Starlink RV Vs. Residential: All You Need to Know

Starlink RV is a remarkable service that allows you to enjoy fast speeds and low latency during travel. And now, with the new RV in-motion service, you can have internet access even while on the road. But how does Starlink RV compare to Residential? This article discusses Starlink RV vs. Residential, including features, pros and cons, and which is best suited for whom.

Table of Contents

Let’s take a look at how Starlink RV compares to Starlink Residential:

Hardware

Starlink RV and Starlink Residential have similar hardware. That means users get the same dish, router, base (the tripod stand), and cable. 

However, there’s a difference in accessories. While Starlink Residential has various accessories available for order from the official online store, the RV case is the only accessory available for RV service. Therefore, you must source any accessories you might need, such as a mount, from a third-party vendor.

mage of a mount

(Caption: Image of a mount)

Performance

Starlink has good speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps and a relatively low latency of 20 to 40 ms. And because both services have the same hardware, the performance capability is the same. 

However, because Starlink prioritizes Residential users, RV users experience network interferences during peak times when there’s congestion. Therefore, Starlink Residential is superior to RV in performance. 

Image depicting network congestion

(Caption: Image depicting network congestion)

However, residential users with the portability feature face the same network issues RV subscribers face during heavy traffic.

Cost

Starlink charges a standard one-time fee of $599, that’s the same for both RV and Residential. Then a monthly rate of 135 for RV and 110 for Residential.

Interestingly, Starlink Residential users can pay an additional $25 for an additional portability option, which enables them to travel with their dish like RV subscribers.

Pausing Capability

Amazingly, you can pause the RV service whenever you plan not to use it. And during this time, you don’t have to pay for it.

However, you can only cancel the service with Residential, not pause. And once you cancel, you don’t automatically get it back. Rather it depends on the availability, and you may end up on the waitlist.

Availability

Starlink RV is more available than Residential. After placing an order, it gets shipped immediately. However, with Residential, there’s limited availability, and you’re likely to end up on a waitlist. 

 Image of delivered order

(Caption: Image of delivered order)

Transfer Service

Unfortunately, Starlink does not allow the transfer of RV service. That means you can’t sell the dish and transfer the service to the buyer’s name if you’re no longer using it. Consequently, there’s no market, so you can’t buy a used dish.

On the other hand, with Residential, you can transfer the service to another person. Consequently, there’s a market for used dishes.

Less Reliable

As mentioned earlier, Starlink prioritizes Residential subscribers. Therefore when there’s heavy network traffic, RV users feel the pinch as they experience outages.

When picking a Starlink service, the guide to your best option is your intended use. If you plan on using the service as home internet, then the Residential service will serve you better as it offers faster speeds. 

user enjoying Residential internet

(Caption: User enjoying Residential internet)

However, if you plan on using the service during recreational travel, then the RV service will serve you better. Thanks to this service, you can access Starlink’s internet while on the road.

Image of user enjoying internet while traveling

(Caption: Image of user enjoying internet while traveling)

FAQs

The main difference is that Starlink RV is for use when traveling, while Residential is, as the name suggests, for use at home. That said, Starlink now has a portability feature now available to Residential users at an additional fee of $25 per month.  

Yes, you can switch from RV to Residential. Go to your account via the web or app and select Manage Line of Service. Then under Service Type, click on RV. However, keep in mind that once you switch your service type from RV to Residential or vice versa, you cannot revert. 

In terms of bandwidth, Starlink gives Residential users priority, meaning slower speeds for RV users. Especially in areas with heavy traffic, Residential users get better service than RV users. With Starlink Residential, expect speeds of between 90 Mbps to 200 Mbps, while with the Starlink RV, the speeds are around 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps.

Conclusion

That’s Starlink RV vs. Starlink Residential. Now you understand better how the two services compare in terms of hardware, cost, and performance. Also, the advantages and disadvantages of RV over Residential and the circumstances suited to each of the two services.

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