Exact Starlink booting time has been a big concern online. While initiating the booting mode can be simple, uncertainty over the time it will take to complete the process can be frustrating.
There are several factors that can determine how fast your system will boot up. This is why sometimes it can take longer than expected.
We are going to explain the process and the time you should expect it to take.
Table of Contents
- How Long Should Starlink Boot Time Take?
- Why Did My Starlink Boot-Up Process Get Stuck?
- How to Solve Starlink Stuck on Booting
- The Final Thought
How Long Should Starlink Boot Time Take?
To set up the process, ensure you plug in the cables properly, and the dish has no obstructions.
After connecting everything, Starlink boot time should take 5-20 minutes.
However, you should note that a lot is happening during booting up.
Starlink dish with a clear view of the sky
Booting
After switching on your dish, it enters the booting process. The power is transferred to your dish through the Starlink cable.
As the router gets going, dish firmware gets initialized. This step will only take a minute.
Searching
Your dish enters the searching state during booting up. At this stage, your dish points up as the antenna searches for satellites to connect automatically.
The Starlink dish antenna may take up to 5 minutes to find and connect to satellites.
Calibrating Connections
Check your Starlink app for calibration messages. This is the most prolonged process of Starlink boot-up.
It takes approximately 15 minutes. Depending on your geographical area, your dish will continue pointing up to find the best orientation.
During calibration, you will get a message on your Starlink app.
In this phase, you will receive internet access. Unfortunately, it may be slow until calibration is complete.
Then your dish will adjust to its final position when the system finishes booting.
Why Did My Starlink Boot-Up Process Get Stuck?
Several reasons may make your Starlink fail during the booting process. The key reasons may include:
- Dish still initializing: If your Starlink takes over 20 minutes to boot, it may still be initializing. Note that your dish may take up to 30 minutes to power up and establish an optimal network connection.
- Many obstructions: Obstructions such as trees, hills, or tall buildings can stand in the way of satellite signals. Your router may receive intermittent signals hence keep booting.
- When you don’t place the dish in stow mode: If the dish is not in stow mode, it may cause damage to your router or dish during transit. This makes it stay on the booting process after setting it up.
- Software issue: Your disk may fail to update firmware, stuck in the old version with glitches and bugs.
How to Solve Starlink Stuck on Booting
In normal conditions, setting up the Starlink system to have a steady internet connection should take you around 20 minutes.
Just ensure after unboxing you place the dish where it has a clear view of the sky and provide a 230v connection.
The antenna orients itself, searches for satellites, and the internet connection is ready within two minutes.
If your Starlink boot stocks, try to reboot the router by turning the power off and on. Should the issue persist, try the following:
Check the Starlink App for Outage
When the Starlink app displays an error message such as “Starlink Offline”, it’s still in the startup process.
Starlink may be rebooting or in an initializing process, so it can’t get a signal from a satellite constellation.
When Starlink has an outage, it means there is no internet. Therefore, your dish will continue to boot since it can’t detect the signal.
Fortunately, with the Starlink app, you will know when there is downtime.
If you want to check the outage, follow these simple steps:
- Open your Starlink app
- Go to statistics
- Select outages
- Check for any outage in your location
Power Cycle Your Dish
After you ensure the service is up, you can power cycle your Starlink dish to reboot and discharge it.
Doing this reset your dish and requires an internet signal when it starts again.
If you don’t place your dish correctly, it will have difficulty connecting with the Starlink constellation.
To solve the issue, follow these simple steps:
- Unplug your dish
- Wait for about 5 minutes
- Plug in your dish and wait about 20 minutes
- Wait for the dish to initialize and reboot
- This could take some time; wait for it to connect
Use a Sky Scanner to Reposition Your Dish
You can scan the sky using your Starlink app to check your Starlink dish coverage.
It will detect obstructions and give you an estimate of the amount of internet signals your dish can receive.
With this tool, you can easily reposition your dish, saving you time and effort.
Here is how to Use the Sky Scanner too on the Starlink app:
- Open the Starlink app
- Check for obstructions in the obstruction feature
- Go out to a place you want to place your dish
- Be patient as the app scan
- Check on the app if your dish is in the best spot
In case of obstructions, the app will display the available date, then head out.
Confirm the Connection Between the Dish and the Router
The Starlink kit has everything you need to set up your connection.
After connecting and linking up everything, you should check the connection between the dish and the router.
To check it, follow these simple steps:
- Unplug the connection cable from your dish
- Unplug the router from the base too
- Unplug the router from the power
- Plug the connector back securely
- Check the cable installation
Stow Your Dish
You should stow your dish correctly or it might display a Starlink stuck booting error when it detects incompatibility. So, if you are relocating it, remember to stow your dish.
When you stow your dish, it acquires an internet connection when you start it up. It may stay on the booting message for some time, but you can change the settings.
Starlink rectangular dish
Here is how you can put Starlink in stow mode:
- Open Starlink app
- Look for setting
- Tap Starlink options
- Click on the stow button
Remember, when you click on the stow command, your dish will automatically move.
Reset Factory Settings
When your Starlink doesn’t work correctly, you can easily reset it. When you reset it, the configuration error will be deleted. You may lose some connection settings too.
If you want to safely factory set your Starlink, follow these steps:
- Properly connect your router
- Find the reset button
- Using a paper clip press the reset switch
- Wait for the light to go off, then on
The Final Thought
Generally speaking, Starlink boot time is very short. However, there are some factors that can prolong the process.
We have shown you what to do in case the process takes longer than you expected. Hopefully, our guide is helpful.
