Starlink and 4G sites work, because the box dials out

Starlink and mobile networks almost never give a site a public address, and the box does not need one. Most problems at remote sites are power, signal and data allowances, so this page covers those too.

The networks

Three kinds of internet, compared

Fixed broadband usually has a public address. Starlink and mobile almost never do, and nothing can be forwarded to them.

Fixed broadband, Starlink and 4G or 5G at a site.
Fixed broadband Starlink 4G or 5G
Public IPv4 address Often, or available No: carrier-grade NAT No: carrier-grade NAT, unless a paid private APN or static-address plan
Port forwarding works Usually No No
Typical latency Low Low to moderate, with brief dropouts Moderate; varies with signal and load
Data allowance Usually unlimited Depends on the plan Usually capped; video uses it quickly
Main failure causes Provider faults Obstructions, power, weather Signal, congestion, data caps, power
Works with Relayant Yes Yes Yes

CGNAT

Why CGNAT does not matter to Relayant

CGNAT is carrier-grade NAT: the site shares a public address with many others, so nothing can be forwarded to it. Port forwarding and dynamic DNS fail there.

  • The Relayant box or agent dials out to Relayant and keeps that connection open. Only outbound internet is needed, so CGNAT makes no difference.
  • You can confirm CGNAT from the router's WAN address: an address in 100.64.0.0/10, or a private address, means CGNAT. That is expected and needs no action.
  • These networks carry packets in smaller pieces than fixed broadband. The tunnel uses small packets (a 1320-byte MTU), so it works on them without adjustment.
  • When a dual-WAN router fails over from Starlink to 4G, the site's address changes. The tunnel follows it by itself, with a short gap.
  • The tunnel needs outbound UDP. A few private mobile plans and business firewalls block it; the guide says how to check.
Behind a Starlink dish The Relayant box on a site with a Starlink dish. The box dials out through the router and the dish to Relayant, and signal waves leave the antenna. Below, the three ways to place Relayant at a site. Relayant Starlink dish Starlinkdish no public address Router Relayant box Relayantbox Devices Box on a LAN portBox Box Router Agent on a PC or PiPC or Pi PC or Pi PCor Pi Router Agent on the routerRouter Router Internet
Behind a Starlink dish the site's public address is shared, so nothing can be forwarded in. The box or agent dials out through it and keeps the connection open. A 4G router works the same way.

At the site

Three ways to put Relayant at the site

All three use the same portal, setup codes and monitoring. In every case the cameras, recorder, controllers and the Relayant box or agent sit on the router's LAN.

A Relayant box behind the router

We recommend this one. Plug the box into a LAN port of the Starlink or 4G router; it needs nothing configured there. It suits any site.

The limit: one more device to power, about 3 to 5 watts. The Relayant box

The software agent on the Teltonika router

For sites where every watt and every box matters. It needs about 9 MB of free flash and 128 MB of RAM: the RUTX series has it; the RUT241 and RUT950 class does not.

The limit: larger Teltonika models only, and updated by package, not over the air. The Teltonika-specific steps have not yet been checked on a real Teltonika router. The software agent

The software agent on a Raspberry Pi

For sites that already have a Raspberry Pi or a small Linux PC. The Linux service installs with one command from the portal and updates over the air like a box.

The limit: SD cards wear out. Use a good card or a USB SSD, and a stable power supply. The software agent

The kit

A kit to start from

A starting point, to be adjusted per site. Model names are examples, not endorsements; check current models, local approvals and prices with your supplier.

A suggested kit for a remote site. Examples, not endorsements.
Item Example Note
Connectivity, Starlink Starlink Standard or Mini kit Check whether the kit's router has an Ethernet port; some kits need the Starlink Ethernet adapter.
Connectivity, 4G Teltonika RUT241 (4G) or RUTX11 (4G, dual SIM, more memory) RUTX series if the agent will run on the router.
Antennas, 4G Two external MIMO antennas, or one dual-element MIMO panel Mounted high, outside any metal enclosure; both connectors used.
Relayant A Relayant box, or a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with the software agent  
Switch Unmanaged PoE switch with enough PoE budget for all cameras Industrial models tolerate wider temperature ranges.
Power 12 V or 24 V DC system with battery and, off grid, solar Sized for the worst week of the year, with a low-voltage disconnect.
Enclosure IP65 or better, ventilated, shaded Heat is the common killer; condensation the next.
Protection Surge protection on the antenna feed and any long outdoor Ethernet run Correct earthing of the mast and the enclosure.

Note

For a commercial site, check with your supplier which Starlink plan its terms allow for business use. The box works the same on any of them.

In brief

Power, signal and data, in brief

Most remote-site outages are power, not networking. The full guide has the sizing steps, enclosures, a checklist and troubleshooting.

Power

Size the system for the worst week of the year, not an average day. For planning: a Relayant box about 3 to 5 W, a Raspberry Pi 3 to 7 W, a 4G router 2 to 7 W. A Starlink Mini draws about 25 to 40 W and a Starlink Standard about 50 to 75 W. Each PoE camera draws 4 to 8 W and a recorder 10 to 15 W. Use the datasheets for your actual equipment.

Fit a low-voltage disconnect so a flat battery switches the load off cleanly. Boxes and agents recover by themselves when power returns, and the portal shows when the site was unreachable.

Signal

For 4G, read the router's signal before mounting and again after. RSRP above −90 dBm is good and below −105 dBm is poor; SINR above 13 dB is good and below 0 dB is poor. Use both MIMO antennas, keep the cable short, and aim a directional antenna at the tower.

For Starlink, the dish needs a clear view of the sky and a rigid mount; check obstructions in the Starlink app before fixing it. Heavy rain causes short dropouts, and the tunnel reconnects by itself.

Data

The box's own traffic is currently a few megabytes a day per site; measure on your first sites. Video is what uses the allowance. A camera's sub-stream uses about 100 to 250 MB an hour and its main stream 1 to 2 GB an hour. A recorder's cloud upload can be gigabytes a day.

On capped plans, set the monitoring software to the sub-stream and switch off cloud uploads the site does not use. Turn on the router's data-limit alerts.

Tell us about the site

Say whether it is on Starlink, 4G or both, what power it has, and what the control room needs to reach. We reply by email.

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