Starlink Residential Max Australia: Free Mini, Mesh Router & Half-Price Roam (2026)
Australian Starlink home customers can now get a free portable Mini dish, a free mesh router for better home WiFi, AND half-price travel data. Here's everything you need to know about the Residential Max plan.
Starlink has quietly restructured its Australian Residential plans in January 2026, and the top-tier Residential Max plan ($139/month) now comes loaded with extras that most customers don't know about.
The headline benefits:
- Free Starlink Mini rental - a portable dish for travel, camping, or remote work
- Free Router Mini - a mesh WiFi extender for better coverage throughout your home or campsite.
- 50% off all Roam plans - half-price mobile data for your Mini
For rural Australians, farmers, and anyone with a large home or spotty WiFi coverage, this is a significant value add. You're getting over $650 worth of hardware included with your plan.
This guide covers exactly what's included, how to claim it, and whether Residential Max makes sense for your situation.
What's Included with Starlink Residential Max Australia?
Residential Max is now the premium tier of Starlink's Australian home internet plans. At $139 per month, you get:
| Benefit | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Unlimited Data | No caps, no throttling |
| Speeds up to 400+ Mbps | Fastest available Residential speeds |
| Highest Network Priority | Less slowdown during peak times |
| Gen 3 Router | WiFi 6, three-band transmission |
| Free Router Mini | Mesh WiFi extender - fixes dead spots in large homes |
| Free Starlink Mini Rental | Portable dish for travel - $0 hardware cost |
| 50% Off Roam Plans | Half-price mobile data for your Mini |
The last three items are the new additions that most people don't know about. Previously, getting mesh WiFi coverage meant buying a Router Mini ($68), and getting a Starlink Mini meant buying the hardware outright ($599) plus paying full price for Roam plans.
How the Free Mini Rental Works
The Starlink Mini is provided as a rental, not a purchase. As long as you keep your Residential Max subscription active, the Mini hardware costs nothing.
Here's what you need to know:
To Claim Your Free Mini:
- You must be on Residential Max (new customers or existing customers who upgrade)
- Starlink will email you a "Claim Free Mini Rental" button
- Complete the short survey in the email
- Your Mini ships within 1-2 weeks
The Fine Print:
- The Mini arrives activated on Standby Mode (~$4.25/month with your 50% discount)
- You can upgrade to Roam 100GB or Unlimited at any time
- If you cancel Residential Max or downgrade to a cheaper plan, you must return the Mini or pay the full kit value
- Normal wear and tear is expected - you won't be charged for reasonable use
One Mini Per Account: You're entitled to one free Mini rental per Residential Max subscription.
Half-Price Roam Plans: The Real Value
The 50% discount on Roam plans applies to your Mini only. Combined with the recent Roam 100GB upgrade, here's what you'll pay:
| Roam Plan | Standard Price | With 50% Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Standby Mode | $8.50/month | $8.50/month ( no discount) |
| Roam 100GB | $80/month | $40/month |
| Roam Unlimited | $195/month | $97.50/month |
That's massive. For $40/month, you get 100GB of high-speed portable data with unlimited low-speed fallback when you hit the cap.
For context: A farmer on Residential Max pays $139 for home internet, adds $40 for 100GB of mobile data, and has a free Mini to take out to the paddock, shed, or machinery. Total: $179/month for comprehensive home + mobile satellite coverage.
Free Router Mini: Solving the Farmhouse WiFi Problem
This is the benefit most people don't know about, and it's genuinely useful for rural properties.
The Router Mini is a mesh WiFi extender that pairs with your main Gen 3 Router. It's separate from the Starlink Mini (the portable dish) - this one stays in your home to extend WiFi coverage.
Why this matters for rural Australians:
Starlink dishes need clear sky view, which often means mounting them away from the main living areas - on a shed, a pole in the yard, or the far end of a long farmhouse. The Gen 3 Router sits near the dish, but WiFi signal drops off quickly over distance and through walls.
The Router Mini plugs in wherever you need better coverage - the other end of the house, the office, the kids' rooms - and creates a seamless mesh network with your main router.
