Starlink Mini: Portable, Powerful, and Ready When I Need It
I’ve been using the Starlink Mini for a little while now, and it’s quickly become one of the most useful bits of kit I own. It delivers fast, low-latency internet in places where fixed broadband either doesn’t exist or simply isn’t reliable. It’s small, light, and sets up in minutes, which makes it ideal for the kind of work I do — whether that’s out in the field, on the move, or supporting sites before infrastructure is in place.
What surprised me most is how compact it really is. The dish fits into a backpack, weighs just over a kilo, and doesn’t need any complicated mounting or extra gear. It runs quietly in the background and consistently delivers speeds over 100 Mbps. That’s more than enough for video calls, cloud access, file uploads, and just about anything else I throw at it. Latency stays low too, which keeps everything responsive.
It’s also a great backup. If my main broadband connection drops out — due to a fault, a power cut, or scheduled works — I don’t lose time or productivity. I just power up the Mini and carry on. For anyone running a small business or working remotely, that peace of mind is worth a lot.
Powering it is straightforward. I run mine using the Anker PowerHouse C200, which handles the low power draw easily. With less than 40 watts needed, I get several hours of uptime from a single charge. I can also add a solar panel or secondary battery if I’m staying off-grid for longer. The whole setup is clean, quiet, and reliable.
To take things a step further, I’ve integrated the Starlink Mini with a UniFi Express 7. That gives me proper control over the network. I can set up VLANs, manage devices, create guest networks, and handle remote access — all with the same tools I use in more permanent setups. It’s made the Starlink system feel like part of a fully managed environment, not just a backup connection.
For me, Starlink Mini isn’t just a smaller version of the main dish. It’s a proper connectivity solution that travels with me, works when I need it, and doesn’t get in the way. Whether I’m running something temporary, working in a remote spot, or just preparing for the unexpected, it’s the kind of tool I’m glad to have ready to go.
Get your mini: https://www.starlink.com/gb/roam
Unifi Express 7: https://amzn.to/3FGUHDq
Anker C200: https://amzn.to/3SvZ7jB
AllPowers Solar Panel: https://amzn.to/3T75KZG
USB-C power lead for Mini: https://amzn.to/3FCK84r