Starlink drops support for first-generation routers, offers free hardware upgrades

No more software updates for Starlink Gen 1

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The big picture: Starlink started operations in 2020 after SpaceX launched its first batch of 60 satellites the previous year. After five years, the company is discontinuing support for its first-generation routers and offering early adopters a free upgrade to new hardware with support for more modern Wi-Fi standards.

SpaceX is reportedly sending emails to select customers, informing them that it will discontinue software updates for the Starlink Gen 1 router as part of ongoing upgrades to network security, performance, and reliability. To make the transition seamless, the company is offering a free upgrade to the $40 Starlink Router Mini.

The new router supports Wi-Fi 6 - an upgrade over the Gen 1 model that only supports Wi-Fi 5. It also supports mesh networking like the flagship Gen 3 model and has two Ethernet ports, including a LAN port for wired connections and a WAN port for connecting to the Starlink network.

SpaceX claims the Router Mini offers stronger performance, improved security, and better reliability compared to the Gen 1 model, making it a better choice for home Wi-Fi circa 2025. The company also assured users that switching to the new hardware is easy and offered a step-by-step tutorial to uninstall the Gen 1 model and replace it with the Router Mini.

To claim the free hardware, users will have to click on the "Claim Free Router" button in the email they received from SpaceX, answer a survey question, and hit "Confirm." Once the formalities are completed, SpaceX will send the new router to the subscriber's existing shipping address for free.

Folks who are unwilling or unable to upgrade immediately need not worry: the Gen 1 Router will not stop functioning anytime soon. However, SpaceX warns that since it will no longer receive feature updates or security patches, users may experience degraded performance, reduced compatibility, and additional security vulnerabilities over time.

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The router offer comes weeks after Starlink urged users to update their Starlink dishes to prevent them from becoming "permanently inoperable." In an email to select subscribers, the company warned that the software needs to be updated before November 17 if they want to keep using their Starlink hardware beyond that date.