Starry Station - Touchscreen WiFi Router - Simple Setup and Easy Parental Controls. Fast Gigabit Speed

Update at bottom:
I have been using my Starry for about 4 days now and I have to say, it is amazing as to how things change. I'm an IT professional so I'm not afraid of technical setups, but this requires no technical knowledge to setup. Power it up, plug it into your modem and walk through the setup wizard on the touchscreen and you are done.

Here is what you may not see in the description. It's a WiFi only access point(& Router), so you still need a modem. If you have an all-in-one modem (Like I do), turn off the modem's WiFi as you most likely will not need it any more since Starry becomes a great WiFi access Point for everything. The other thing that is not so apparent, is that you should connect everything to Starry. (In my situation, again I have all-in-one modem with 4 LAN ports on the back). This means do not use 3 of the other ports on the modem itself, just use the one port on the back of the Starry to connect a wired device or switch). Why? Because Starry won't be able to see those wired devices if connected to the modem. So to connect wired devices, you have to use the single OUT port on the back of Starry and connect it to a "Switch" (such as: TP-LINK 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Desktop Switch (TL-SG1008D) ) and then connect your wired devices to the switch.

The Pleasant Surprise:
I have about 25+ devices connecting to Starry(Image 1&2) - and all of them connected and none of them have dropped signal. (I did say I'm an IT Professional - and I do love gadgets). I have 2 NAS (Network storage) devices connected via Wired connection and I've connected my NAS devices to TP Links Powerline Adapters TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, up to 500Mbps and they work great! Starry even shows these as Wired devices in the app and I can monitor data usage.

Also, for those wondering where to put Starry...you should find a spot central location to your devices that is out in the open. I was able to go to Comcast, get a Wire Splitter kit for free, and move my modem to the same wall outlet as my Cable Box. This let me put Starry next to my TV so it is central to everything in my home and I never need to run to the other room to check the router. So feel free to make Starry be in the middle of things.

The PROS:
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- Easy Setup
- Beautiful Look
- It broadcasts 2.5Ghz and 5 Ghz at same time under same SSID, and has another dedicated 5 GHZ SSID (uses same name as your network with "_5" at end. (This is so you can definitively connect to 5GHZ only).
- No issues connecting devices (Chromecasts V1 and V2, Wireless Printer, Nest Thermostat, Drop Cam, Nest Cams, Ipads, Tablets, Phones, Laptops, you name it)
- The mobile app for Android & iOS is great to use, even when not at your house. (use it to see what data is being consumed)
- 'ScreenTime' lets you make multiple rule for devices can be online (i.e. disable internet for your kids tablets off a few hours before bedtime)
-The mobile app lets you see what devices are connected, how long ago, and if the signal is poor for that device, plus how much data it is consuming (image 3)
- Being able to see diagnostics whether at home or not is awesome
- No more modem resets
- Custom naming of devices (use the app to edit a device name to something you can remember)
- You can add repeaters/extenders, as long as Starry is the main station
- The touch screen can turn off based on a timer you set (i.e. turn off screen at 8PM to 8AM), and WiFi remains on of course
- The screen shows floating bubble of how many devices are online. The biger the bubble, the more data it is using. The color of the bubble tells you signal strength (Red = none/weak, Dark Blue = great, light blue = OK)
- The power cord is a 2 prong figure-8 style cable, so you can use a regular extension cord if needed

Cons:
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- You have to use a switch (average prices are $15-$40) to get more wired ports and most people don't have one already
- No web interface from a Laptop (You must use the App or the touchscreen on the Device)
- You need to locate the unit more central to your home than at one end for best results.
- The price is higher than most all home WiFi access points, but it delivers on what it does.
- It does weigh a few pounds so it needs a good surface to rest on
- It does have a fan in it, but its very quiet unless you are up close (I do wonder what happens if the fan burns out since it can;t be replaced)

Overall, it was a wise purchase, and I'm really looking forward to lower cost, contract free, blazing fast, Over-the-Air Starry Internet service, (which should hopefully be offered to Starry owners first!).

Pick one up - you won't be disappointed!

UPDATE 1 WEEK LATER:
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THE Starry wifi router is really impressive. I've had no modem issues, no need to reset, no dropouts. All my devices are connected, and get a great signal. STARRY has 4 antennas inside so it broadcasts really well.
The mobile app is great, I can see how my network is at all times.

