Best RV Internet: How Starlink Keeps Us Connected on the Road Full-Time
When we hit the road in our RV full-time over four years ago, reliable internet was one of our biggest concerns. With both of us working remotely—myself (John) in bookkeeping and accounting, and my wife in branding and web design—staying connected wasn’t optional, it was essential.
We’ve used phone hotspots, T-Mobile Home Internet, and even looked into the Calyx Institute’s plans. But over the years, Starlink has proven to be the most reliable and consistent option, hands down.
Here’s a full breakdown of what has worked, what hasn’t, and how we stay connected while living and working full-time on the road.
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Our Work and Internet Needs on the Road
We’re a remote-first family with pretty demanding internet needs. On any given day, we’re doing:
Video calls with clients
Uploading and backing up large files to Google Drive
Web design and branding work
Bookkeeping and accounting
Online PC and console gaming
Large game downloads and updates
Basically, we need fast, reliable, and unlimited internet all the time—whether we’re in the mountains or near a city.
We were experimenting with location of the Starlink on top of our RV, hence the awkward placement by our solar panel. Long term, we knew that wasn’t going to be the solution!
Why We Chose Starlink—and Still Stick With It
We first got Starlink in January 2022 while staying at an RV park with zero cell service and no other available internet. At the time, Starlink had one plan and allowed roaming for no extra charge. It gave us fast internet where there was otherwise none at all.
As their service evolved, we began switching between the Roam plan (when moving frequently) and Residential (during longer month-long stays) to save money. We’ve never needed Priority service—the standard plans have been more than enough.
What we love about Starlink:
Consistent speeds: 150–200 Mbps down / 10–20 Mbps up
Low latency: Online gaming is now smooth and competitive
Super easy setup: 5 minutes using an extendable pole or ground mount
Reliable power draw: Runs off our batteries/inverter at about 35 watts
Downsides?
Honestly, just the cost. But even that feels worth it considering the alternative in many places is no internet at all.
Also worth noting: pausing and resuming service isn't quite as flexible as you might hope. You can only pause at the beginning of a billing period, and if you unpause mid-cycle—even if you only need Starlink for a few days—you’ll be charged a prorated rate for the remainder of the billing cycle. So if there are 20 days left in the month, you’ll pay for all 20 days, even if you only need five.
Other Internet Options We've Tried
Phone Hotspots (Verizon)
We use Verizon for our cell service, and it’s usually reliable enough to at least make calls, unless we’re deep in a national park or extremely remote.
For travel days or short stops, we use our phone’s hotspot. It’s great for a quick setup and supports basic work and streaming. However, we’re limited to 50GB per phone before throttling kicks in and speeds drop significantly—definitely not ideal for our heavier usage.
T-Mobile Home Internet
We tested T-Mobile Home Internet while stationary at RV parks or campgrounds. When it worked, it was blazing fast, especially near big cities with 5G Ultra Wideband (5GUWB). Plus, it was cheaper than Starlink.
But that’s the catch—it only worked reliably near larger cities. Most of our travels take us to quieter, more remote areas, and we couldn’t justify paying for an entire month of roaming on Starlink to cover a week of no T-Mobile coverage.
The included T-Mobile router was fast but very limited in terms of features. You couldn’t control much outside of the Wi-Fi name.
Why We Considered Calyx Institute
Calyx Institute offers unlimited mobile data on T-Mobile’s network through a membership model. Their “Contributor” plan includes a 4G hotspot, and “Sustainer” gets you 4G/5G. It’s reasonably priced compared to mainstream mobile data plans.
We strongly considered this option because we suspect T-Mobile may eventually lock their Home Internet to a fixed address—making it unusable for travel. Calyx wouldn’t have that restriction.
In the end, we didn’t go with Calyx because T-Mobile hadn't locked their service to a fixed address yet and Starlink already worked so well for us and provided more consistent service across all our locations.
How We Plan for Internet While Traveling
When planning our stops, here’s what we do:
For Starlink: We use Google Maps’ satellite view to check tree coverage and find open sky views.
For other options: We use coverage maps from Verizon or T-Mobile to gauge signal strength at campgrounds or RV parks.
We use a 2nd-gen Starlink dish, which automatically adjusts tilt and direction. If trees are an issue, we mount the dish on a 25-foot extendable pole to get above the canopy. If there are just too many trees around the RV where the pole is mounted, we switch to the included ground mount and move it further away from the RV.
Our Network Setup
For the first two years, we used the router included with Starlink. It worked fine, but we wanted more control—like firewall rules, IP assignments, and device monitoring.
Now we use a GL.iNet Flint 2 router with Starlink in bypass mode. It’s been rock-solid and gives us full control over our network.
Both the router and the Starlink power brick are mounted in the storage bay under our trailer—out of the way, but always on.
Backup Internet? Always.
Even with Starlink, we keep our Verizon phone hotspots on standby. If Starlink ever goes down (which is rare), or we’re on the move and don’t want to set up the dish, we can still stay connected.
Looking Ahead: More Satellite Competition
While Starlink currently leads the charge for mobile satellite internet, it won't be alone for long. Amazon's Project Kuiper is set to launch service in the near future, promising to add real competition in the space.
This kind of competition is great news for RVers and remote workers. It could lead to:
Lower prices
Faster innovation
Better service and coverage
More competition means more options, and we're excited to see how Kuiper and other emerging services help make internet on the road even better.
Final Thoughts: Is Starlink Worth It for RVers?
For us, Starlink has been the single most reliable solution. It works almost everywhere, handles heavy use, and has only improved over the years.
If you:
Work remotely
Upload large files
Rely on Zoom calls or video conferencing
Game online
Stay in remote areas
…then Starlink is absolutely worth it. It’s not the cheapest, but the reliability and flexibility it offers for full-time RV life is unmatched.
Get Starlink for Your RV — And Enjoy One Month Free!
Thinking about getting Starlink for your own RV adventures? If you sign up using my referral link, you and I will both receive one month of free service.
Click here to sign up for Starlink
It’s a great way to try out the service and see if it fits your needs while also saving on your first month!
Your Turn
Got questions about our setup or considering Starlink for your RV life? Drop them in the comments—we’re happy to help other travelers stay connected!
