Bootleg Starlink: connecting family properties in rural Australia

The problem: outdated connections and overseas calls

Living in rural Australia has its charms, but staying connected isn’t one of them. My parents have been stuck with the same ADSL connection since the early 2000s. While that was fine for emails and basic browsing, it’s become increasingly inadequate.

Since moving overseas, I’ve been frustrated by our inability to have decent video calls. The laggy, pixelated connections meant I could barely see their faces, and conversations were constantly interrupted with “you’re breaking up” or “can you repeat that?”

Meanwhile, my cousin owns a holiday home just on the other side of my parents’ property, about 1.5 km away through hilly terrain. They managed to secure a Starlink connection before the service became oversubscribed in our area. Every time they visited, they enjoyed seamless video calls, streaming, and everything else modern internet offers.

The solution seemed obvious — if we could extend that Starlink connection to my parents’ house, I could finally have proper video calls with them. But how to bridge that 1.5 km gap through the hills and gum trees?

The research phase

With a trip home to Australia already planned, I decided to tackle this connectivity problem once and for all. During my long-haul flight and subsequent layovers, I immersed myself in research about rural internet solutions, turning my travel downtime into a crash course on telecommunications.

I explored several potential solutions:

1. Wireless point-to-point link. Immediately ruled out due to the hilly terrain between the properties. No clear line of sight meant this wasn’t viable without building expensive towers.
2. Ethernet cable. Too much signal attenuation over 1.5 km distances, even with the best copper cable available. This would require repeaters and a lot more complexity.
3. Fibre optic. Initially seemed expensive and complex, but after diving deeper, I found it was actually the most reliable and future-proof solution.

By the time I landed in Australia, I had settled on a single-pair OS2 outdoor shielded fibre cable. The real breakthrough came when I found it on AliExpress for just $0.30 per metre — a fraction of local prices. For the entire 2 km spool (including some extra for slack), the cost was just $600.

The solution: DIY fibre connection

What we used

• 2 km spool of OS2 single-mode fibre cable from AliExpress ($0.30/m)
• Linksys unmanaged network switches with SFP module (my cousin’s holiday home)
• Linksys unmanaged switch and media converter (my parents’ property)
• High-tensile steel wire and steel braid cable for suspension
• 2-inch cuts of poly pipe as cable protectors (my dad’s brilliant idea)
• Road-crossing conduit (for safely running under the dirt track between properties)

The timing challenge

Here’s where things got tricky. I ordered all the network gear on Amazon and the fibre cable on AliExpress before heading back to New Zealand. While the network equipment arrived quickly, the fibre cable from China took a full two months to arrive — long after I’d returned home.

This meant my technophobe dad would need to handle the installation himself. I created detailed diagrams with every connection labelled, colour-coded documentation with photos, and spent several video calls walking him through the basics of fibre optic connections.

Setting up the fibre link

My dad, who had previously shown little interest in technology, surprised me with his enthusiasm and ingenuity. He used high-tensile steel wire and a spool of steel braid cable — strong yet lightweight — to create a secure suspension system between trees.

Instead of using cable ties which might damage the fibre cable over time, he came up with the idea of using 2-inch cuts of poly pipe as protective sleeves where the fibre attached to the suspension cable. These wouldn’t degrade in the sun or pinch the delicate fibre.

The unmanaged switches proved to be a lifesaver — true plug-and-play operation meant no complex configuration was needed. Over one weekend, while I anxiously waited in New Zealand, my dad successfully strung the entire 1.5 km of fibre between properties, crossed the dirt road through a buried conduit, and connected all the equipment according to my diagrams.

The network setup

At our main property, we installed a Linksys switch with an SFP module that connects directly to the fibre line. At the second property, we have another Linksys switch with a media converter to translate the fibre signal back to standard Ethernet.

The power situation

Our second property runs entirely on solar power, which made energy efficiency critical in our planning. Fortunately, the Linksys switch and media converter at the receiving end draw less than 10 watts combined — perfect for our modest solar setup. The entire system can run for days on our battery bank even during cloudy periods, making it significantly more power-efficient than wireless alternatives would have been.