UPDATE 1 MONTH LATER:
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This device has been rock solid. I have not touched my modem in a month, all my devices connect. i ahve signal everywhere, and everything talks between divices great!
The mobile app is getting some improvements, which makes this device better over time. (most of the time routers rarely if ever update).
I added some screenshots of how it looks when many devices are connected. You will see a bunch of bubbles.
This is still a great buy even if just for a WiFi Access Point and Router.

One useful thing is to set the screen time rules, set one for around dinner time and when wifi goes out, it's time to eat!

UPDATE 3 MONTHS LATER:
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OK, this Wifi Router is a SOLID performer! In 3 months, I've done Nothing to my home wifi, moedem, devices. It is all just seemless.
I now have over 45+ devices of my own that connect to it.( See image below) Many guests came over and had zero issues connecting. I've never had to restart anything once to get it to work. It delivers in a big way! In the past, I've had to restart, reboot, and all sorts of the typical nonsense. Not any more. It's almost unbelievable that you need to do nothing other than the initial setup. If you hate dealing with WiFi routers, this will be your answer. Even at ~$300-$350 price range, the saving in headache and annoyance is worth it!

Also, the mobile app has been updated and some of the minor app bugs have been fixed. This is whats great about a devices made this way, it can improve over time to get new features and fixes, unlike other devices that come shipped one way and you get seldom updates.

One last note, I've used the mobile app to contact support for questions, like : "What to the lines on the chart relate to? (since both are kinda same in color), and they resonded within same day and within 24 hours. (Answer, the lighter color lice is that devices usage, the darker color line is the total useage for the house). Still really cool how they have great support and make it effortless to reach them right through the app itself.

I probably won't have much more to report on this device since after 3 months it's a solid performer for me and my many devices. If you are only a one or two device household, this might be considered overkill, so don;t think you need to spend money on a powerful device, but when you have many devices on one network, things can get more complicated, so a router like this alleviate any of those problems.)

In closing, if you are in a a shared office place or co-working location or something, this is the device you should try. Especially since you can set rules for each device and turn off devices at certain times, and see who is using all your bandwidth and deal with them directly if needed.

Even though it is pricier, it's definitely worth having a super premium device that performs extremely well.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SETUP ISSUES - CONTACT STARRY SUPPORT. THEY ARE AWESOME AT REPLYING! The device works great. If it fails you, get support, it's free through the app or through the settings page on the device.

Also, if you have a combo modern/router/wifi from your cable company like I do, you will need to put info 'bridge mode'(search 'how to set up bridge mode on XYZ modem' online) or you might get some conflict, warning messages, etc. (One person did below on comments, it may happen to you, but it's an easy fix)

PS- I have no affiliation or connection with Starry. I paid full price as a consumer. I'm just a big geek and fan!!

Well, I read a lot of good reviews on here and have been having some wifi issues at my house so I thought I would give it a shot. I currently use an Apple AirPort Extreme and have had great results. My local internet company kinda sucks so my speed varies a lot and I'm resetting my modem 2-3 times a week. Some of the reviews on here had people having the same issue and they said that all stopped with this router.

I have since returned this router but in the week I had it, I didn't have to reset my modem which was nice. The speed still varied though. I also found that this router has too many flaws for the price point.

My first problem with this is the range. With my current router I have great speeds throughout my entire house. With this one, if you are in another room, you lose speeds. Upstairs is even worse.

Second problem is the noise. The fan on this thing sounds like a game system/cd player spinning non stop. Very noisy.

The third is the heat. This thing gets hot. I have 2 young kids and would not want them to get too close to it worrying they may burn themselves.

Overall, I really wanted this thing to be great but it's not. Maybe wait until the next generation when they work out the kinks.

Starry is a very unique product. It is a AC class wireless router with Gigabit ethernet that provides that something extra that distinguishes it from other products in its class. The real strength of this router is the ease of setup and use and the useful information that is readily available to the average user that is simply not available from competing products. In reality, there are no competing products. There are plenty of reliable AC class wireless routers with Gigabit ethernet, but this product is a boon to the average, non-geek user. I love geeks but lets face it, not everyone wants to flash DD-WRT or other open source firmware to their router so that they can clone MAC addresses or setup port forwarding (Functions that can admittedly be handled in many stock firmware setups). Most users know little or nothing about networking and are simply interested in having a functioning internet connection. It shows at a glance the devices that are connected to the network. Starry lets you know about the "health" of your interent connection and gives you a better chance to determine if any connectivity issues are in your home or equipment or if the interent service provider is having issues. It shows which devices may be experiencing problems and provides potential solutions. It helps when the average user says "I have no idea why it's not working" The less you know about wireless networking, the more useful this product becomes. Highly recommended!