If you were among Starlink’s earliest adopters, SpaceX may be sending you a surprise upgrade — completely free. SpaceX has begun notifying customers that its first-generation Starlink routers will soon be discontinued, and affected users are being offered a complimentary Starlink Router Mini as a replacement (via PCMag).
According to an email sent to eligible customers, “Starlink will be discontinuing software updates for these routers in the near future” as part of its ongoing upgrades for security, performance, and reliability. The Gen 1 hardware, also known as the UTR-201, shipped with Starlink’s original “Dishy” round-dish kits back in 2020, before the company transitioned to its flat-dish design and newer networking gear.
“As a thank you for being a longstanding customer, we are offering you a free Router Mini,” SpaceX says in the email. The Router Mini is described as a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router, a notable upgrade over the Gen 1 router’s Wi-Fi 5 capabilities. The Router Mini was only released earlier this year and typically sells for $40, making the offer an easy yes for most users.
Image: /u/Dawson81702 on Reddit
Starlink noted that customers can technically continue using their Gen 1 router even after updates stop. However, the company cautioned that it can’t “guarantee performance” once updates end. Anyone who continues using the Gen 1 router may experience degraded performance or reduced compatibility with Starlink services over time, along with potential security risks due to the lack of future patches. In other words, it’ll still work — until it doesn’t.
The company said that swapping routers is straightforward, even when paired with a first-generation dish, and users should expect improved Wi-Fi coverage and reliability once the Router Mini is installed. Reports from Reddit and Facebook suggest SpaceX is quietly expanding the rollout, with more early customers receiving the email in recent weeks.
This move fits into a broader push by SpaceX to modernize its rapidly growing Starlink network. The satellite internet service now boasts over 8 million users worldwide and operates in more than 150 countries. Starlink’s web traffic also more than doubled in 2025 as adoption has accelerated, and the company is on track to cross 10,000 satellites in orbit by early 2026.
It also follows another recent warning from SpaceX, where some customers were told they must update dormant Starlink dishes by a set deadline or risk having them permanently disabled, again citing security and reliability improvements.
For Gen 1 router owners, the message is clear: Starlink is moving on — and it’s offering a free upgrade to come along for the ride.
