instead.
I recommend using the TP-Link as the router. So you would turn on bypass mode in the Starlink app to disable the Starlink router. You’ll get better mesh performance by using the TP-Link as the router instead of the Starlink unit.
Hello, I am hoping someone can help here. I have TWO items that I have to plug in. Is it possible to do this by purchasing two of them from Starlink?
I recommend purchasing an unmanaged switch. Plug the Ethernet adapter into the switch, and then plug any devices into the switch. Something like this is cheap and would work great:
https://amzn.to/3NTY7nz
we have the rectangular disk set up and functioning properly but the first ethernet adaptor cable failed after a few days and now the new replacement will NOT work. We HAVE TO HAVE ETHERNET cable – customer service with Starlink is HORRIBLE and all we are getting is the standard BOT suggestion ie: “make sure everything is plugged in, etc”
Any suggestions other than just sending it all back for a refund?
What are you plugging into the Ethernet Adapter? I would try to factory reset the Starlink router and see if that helps. I’ve also seen that the router itself can be the issue causing the Ethernet Adapter to not work, so that would be the next thing to replace.