Starlink's Checkout Install Option: What You Get
Updated July 2026
When you order Starlink in New Zealand, checkout offers a basic install add-on alongside the hardware and plan. It is a genuinely useful option for a lot of households, and it is worth understanding plainly, without hype in either direction, what it actually covers and where its limits sit.
What the checkout install option actually includes
At its core, it is a basic, functional install: someone attaches the dish, usually on the standard kickstand the kit ships with, runs a cable to your router location, plugs everything in, and confirms the connection is working. For a simple, sheltered site where that is genuinely all you need, it does the job it is designed to do.
What it does not include
It is not built to cover a few things that matter more than people expect going in:
- Wifi coverage design. The checkout install gets your internet connection live at one point in the house. It does not include working out how to spread wifi properly through a larger home, thick walls, or multiple levels.
- Custom mounts for exposed sites. If your property is on an exposed roof or a high wind zone (see our mounts guide for how much this matters in parts of Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and other exposed regions), the standard kickstand that comes with a basic install is not necessarily the right long-term fixing.
- Multi-building coverage. A house and a shed, or a homestead and a second dwelling, is a different job to a single point of connection, and it is outside what a basic install is scoped to handle.
- Tidy internal cable runs. Getting a cable from the dish to the router in a way that looks intentional, rather than trailing along a skirting board or through a window gap, takes more time than a basic install typically allows for.
None of this is a criticism of the option itself. It is simply outside its scope, and it is worth knowing that going in rather than assuming it covers everything.
When it is genuinely fine
If you have a straightforward, sheltered site, a simple single-building property, and you just need a working internet connection without anything fancy, the checkout install option is a sensible, low-cost way to get there. Plenty of New Zealand households fit this description, and there is no reason to overcomplicate a simple job.
When an independent professional install is worth it
The calculation changes if your site is exposed to wind, if you want wifi actually working properly across your whole home rather than just present at one point, if you have more than one building to cover, or if you simply want the cable runs done tidily rather than functionally. In those cases, an independent installer who can assess your specific property, choose the right mount, and account for wifi coverage from the start is likely to save you a second job down the track to fix what the basic install could not cover.
The timing problem nobody quite owns
Here is the part that catches a lot of people out, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the install itself. Starlink kit delivery timing in New Zealand has been genuinely unpredictable, sometimes taking weeks to arrive after ordering. That is largely outside anyone’s control once the order is placed.
What it does mean is that scheduling any install, checkout option or otherwise, is left to you to manage once the kit finally turns up. There is no automatic handoff that books an installer the moment your dish lands on the doorstep. If you are planning to use the checkout install, keep an eye on delivery tracking and be ready to coordinate the appointment yourself once the kit arrives. If you are planning to use an independent installer, the same applies, and it is worth letting them know roughly when to expect your call so you are not starting that conversation cold once the kit shows up.
The honest summary
The checkout install option is neither a shortcut to avoid nor an automatic answer. It is a basic, functional service that suits basic, straightforward sites. Know what your property actually needs (a sheltered simple job, or an exposed site with wifi and mount considerations), and choose accordingly.
Get matched with a local installer who can tell you honestly whether the basic install covers your property or not. Get a quote.
Quick answers
Is the checkout install option bad value?
Not necessarily. For a straightforward, sheltered site where you just need the dish attached and confirmed working, it does exactly what it says. It becomes a poor fit when your site needs more than the basics, and the install itself does not flag that to you in advance.
Why does the kit take so long to arrive after I order?
Delivery timing has genuinely been unpredictable for a lot of NZ customers, sometimes weeks, and it is largely out of anyone's control once the order is placed. The practical issue is that scheduling an install around an unknown delivery date is left entirely to you.
Can I book a professional installer instead of the checkout option?
Yes. Plenty of people order the hardware and plan through Starlink directly, then arrange their own independent installer separately, either instead of the checkout install or afterwards if they decide they want more done than the basic option covers.
What should I check before choosing the checkout install?
Whether your site is sheltered or exposed, whether you need wifi coverage sorted beyond a single connection point, and whether you have more than one building to cover. If any of those apply, it is worth thinking about a professional install instead of, or in addition to, the checkout option.