The results: from “you’re breaking up” to crystal-clear calls

The moment of truth came when my dad plugged in the final connection. We held our breath during a test video call — and were rewarded with a crystal-clear image and sound without a hint of buffering. I could see the proud smile on my dad’s face in perfect HD resolution.

The difference has been transformative. My parents went from a struggling 3–5 Mbps ADSL connection with abysmal upload speeds to consistently getting 150+ Mbps down and 15+ Mbps up through the shared Starlink.

Our video calls have gone from frustrating exercises in patience to joyful, crystal-clear connections. For someone living overseas, this improvement has been emotionally significant.

An unexpected benefit: my technophobe dad has become something of a local tech hero. After successfully implementing a project he initially thought was beyond his capabilities, he’s gained confidence with technology — and now helps neighbours troubleshoot their internet issues. Quite the transformation for someone who used to call me to help find the power button on his computer.

My parents have also discovered streaming services. They’ve gone from having almost no entertainment options besides broadcast TV to exploring Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. Dad now regularly sends me links to documentaries he thinks I’d enjoy.

The fibre connection has weathered several storms without a hiccup, unlike the previous ADSL line which would often go down during heavy rain. Even when my cousin isn’t at their holiday home, the Starlink and network equipment remain powered, ensuring my parents have consistent connectivity.

Cost breakdown

• OS2 single-mode fibre cable from AliExpress: $600 (2 km at $0.30/m)
• Linksys switches and media converter: $320
• Tree mounting hardware: $85
• Road-crossing conduit and materials: $120
• Miscellaneous networking bits: $90

Total one-off cost: $1,215.

My parents contribute a small amount towards my cousin’s monthly Starlink subscription, but it’s significantly less than they were paying for their unreliable ADSL service.

The AliExpress fibre cable was the game-changer — at $0.30 per metre, it made the project financially viable. While it took about two months to arrive, the quality has been excellent. For comparison, similar fibre from local suppliers was quoted at over $3 per metre.

The legal question

Is this against Starlink’s terms of service? Technically, the residential plan prohibits reselling the service, but we’re not doing that. We’re simply extending our home network between two personally owned properties. It’s no different from having a very long Ethernet cable, just without the hassle of dealing with 3 km of cable-hungry wallabies.

Tips if you’re considering this

1. Choose OS2 over OM3. For distances over 500 metres, single-mode OS2 fibre is superior to multi-mode OM3, despite what some retailers might suggest.
2. Consider AliExpress for supplies. At $0.30 per metre versus $3+ locally, the savings are substantial. Just be prepared for potentially long shipping times.
3. Use unmanaged switches if possible. When working remotely or with less tech-savvy folks, plug-and-play eliminates configuration headaches.
4. Detailed documentation is crucial. Colour-coded diagrams and labelled photos made it possible for my dad to complete the installation without me physically being there.
5. Poly-pipe sections beat cable ties. Dad’s innovation — 2-inch poly-pipe sleeves protecting the fibre where it attaches to the support cable — was brilliant. No degradation, no cable pinching.
6. High-tensile wire works better than just tree mounts. Steel wire plus steel braid creates a strong, lightweight suspension system between trees.
7. Plan around shipping delays. If ordering internationally, factor in potential multi-month delays.
8. Test connections before finalising. We tested each component and connection before permanently installing.

In conclusion

What started as a simple desire to have better video calls with my parents turned into an unexpected bonding experience. My technophobe dad not only embraced this technical challenge but innovated solutions I hadn’t considered.

The timing challenges — ordering equipment from overseas and returning to New Zealand before it arrived — forced us to improve our communication and documentation. In a strange way, this project to improve our video calls actually improved our relationship before the first fibre optic cable was even connected.

Living in New Zealand while my parents struggled with an outdated ADSL connection in rural Australia was frustrating for all of us. The solution wasn’t waiting for better infrastructure to reach them — it was taking matters into our own hands, even if those hands had to work from different countries.

Sometimes the best solutions come not from waiting for corporations or governments to solve your problems, but from a bit of research during a long flight, some incredibly affordable Chinese fibre cable, and the willingness of a self-described “old dog” to learn some very new tricks.