If you’re a Starlink early adopter, SpaceX might be sending you a free Wi-Fi router.
In an email to customers, SpaceX warns that its Gen 1 routers will soon become obsolete. The routers, also classified as UTR-201, were bundled with first-generation Starlink kits in 2020 and are best known for their rounded dish design. Gen 1 was phased out a year later, after Starlink transitioned to a flat-dish model and Gen 2 router.
(Credit: Starlink.com)
SpaceX now says that software updates for the Gen 1 router “will be discontinued in the near future,” as part of the company’s “ongoing upgrades for security, performance, and reliability.”
In response, the company is offering affected customers the Starlink Router Mini, which was released earlier this year for $40. “As a thank you for being a longstanding customer, we are offering you a free Router Mini, a dual-band router with Wi-Fi 6,” the company says in the email.
(Credit: Reddit user Dawson81702)
SpaceX quietly published a support page document about the free replacement program a month ago, saying it had already begun notifying affected customers. Several users on Reddit and Facebook have since reported receiving the router offer, suggesting that SpaceX is contacting a larger range of affected customers.
SpaceX also notes that affected users can still continue to use the Gen 1 Router, even after it stops receiving software updates. But this means, “over time, you may experience degraded performance or reduced compatibility with Starlink services,” SpaceX warns. It could also leave users vulnerable to security risks since the router won’t receive security patches.
Recommended by Our Editors
(Credit: Starlink.com)
The support page also offers more details about how to set up the new Router Mini with the older, first-generation Starlink dish; SpaceX says “swapping routers is simple.” The page also notes that users can expect improved Wi-Fi connectivity once the new router is installed, compared with the Gen 1 model, which offers Wi-Fi 5.
The router offer comes weeks after SpaceX also urged select customers to update their dormant Starlink dishes before Nov. 17 or the devices would become “permanently inoperable” due to SpaceX’s efforts to enhance the security and reliability of the satellite internet service.
Get Our Best Stories!
Your Daily Dose of Our Top Tech News
Sign up for our What’s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.
Sign up for our What’s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.