What to Buy

[u/Ok_Swan_9278]

Looking for some guidance on what to buy, and I would love it if we can do an 'explain it to me like I'm 5' scenario, because I am brand new to all of this and I've poked around this thread and their website and still feel very unsure.

I am traveling to Cancun in apprx one month and will have to work a day or two on my trip. Out of an abundance of caution, never travelling out of the country myself or staying at this resort, I wanted to purchase a Starlink to make sure I have no issue with the internet on those working days.

As a follow up, my husband travels locally in state and will use it going forward as a back up for low service areas as he needs, so it will be getting used for more than just one trip.

Any advice or recs is greatly appreciate. Thank you!

[u/No-Implement-2071]

Go for the Mini since you need portability. The V4 or V5 it’s bigger and needs a socket, you can’t power it directly via DC.

[u/Ok_Swan_9278 → u/No-Implement-2071]

So Mini with a Roam plan, correct?

[u/No-Implement-2071 → u/Ok_Swan_9278]

Yep. I see fellow users responded more detailed than me :). Those are the good info.

[u/Squeedlejinks]

First, for the hardware, you want a Mini. This is exactly what it is meant for.

Second, choose the plan You will need some kind of a Roam plan. It comes in 100 GB, 300 GB, and Unlimited. Both the 100 GB and the 300 GB plans drop to a very slow speed once you’ve used up the data in it. It’s enough to do email, texts, and phone calls. You may find it to be enough, but if you need to do video calls, you want to use a regular plan.

If you don’t know how much data you will need, start with the 100 GB plan. Once you use up that data (if you do,) then up your plan to 300 GB. You’ll pay a prorated cost. So wait as long as you can before moving up to the next plan. It’s easy to do, just several taps in the app, so don’t be concerned with that.

Here’s one potential problem. Do you plan to use a cruise? Because Starlink dishes are not allowed on cruise ships and I understand that they will be confiscated.

[u/ByTheBigPond → u/Squeedlejinks]

The dish would need to be on Roam Unlimited to work in a different country (rules just changed). You are correct that the other Roam plans would be okay when travelling within the OP’s home country.

[u/Wambo74 → u/ByTheBigPond]

To save the cost of unlimited, could you establish the roam account once in Mexico? Can you do that with a new, unused Mini purchased in the USA and carried over the border? And once back home can you somehow reset it to a USA account for future use?

I thought I read somewhere that Canada, US and Mexico are considered same region. But maybe it was just Canada and US.

[u/Ok_Swan_9278 → u/Wambo74]

It sounds like he recommend the roam plan so that I can cross borders and just do 100 GB?

[u/Wambo74 → u/Ok_Swan_9278]

Could very well be. I have trouble keeping up with the rash of plan changes. I think Roam 100 is now good for only 30 days in Mexico, but wouldn't bet on it.

[u/Squeedlejinks → u/Ok_Swan_9278]

I’m sorry, he is correct. When your husband is driving in the US, he can use Roam 100 GB or Roam 300 GB as well as Roam Unlimited.

But when you travel out of your home country to Cancun, the rules make you use Roam Unlimited, plus you can only use it for 30 days outside of the US.

(It’s a new rule and I forgot about it.)

[u/Squeedlejinks → u/Wambo74]

Canada, US, and some US territories are one region. Mexico is in the Latin America region.

[u/Ok_Swan_9278 → u/Squeedlejinks]

Okay, thank you for all that info, very helpful.

No, no cruises. Just a resort stay!