Guide · mounting your Starlink dish
Mounting Starlink: roof, pole or ground, and how to choose.
The question behind every Starlink install is where the dish goes. A Starlink roof mount is the obvious first thought, but a pole mount, a ground mount or a taller mast can all be the right answer depending on your block. This guide compares the real options honestly, because the good-looking spot on the house and the spot that actually holds a clear connection are often not the same place.
Last reviewed: 23 July 2026 · by Alien IT Solutions
The spot decides the connection
Starlink tracks satellites moving across a wide arc of sky, so the dish needs an open cone of clear air above it, not a gap between two trees. That one fact decides everything about mounting. The best-looking spot on the house is often the wrong spot for the dish, and a mount in the right place will outperform better hardware in the wrong one.
Before you buy or drill anything, stand in each candidate spot and run the obstruction checker in the Starlink app. It maps where the sky view is blocked and estimates how often that will cost you. Let the clearest view win the argument, even when it is not the convenient one.
Roof mount: the default, with caveats
The roof is the first thought for good reason: it is usually the highest clear point and keeps the dish out of reach. High on the roof near the ridge generally beats low near the gutter, where the roofline itself can clip the sky view on one side. A metal roof is the easy case, with solid fixing points and simple sealing. Tile is the fussy case: a fixing that leans on a single tile will not hold in strong wind, and tiles crack under boots and load, so a proper tile-roof job usually means lifting tiles to fix into the structure underneath and flashing the exit so it cannot leak.
Whatever the roof type, every penetration gets sealed properly, and the mount should sit where you can reach it again. A dish you cannot safely get to is a dish that never gets checked.
Pole, ground and mast: the underrated options
A pole or post mount in a clear part of the yard is the most underrated option on rural blocks. It is the easiest to install well, the easiest to service at walking height, and often has a better sky view than the house, especially where trees crowd the roofline. A ground mount does the same job with even less commitment, which suits rentals and temporary setups, at the cost of living where mowers, dogs and trailers roam.
Where the treeline wins everywhere, a taller mast gets the dish above the canopy. Heights, bracing and footing choices for poles and masts are covered in our pole and mast mounting guide.
The cable run matters as much as the mount
Plan the route from the dish back to the router before choosing the final spot. The cable wants a path without tight bends or crush points, one properly drilled and sealed entry into the building, and enough slack at both ends that the dish can be serviced without re-running anything. Wall entries sit best under cover, sealed against the weather, not on a face that cops the rain.
A yard pole makes this part honest: the run can go through conduit at ground level instead of across a roof and through an eave you will regret drilling.
Wind is the mount's real test
The dish itself copes with weather. The mount is what has to hold it still. A mount that flexes or a pole that is not braced lets the dish move in a gust, and a moving dish has to re-point, which shows up as brief drops exactly when the weather is worst. Size the fixings and bracing for the worst wind your site sees in a year, not for the calm day you install on, and check fasteners once a season.
Where DIY stops, and what never works
Working at heights, tile roofs, long guyed masts and cable runs through ceiling cavities are the points where a weekend job turns into an installer's job. There is no shame in drawing that line early: the install is a one-off cost, and a fall or a leaking roof is not.
And some ideas never work, no matter the effort: the dish behind a window, tucked under an eave, or tilted to peek past a tree. The dish needs its whole cone of sky, and glass, eaves and foliage all sit inside it. If weather seems to break your link, the mount or the view is usually the real culprit; our guide to Starlink in rain, storms and smoke separates what weather actually does from what placement does.
The short version
Mount the dish wherever it gets the widest clear view of sky, and let the Starlink app's obstruction checker make the call. Roof works when it is high, solid and properly sealed; a yard pole is easier to install and service and often sees more sky; a mast beats the treeline when nothing else does. Plan the cable run first, brace for the worst wind of the year, and hand the heights and tile roofs to an installer. Once the dish has clear sky, one good link can carry the whole property: see sharing Starlink across the property.
General guidance only. Your property, roof and conditions may differ, so verify against your own site before spending money.
Common questions
Where is the best place to mount a Starlink dish?
The best place is wherever the dish gets the widest, clearest view of the sky, not wherever the wall or roof is most convenient. Starlink tracks satellites across a broad arc overhead, so it needs an open cone of sky rather than a gap between trees. Check a few candidate spots with the obstruction tool in the Starlink app and let the clearest view decide.
Does the dish have to go on the roof?
No. The roof is one option, not a requirement. A pole or post mount in a clear part of the yard, a ground mount for a temporary setup, or a taller mast to clear trees can all beat the roof. The right choice is whichever spot gives a clean sky view and a sensible cable run back to the router.
Can I mount Starlink on a tile roof?
Yes, but it is the fussiest roof to do well. A fixing that leans on a single tile will not hold in strong wind, and tiles crack under boots and load. Doing it properly usually means lifting tiles to reach the structure underneath and flashing the exit so it cannot leak. If that is beyond a comfortable weekend job, it is the point to bring in an installer.
Can Starlink handle strong wind?
The dish itself copes with weather, but the mount has to hold it still. A mount that flexes or a pole that is not braced lets the dish move in a gust, and a moving dish has to re-point and briefly drops the link. Size the fixing and bracing for the worst wind your site sees in a year, not the calm day you install on, and wind stops being a problem.
How high does Starlink need to be?
Only as high as it takes to clear what is blocking the sky. On an open block that can mean roof height or a short pole. Where trees ring the house it can mean a taller pole or mast to get above the canopy. Height is a means to a clear view, not a goal in itself, and the obstruction survey tells you how much you actually need. The pole and mast mounting guide covers the heights in detail.
Who does the work
Starlink Rural is the satellite-internet service of Alien IT Solutions, an Australian IT, networks and connectivity company with more than 18 years of experience. It is part of a family of rural services, all Alien IT: Long Range WiFi for long-range links, Paddock Networks for whole-property wifi, Rural IoT for sensors, and Tank Monitoring for water.
The dish, done right. The whole property, connected.
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