The short answer is YES, you can repoint your own antenna! But there are a few IMPORTANT caveats that you must take into consideration before attempting to do it.
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Is your antenna actually mispointed?
Before attempting to repoint it, please have a Forum admin confirm that there is a mispoint. Once the mispoint is identified, the Forum admin will request a technician visit, and also suggest reading this article for you to consider repointing it on your own, given that technician visits can sometimes take a few days to be completed. -
Is your antenna installed in a safe-to-reach location?
DON’T attempt to repoint your antenna on your own if it’s installed on a roof, mounted high on a wall, or in any other place where you could be at risk of falling or getting hurt. If this is the case, please wait for the professional technician to complete the antenna repoint. However, if your antenna is installed at an easy-to-reach location (ex. mounted on a metal pole on your backyard) and you feel comfortable completing the manual labor described below, then feel free to proceed with your antenna repoint.
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Does it sound doable to repoint your antenna? Only you can decide.
If your Viasat Internet is totally offline due to a mispoint, then there is nothing to lose in attempting to repoint your antenna.However, please consider that if your experience has only degraded a little bit due to a mispoint, it might be better to wait for the professional, since there is a possibility that you could make it worse if your repoint attempt is not successful. Please watch the instructional videos (linked later in this article) to determine the viability of succeeding at repointing yourself.
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Do you have all the tools needed to complete your repoint?
Here is a list of the key elements you need to complete an antenna repoint:- 13mm (½”) wrench
- 13mm (½”) socket wrench
- Install Key
- Computer or phone connected to your Viasat Modem
- MITe App (only if the line of sight – the general direction your antenna needs to point – is unknown, for example, if your antenna was totally knocked over by a storm). Download it here: Play Store or Apple Store
Antenna repoint instructions:
If you answered YES to the 4 questions posed above, then you are ready to repoint your antenna!
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Which satellite do you need to point to?
You can determine this by the type of modem you have. If you have a Viasat Wireless Gateway (also known as Spock Modem), then you need to point your antenna towards the Viasat-2 satellite.If you have a Surfbeam-2 or Surfbeam-2+ modem, then you need to point your antenna towards the Viasat-1 satellite. See the image below to identify your modem easily.
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Did you watch the instructional video?
- For Viasat-1 repoints – https://eguide.field.viasat.com/video-category/viasat-1-point-and-peak/
- For Viasat-2 repoints – https://eguide.field.viasat.com/video-category/viasat-2-point-and-peak/
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Did you get an Install Key?
You can get an install key from the Viasat Support Forum admins. Please create a post requesting this install key and they will send the key over a private message. Don’t use any install key that you find online, it won’t work because install keys are specific to your setup and network segment. -
You are ready to start!
If you encounter any issues in the repoint process, feel free to post in this forum topic, our engineers are always happy to help.
