[Starlink] Main hurdles against the Integration of Satellites and Terrestial Networks

[Alexandre Petrescu]

Le 16/09/2023 à 01:32, Ulrich Speidel via Starlink a écrit :
> On 16/09/2023 5:52 am, David Lang wrote:
>>
>> In addition to that Ulrich says, the dishy is a full computer, it's 
>> output is ethernet/IP and with some adapters or cable changes, you 
>> can plug it directly into a router.
>
> We've done that with the Yaosheng PoE Dishy adapter - actually plugged 
> a DHCP client straight in - and it "works" but with a noticeably 
> higher rate of disconnects.

It is good to know one can plug a DHCP client into the Ethernet of the 
DISHY and receive DHCP replies.

But that would be only a lead into what kind of DHCPv4 is supported, or not.

I would ask to know whether the DHCP server runs on the DISHY, or 
whether it is on the ground network of starlink, i.e. the reply to DHCP 
request comes after 50ms, or after 500microseconds (timestamp difference 
can be seen in the wireshark run on that Ethernet).

This (DHCP server daemon on dishy or on ground segment) has an impact of 
how IPv6  can be, or is, made to work.

This kind of behaviour of DHCP - basically asking who allocates an 
address - has seen a continous evolution in 3GPP cellular networks since 
they appeared.  Nowadays the DHCP behaviour is very complex in a 3GPP 
network; even in a typical smartphone there are intricacies about where 
and how the DHCP client and server works. With it comes the problem of 
/64 in cellular networks (which some dont call a problem, but I do).

So, it would be interesting to see whether starlink has the same /64 
problem as 3GPP has, or is free of it (simply put: can I connect several 
Ethernet subnets in my home to starlink, in native IPv6 that is, or not?).

Alex