Setup guide · reviewed 10 October 2026
Starlink’s own setup guide fits on one page. A cottage adds the parts it does not cover: a lot full of trees, a building closed half the year, power that may be a generator, and a first visit in spring when nobody has looked at the dish since Thanksgiving. This walkthrough goes in the order you will actually do it.
Check the cottage address on Starlink Marc Stevens’ referral: CA$140 cash or service credit. Terms apply. Coverage is address-specific.
This page does not mean Starlink is available at your lake. Availability is address-specific. Check your address on Starlink’s official Canada site (referral link) for current pricing, hardware offers, and availability.
Starlink’s setup guide for the current Standard kit lists the dish, a kickstand, a router, a Starlink cable, an AC power cable, and a power supply unit. Check the box you receive against the guide for that kit, since Starlink revises hardware.
The guide’s sequence is short: lift the kickstand, plug the Starlink cable into the dish with the locking tab seated flush, run the other end to port 1 on the router, then connect the power supply to the router. The app finds the network, and once connected it will prompt you if the dish needs to be rotated to line up properly.
At a cottage, the part that matters is where the cable has to travel. Measure from the best patch of sky to an indoor spot for the router before you order. If the run is longer than the cable in the box, a longer Starlink cable is a listed accessory at retail and in Starlink’s shop.
Starlink’s guide says that if you cannot find a clear view from ground level, consider a roof, pole, or wall. This original table is about how that plays out at a typical lake property. It is not a structural or permit guide.
On a phone, swipe sideways to see the full table.
| Option | Good fit when | Cottage watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Kickstand on the ground | A clearing, a rock outcrop, or the open side of the lot already passes the obstruction check. | Snow builds up around it in winter. Animals, mowers, and kids move it. Fine for testing and for summer-only use. |
| Wall mount on the cottage or a shed | The roof line or gable end sees open sky above the trees. | Check the wall can take fasteners. Keep it reachable from a ladder so you can clear snow or debris. |
| Roof mount | Trees surround the building and the only open sky is straight up. | Hard to reach in winter. Every roof penetration needs proper sealing. Consider hiring someone if you are not comfortable on a roof. |
| Pole away from the building | The best sky is at the shoreline or a high point of the lot. | Longer cable run. If it is near the water or a tall structure, ask your township or conservation authority first whether anything applies. |
| Dock or boathouse | The only open sky is over the water. | Ice, wave spray, and seasonal docks that come out in fall. Treat it as a summer-only spot unless the structure stays put year-round. |
The dish and router need power whenever you want service. Starlink Cottage Lab does not publish a watt figure, because the kit offered at your address may differ from someone else’s, and a made-up number is a bad input for a generator or solar plan. Read the specifications shown for your kit before you size anything.
Starlink says the dish is engineered to melt snow. Snow piling up around the dish is a different problem: a drift or a snow-loaded roof edge in front of it is an obstruction like any branch, and the setup guide says obstructions cause interruptions. For a cottage used in winter, that rules out a ground-level kickstand. Mount it above where snow builds up and where you can reach it.
On a phone, swipe sideways to see the full table.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before freeze-up, if the cottage stays powered | Check the mount is tight and above the likely snow line. Make sure nothing will slide off a roof onto it. |
| Before freeze-up, if you shut off power | The service will be offline until you are back. Decide in your Starlink account what happens to the plan. Standby Mode is listed as a Roam feature on Starlink’s Canada plans page; do not assume a Residential plan can be paused. See the cottage plan guide. |
| Ground-mounted summer setup | Bring the dish and kickstand indoors rather than leaving it to be buried or knocked over. |
| Spring opening | Reconnect, then open the app and look for alerts. Run the obstruction check again once the leaves are out, because last year’s clear view can be this year’s branch. |
Check Starlink first. For many Canadian addresses the hardware offer in Starlink’s own checkout beats retail, and that is also where Marc’s CA$140 referral offer applies. Retail is for when you want a kit or a mount in hand today. For a cottage, the usual extras are a wall mount and a longer cable when the clear sky is away from the building.
Check the Starlink order price first
Best Buy Canada
Price and stock change often, so this page does not repeat a number. Open the listing to see today’s price.
Home Depot Canada
Price and stock depend on the store you pick on Home Depot’s site, so this guide does not show a number. Choose your store to see it.
Retail prices change often and can differ online and in store. Always check the live price and stock on the retailer’s page. Starlink Cottage Lab does not list Amazon.ca kits. Retailer links are plain retailer links today and may become affiliate links in future; the Starlink link above is Marc Stevens’ personal referral.
Check the cottage’s civic address on Starlink, decide Residential or Roam, use the Starlink app’s “Check for Obstructions” tool to find open sky, order, test the dish on its kickstand, and mount it only after it connects.
Wherever the app’s obstruction check shows the clearest sky. Starlink suggests a roof, pole, or wall if ground level is blocked. At many cottages that means a gable wall or a pole near the shoreline.
The hardware can stay mounted. Starlink says the dish is engineered to melt snow, but snow piling up around it acts like any other obstruction, so mount it above the snow line. Whether the plan can be paused depends on your plan; Standby Mode is listed as a Roam feature.
Only while it has power. This guide does not publish a watt figure. Read the specifications for the kit Starlink offers you before sizing a generator, inverter, or battery.
Measure the run from the best spot for the dish to an indoor spot for the router. If it is longer than the cable in your kit, a longer Starlink cable is sold as an accessory.
Answers summarize Starlink’s own Canada plans page, Help Center, and setup guides as reviewed 10 October 2026. Check your address on Starlink for what applies to you.
Marc Stevens’ referral link · CA$140 cash or service credit · Terms apply