If you are a travel and camping enthusiast, this Starlink 12V adapter guide perfectly suits you.
Starlink has solved almost every problem we previously had about internet access while traveling.
But one grey area lingers. How can you power the Starlink system without running the risk of exhausting our battery reserves?
We need to be frugal in power use while in an RV; otherwise, the traveling costs would overwhelm the thrill of operating away from home.
From this guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about connecting Starlink to a 12V DC power supply source.
Table of Contents
- How Does The Starlink Dish Get Its Power?
- Why DC Power?
- How to Power Starlink RV Internet Using 12V DC Supply？
- Conclusion
How Does The Starlink Dish Get Its Power?
Starlink is unique in almost all respects from conventional internet access modules. First, it lacks an outright power cord. So how does the Starlink dish connect to power?
It comes with an ethernet cord that popularly goes by the term Power over Ethernet (POE), A technology that allows power supply via the same cable carrying the internet signal.
It is part of the reason it is impossible to connect an aftermarket router to Starlink directly.
Therefore, to use the typical power supply modules we apply in other systems, we need to replace the Starlink router with one that can operate without the designated Starlink cord.
In a nutshell, we’ll need to use the following parts in part of the Starlink router and POE cord:
- A DC power supply cord
- A typical aftermarket WiFi router
- A POE Injector.
Why DC Power?
DC batteries.
So why are we advocating for a DC power supply over Starlink’s conventional AC power in typical scenarios (from the house wall plugs)?
Here’s the deal. You have a typical DC battery for all your power needs when using an RV.
Therefore, it makes all the sense to have a way of applying the same battery source to power your Starlink.
However, you cannot directly connect the Starlink power cord to a DC power source.
The primary option to this deal is to use a DC to AC converter that a Starlink power cord typically draws from the main grid electrical power supply.
But even when you connect Stralink to an AC supply wall plug, it has an internal mechanism for converting it back to DC power.
Therefore, Starlink, in reality, uses DC power. Does using the DC to AC adapter still make sense?
Definitely no. While this is the easier option, it means that we’ll have two unnecessary conversions:
- From DC to AC
- From AC to DC again.
These processes would be inefficient, leaving us with the only option we’ll discuss below. It would be the most efficient way to power your Starlink from the available RV’s DC power supply.
How to Power Starlink RV Internet Using 12V DC Supply？
Ethernet Cables on a Switch.
Here’s the ultimate guide to connecting your Starlink RV to the RVs DC power supply without wasting power like in the erstwhile option described above.
Supplies Needed
Shielded RJ45 Connectors
These will come in handy in replacing the primary Starlink connector, as we will not be using it in this setup.
Starlink Ethernet Adapter
You may still require to use your Starlink cable after you’re done with your RVing errands.
So it makes sense to leave it unadulterated in this setup, so we recommend modifying the ethernet adapter.
But this is relative and depends on whether you think retaining your Starlink cable in good shape for future use is important.
POE Injector
It transmits power from the DC battery source to the Dish. Its main standout feature is an ethernet port for power transmission and another responsible for linking the dish to the router.
48V DC-DC Converter
Starlink uses 48V DC power. But most of the batteries we use in our RVs have a maximum voltage rating of 24V.
So this converter is handy in enabling the conversion to suit the voltage demands of the Starlink system.
This part is unnecessary if your battery has the 48V DC power rating that Starlink requires.
Other parts
- Ethernet Cable
- Aftermarket Router
- Wire strippers
- Crimp tool and Splice connectors
- Screwdriver
- RJ45 shielded connectors
Modifying the Starlink Ethernet Adapter
A network cable and socket.
First, you need to replace the conventional Starlink connector of the adapter with an RJ45 to allow its connection to the power supply.
Remember that in this setup, we’re bypassing the Starlink router, which a unique POE powers.
So why are we doing this? We want to keep our Starlink cable in good shape when connecting normally to an AC power supply.
You can cut and modify your Starlink cable, although this is quite wasteful.
Starlink’s cable has a unique POE system, so you must make the RJ45 connector as per Starlink’s setup.
Remove the Starlink ethernet adapter’s end that connects to the router and splice the cable to expose the cables underneath.
Arrange the cable according to the setup above and insert the RJ45 connector head.
Building the Power Supply
A DC-DC power converter.
Next, connect the POE injector to the DC-DC power converter module. Create a connector for the module to fit onto the POE injector.
The rule of thumb is to connect the white cable to the injector’s positive terminal and the black cable to the negative.
After completing the connection, you will be left with the two wires from the converter that you will attach to your RV’s battery.
It is the power supply system for powering the Starlink Dish. Its role is to fulfill the role of the conventional POE that connects the dish to a Starlink router.
The adapter is also imperative in stepping up the voltage to 48V if you’re using a battery of a lower rating.
Therefore, you don’t need it if your battery has a 48V capacity.
Modifying the Router Cables
Next, we need a modification of the aftermarket router’s ethernet cable plus the power supply to fit it into our new setup. Let us begin with the power supply.
Modify the Router Power Supply
A router power supply plug.
Most of the typical aftermarket routers operate on a DC power supply. You may wonder how this is possible while plugging them into AC mains.
Their plug features an in-built AC-to-DC converter that facilitates this conversion.
Therefore, we don’t need this plug-in head in our setup as we’ll draw power from the battery’s DC power.
Therefore, use a wire cutter to remove the wall plug head.
It will leave you with two wires that you will now connect directly to your battery’s terminals.
But beware of shortcircuiting the router by connecting the wrong terminal to the power supply.
There’s a color code in most common routers to help you identify the respective terminals.
But others don’t have it, so you must be careful not to alternate them as this could spoil the router.
Modify the Ethernet Cable
An ethernet cable.
You also need to modify the ethernet cable that connects from the aftermarket router to the POE injector, like in the case of the Starlink dish cable we did above.
So the steps are similar, and the wire connectors are also the same.
Therefore, check out how we inserted the shielded RJ45 connector onto the ethernet cable above for reference.
This part will connect to the POE injector to complete the connection of the aftermarket router with the Starlink dish.
Final Connection Setup
Connect all the parts as illustrated in our guide’s preceding steps. Here’s a wrap-up of what we’ve been doing.
- First, we replaced Starlink’s ethernet adapter plugin with an RJ45 Connector to facilitate connection to match the POE injector’s pinout.
- Next, we connect the DC-DC converter to the POE Injector to establish the power supply link from the battery to the dish.
- Later, we removed the aftermarket router wall plugin to enable direct connection of the router to the power supply.
- Finally, we modified the aftermarket’s ethernet cable end by installing an RJ45 Connector to enable connection to the POE injector.
You can begin testing the connection if you set everything right according to our instructions. So plug in the router and the DC-DC to the battery and check if the router is working.
As earlier cautioned, you must be careful not to interchange the router’s power supply terminals.
Next, ensure your dish is in a great location for optimal signal reception.
Check the signal strength from the Starlink app after the Dish stops moving, and if all is well, you’re set to start using the Internet.
Conclusion
There is no better way to enjoy your vacation than having a strong internet connection in your camper without worrying about depleting your power supply.
Your travels now get cozier with the details in this guide, as you can use your residential Starlink components while traveling.
Moreover, you don’t have to damage your Starlink cable to make the connections.
A little tinkering to the Starlink setup will do the trick, and you can start accessing the internet from anywhere you camp.
