Starlink and broadband glossary

A device that provides Wi-Fi access to a network. It can be connected by Ethernet to extend coverage away from the main router.

An Ethernet cable to an access point can bring Wi-Fi to an upstairs room or garden office.

The connection carrying traffic from an extra access point or mesh node back towards the main network. At home this can be wired or wireless.

A mesh unit placed in a Wi-Fi dead spot may have a poor connection back to the router as well. Moving it closer can help.

The capacity of a connection to carry data. People often use it to mean the amount of traffic a connection can handle at once.

Several people streaming, downloading and backing up files share the connection’s capacity.

A Starlink setting that disables its router’s Wi-Fi so suitable third-party networking equipment can take over.

Once bypass mode is enabled, your own router needs to provide the home network. Follow the instructions for your kit model.

Carrier-grade network address translation. An internet provider shares public IPv4 addressing across customers rather than giving each one a directly reachable public IPv4 connection.

You can browse and make outgoing connections normally, but conventional port forwarding into your home will not work through CGNAT.

An amount of data included under a plan’s rules, usually measured in GB. It measures quantity rather than speed.

A 100 GB allowance describes how much data you can use at the plan’s stated service level. Read what happens after it is used.

The rate at which data arrives from the internet, such as a film, app update or file someone sends you.

A faster download can shorten a large game update. Calls also depend on upload speed and latency.

A networking technology commonly used for a wired connection between a computer, router, switch or access point.

A wired test near the router helps distinguish a broadband fault from poor Wi-Fi in a distant room.

Broadband delivered by radio to a fixed property, typically from a local ground-based network. It is a different delivery route from satellite.

A small receiver on your property connects to the operator’s mast. The operator needs to check whether the path is clear.

Fibre to the cabinet. Fibre reaches a street cabinet, with the final connection normally using copper telephone wiring to the property.

The length and condition of the copper section affect the speed that reaches your home.

Fibre to the premises. An optical fibre connection reaches the property itself.

Full fibre avoids the copper section. A nearby fibre network still needs to accept orders for your particular address.

Gigabyte, a unit of data quantity. In decimal terms, one GB contains about 8,000 megabits. It is different from a rate measured in Mbps.

A 10 GB download uses one tenth of a 100 GB allowance, whatever speed it downloads at.

Internet Protocol version 4, an addressing system used to route traffic. Whether an address is public or private matters for remote access.

If you need to access a home server from elsewhere, find out whether your provider uses a public address or CGNAT.

A newer internet addressing system with a much larger address space than IPv4. Using it depends on the whole connection and the devices involved.

A reachable IPv6 address can help with remote access, but you still need suitable firewall rules and IPv6 at both ends.

Variation in the delay between packets arriving. A connection can have a reasonable average delay but an uneven flow of data.

Uneven packet arrival can make a voice call sound broken even when a speed test looks healthy.

Kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy. A device drawing one kilowatt continuously for one hour uses one kWh.

A kit averaging 100 W uses 2.4 kWh if left on for 24 hours.

The time data takes to travel. Internet tests often report round-trip delay in milliseconds rather than one-way delay.

In a video call, high latency creates a noticeable pause between speaking and hearing the reply.

Low Earth orbit. Starlink’s satellites orbit much closer to Earth than geostationary satellites and move across the sky instead of appearing fixed above one point.

The satellites move across the sky. A tree can block part of their path and cause short interruptions.

Megabits per second, a unit of data transfer rate. Eight bits make a byte, so 80 Mbps is theoretically 10 megabytes per second before overhead.

At a constant 80 Mbps, a 1 GB file takes at least 100 seconds to transfer. Protocol overhead adds a little more.

A system of connected Wi-Fi units intended to provide coverage across a wider area than one unit alone.

A mesh system can improve coverage in a larger house. It cannot improve the satellite signal reaching the dish.

How a provider treats one category of traffic relative to another when network resources are shared.

Lower-priority traffic may slow first when many customers use the same part of the network.

Something blocking the view the dish needs, such as a tree or part of a building. This is separate from weak Wi-Fi inside the house.

The Starlink app scans the proposed dish position and later shows where the installed dish is being blocked.

Data packets failing to arrive at their destination. Applications may need to recover or work around the missing information.

A brief loss may be hidden by a streaming buffer but heard as missing words on a live call.

A test that sends a small message and measures whether a reply returns and how long the round trip takes. The result depends on the destination.

A test to a nearby server may show a lower delay than a connection to a game server overseas.

Power over Ethernet. Power and data are carried over compatible Ethernet cabling and equipment. Different implementations have different requirements.

Starlink equipment has model-specific power requirements. A generic PoE injector is not automatically compatible.

The device that directs traffic between networks. A home router often also provides Wi-Fi, but routing and Wi-Fi are different functions.

The router joins your home devices to the internet connection. Its Wi-Fi range is a separate limit from the dish’s view of the sky.

An amount applied to service billing under an offer’s terms, rather than cash handed to you.

For an eligible Starlink referral order, the free-month benefit is applied to service billing in month two.

The name shown when you choose a Wi-Fi network on a device. It identifies the network you are joining.

If your old and new routers are both on, check which network your phone has joined before testing.

An address intended to remain fixed. A public IP address and a static IP address are not the same promise.

A public address can still change. A service that requires a fixed address needs an explicit static-IP arrangement.

The rate at which data leaves your home, such as a cloud backup, outgoing video or file sent to a colleague.

Sending a large file or cloud backup can compete with the outgoing video from a work call.

Uninterruptible power supply. A battery-backed device that can keep compatible equipment powered for a limited period after mains power fails.

A UPS can cover a short power cut if sized for the dish and networking equipment. Runtime depends on the battery and load.

Virtual private network. A connection that carries traffic through a protected tunnel to another network or service.

A work VPN may have requirements set by your employer. Test it on the new connection before relying on it for work.

Wide area network. On a home router, the WAN connection is the side leading towards the internet service rather than local devices.

When using your own router, connect the Starlink equipment to the router’s designated internet or WAN port.

A measure of power at a moment in time. Energy cost depends on how long that power is used, not watts alone.

To estimate cost, divide watts by 1,000, multiply by hours of use, then by the price per kWh.

A wireless connection between nearby devices and a local network. It is not the same thing as the internet service reaching the property.

If the connection works beside the router but fails upstairs, Wi-Fi coverage is the first thing to investigate.