Practical examples:
- Dish mounted on the machinery shed, Router Mini in the homestead
- Dish on the north side of a long farmhouse, Router Mini in the south wing
- Main router in the living area, Router Mini in the home office for video calls
Specs:
- Pairs automatically with Gen 3 Router
- Creates unified WiFi network (same network name, seamless roaming)
- Compact size, plugs into standard power outlet
The Router Mini normally sells for around $68 in the Starlink shop. Getting it free with Residential Max is a genuine saving, especially if you've been struggling with coverage.
Who Should Upgrade to Residential Max?
Residential Max makes sense if:
- You have WiFi dead spots in your home (the free Router Mini solves this)
- Your dish is mounted far from your living areas (shed, pole, far end of property)
- You travel with your Starlink (caravanning, camping, road trips)
- You're a farmer or station owner who needs connectivity away from the homestead
- You want a portable backup dish for emergencies or visiting family
- You have a large home, thick walls, or multiple buildings to cover
Stick with Residential Lite ($99/month) if:
- Your home is small with good WiFi coverage already
- You never travel with internet
- You're purely budget-focused and don't need the extras
- Your dish is close to where you use the internet
The $40/month difference between Residential Lite and Residential Max is easily justified if you'll use either the portable Mini OR need better home WiFi coverage. You're getting $700+ worth of hardware for free.
How to Upgrade to Residential Max
If you're already a Starlink Residential customer:
- Log into your Starlink account
- Go to your subscription settings
- Look for the option to upgrade to Residential Max
- Changes take effect immediately
- You'll receive an email within 1-2 days to claim your free Mini
Already on the old "Residential" plan at $139? You may already be on Residential Max - check your account. Many existing customers are being automatically upgraded and just need to claim their Mini.
The Catch: You Lose Benefits If You Downgrade
If you switch from Residential Max to a cheaper plan (Residential Lite or Residential 100 Mbps), you lose:
- The free Mini rental (must return it or pay the kit value)
- The 50% Roam discount
- The Router Mini mesh extender
Starlink mentions an option to keep the Mini at "a low monthly rental fee" if you downgrade, but hasn't published that price yet. For now, assume you'll need to return it.
Residential Max vs Buying Everything Outright
Let's compare the economics:
Scenario: You want home internet + mesh WiFi + 100GB portable data
| Option | Upfront | Monthly | Year 1 Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Max + Free Hardware | $0 | $179 ($139 + $40) | $2,148 |
| Residential Lite + Buy Router Mini + Buy Starlink Mini | $729 | $179 ($99 + $80) | $2,877 |
With Residential Max, you save $729 in Year 1 alone. The maths only get better in subsequent years.
The trade-off: With Residential Max, you don't own the Mini. If you cancel, you return it. If you bought outright, it's yours forever.
For most people, the free rental makes more sense unless you're planning to cancel your home Starlink entirely.
Related: Roam 100GB Now Standard
This announcement comes alongside Starlink doubling the Roam data cap from 50GB to 100GB at no extra cost. If you're on Roam 50GB, your plan automatically becomes Roam 100GB.
Combined with the Residential Max discount, that's 100GB of portable data for just $40/month - double the data at half the price compared to a few months ago.
Read more: Starlink Just Doubled Your Roam Data: 100GB Now Standard in Australia
Bottom Line
Residential Max at $139/month is now genuinely compelling for anyone with WiFi coverage issues OR who might use portable Starlink connectivity. You're getting:
- A free Router Mini worth $68(mesh WiFi for dead spots)
- A free Starlink Mini worth $599 (portable dish for travel)
- Half-price Roam data ($40 for 100GB instead of $80)
- The fastest available Residential speeds
For farmers with dishes mounted on sheds, families in large homes, and anyone who travels - this bundle makes the decision easy. The free hardware alone is worth over $650, easily justifying the $40/month premium over Residential Lite.
To claim your free Mini and Router Mini: Check your Starlink account, upgrade to Residential Max if needed, and watch for the redemption email.
Quick Reference: Australian Residential Plans (January 2026)
| Plan | Price | Speed | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential 100 Mbps | $69/month | Up to 100 Mbps | Budget tier, limited areas |
| Residential Lite | $99/month | Up to 200 Mbps | Deprioritised during congestion |
| Residential Max | $139/month | Up to 400+ Mbps | Free Mini, 50% off Roam, Router Mini mesh |
All plans include unlimited data.
Sources:
Last updated: January 2026