Starlink V5 dish and Router 4 explained: what Starlink's new 2026 home hardware means for UK installs

For most of the last two years, a new Starlink home kit has meant the Standard dish, often called the V4, and a Wi-Fi 6 router. That is now changing. In 2026 Starlink has published full details of a new home dish, the Starlink V5, and its first Wi-Fi 7 router, Router 4. SpaceX also said on its third-quarter earnings call this month that it has begun ramping production of V5 kits.

Neither product is simply a faster version of what came before, and both come with trade-offs worth knowing about before you order. In this post we look at what has actually been announced, what it means for mounting, power and Wi-Fi, and how we plan installs around the new hardware for homes and businesses across the UK.

The Starlink V5 dish at a glance

Starlink's own comparison page sets out the headline differences between V4 and V5. The V5 dish measures 384 x 306 x 34 mm, against 594 x 383 x 39.7 mm for the V4. It weighs 1.1 kg, compared with 2.9 kg. Average power consumption is listed at 35 to 50 W, against 75 to 100 W for the V4. The trade-off is a slightly lower headline figure: Starlink quotes peak download speeds of 375+ Mbps for V5 and 400+ Mbps for V4, and stresses that these are hardware peaks rather than guaranteed speeds.

Much of the rest is unchanged. The V5 specification sheet lists a 110 degree field of view, an IP67 environmental rating, an operating range of -30 to 50 degrees Celsius, snow melt of up to 40 mm per hour and an operational wind rating of 265 km/h when mounted. Orientation is software-assisted manual, so the app guides you to the right angle but the dish does not move itself. A pipe adapter is included in the kit, and the published kit weight is 3.8 kg.

The router supplied with V5 is the Router Mini, a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 unit with two Gigabit Ethernet ports and quoted coverage of up to 204 square metres. That is a step down from the tri-band Router 3 that has shipped with many V4 kits, and it matters more than the dish figures for larger homes.

What V5 does not do

Two limitations stand out. First, Starlink says V5 is not intended for in-motion use, so it is a fixed home dish, not one for a moving vehicle or boat. Second, Starlink's support pages state that Standby Mode is not available on V5 hardware. Standby Mode is the low-cost pause option that keeps a basic, slow connection running while the full plan is paused, and ISPreview reported the change in August.

For a permanent home or business connection, neither point is likely to matter. For a holiday let, a seasonal business or a second home where the owner relies on pausing the service over winter, it is worth checking which kit you are being offered before you order, because the V4 still supports Standby Mode.

Router 4: Starlink's first Wi-Fi 7 router

Starlink announced Router 4 on 9 September, describing it as its best-performing router yet and the first with a Wi-Fi 7 chipset. Published specifications include 4x4 radios on 2.4 GHz and 4x5 on 5 GHz with MU-MIMO and OFDMA, WPA2 and WPA3 security, support for up to 510 devices and quoted coverage of up to 325 square metres. It has two Ethernet ports with water-resistant covers, an IP56 rating while being configured for indoor use, and it is powered over Ethernet from a dual PoE power supply.

There are a few catches. Router 4 does not use the 6 GHz band, so it does not offer the full set of Wi-Fi 7 features that some third-party routers do. Starlink's compatibility notes say third-party mesh systems are not supported as mesh nodes, although Router Mini, Router 3 and Router 2 can join a Router 4 mesh. Router 4 also cannot simply replace the router on an older Gen 2 kit, because that router powers the dish; Starlink says an Ethernet adapter and bypass mode are needed instead. At the time of announcement Starlink said Router 4 would be available soon in select areas, with no UK price or date confirmed.

Is any of this available in the UK yet?

Starlink describes V5 as available in select areas, with more areas to follow as production ramps. Reports so far link it to the entry-level Residential 100 Mbps plan, while higher tiers continue to ship with the V4. UK pricing on Starlink's site currently lists Residential 100 Mbps at 40 pounds a month, Residential 200 Mbps at 60 pounds and Residential Max at 80 pounds, with the two cheaper tiers only offered in selected areas.

The practical advice is simple: enter your exact service address on Starlink's website and check which dish and router the checkout shows before you buy any brackets, poles or accessories. A V4 mount will not automatically suit a V5, and the router in the box makes a big difference to how much extra Wi-Fi equipment the property will need.

What the new hardware changes for installation

A smaller, lighter dish is good news for installers and property owners, but it does not remove the need for a proper fit. Here is how we think about it:

• Mounting: at 1.1 kg the V5 puts far less load on a bracket or pole, which opens up neater options such as slim wall arms and short poles. The dish still has to survive winter gales, so a rigid, correctly fixed mount and a secure pipe adapter remain essential.

• Sky view: the field of view is the same 110 degrees as V4, so obstruction surveys matter just as much. Trees, chimneys and neighbouring roofs still cause dropouts if the dish is in the wrong place.

• Power: averaging 35 to 50 W instead of 75 to 100 W roughly halves the dish's running draw. That is helpful for electricity bills and makes off-grid and battery-backed setups for workshops, remote buildings and CCTV sites much easier to size.

• Wi-Fi: the Router Mini in the V5 kit is designed for smaller spaces. Larger homes, thick stone walls, multiple floors and business premises will usually need wired access points or a mesh system to get full coverage.

• Cabling: whichever dish arrives, an outdoor-rated cable, a weatherproof entry and tidy routing inside are what make an installation last.

Should you wait for V5 or Router 4?

If you need a reliable connection now, there is little reason to wait. The V4 remains Starlink's higher-performance home dish, it supports Standby Mode and it is what most UK customers on faster plans will still receive. Router 4 is a welcome upgrade, but Wi-Fi 7 will not make the satellite link itself faster; its benefits are better handling of many devices and busier networks.

If your property suits a small dish, power use matters to you and you are on the entry-level plan, V5 is worth looking out for. Either way, the right answer depends on the building, the layout and how the connection will be used, not just the headline specification.

Professional installation by Space Internet Solutions

Space Internet Solutions installs Starlink for homes and businesses and is preparing customers for Amazon Leo. Whether your order arrives with a V4, a V5 or a Router 4, we survey the site, choose the right mount, run outdoor-rated cabling, align and test the dish, and design the Wi-Fi so every room and outbuilding is covered. Through our nationwide network of trusted PLEO (Professional Low Earth Orbit) installers, that same standard of work is available anywhere in the UK.

If you are unsure which Starlink kit suits your property, talk to us before you order. To book a survey or installation with a trusted professional installer nationwide, visit spaceinternetsolutions.com.

Sources: Starlink Help Center comparison of Starlink V4 and V5, Starlink V5 specification sheet, Starlink Pause and Standby Mode support page, Starlink UK service plans page, ISPreview reports of 15 July, 6 August and 10 September 2026, PCMag reports of 9 September and 20 October 2026 on Router 4 and SpaceX's third-quarter earnings call, and Starlink's Router 4 announcement of 9 September 2026.