Glossary
The words you’ll meet in plan pages, forums and the Starlink app, in plain English.
Updated US only. Not tested on the road by us.
Billing cycle
The month between two billing dates. Data allowances reset on the billing date. Plan changes must be made before midnight UTC on that day.
Boondocking
Camping without hookups: no shore power, water or sewer, often on public land. Boondocking spots are where satellite earns its keep, because cell signal is often weak. Power for the dish then comes from batteries or solar.
Cable pass-through
How the dish cable gets from outside into the rig. Options run from a cracked window or slide-out seal to a sealed roof or wall gland. The cable end shouldn’t be cut.
Data cap (allowance)
The high-speed data a plan includes each billing month. On Roam 100GB and 300GB, once the allowance is used, service drops to unlimited low-speed data until the billing date. There is no overage bill. Unlimited has no cap on land.
Failover
A router switching to a second connection when the first drops. Common RV setup: cellular as the main link and satellite as the backup, or the other way round.
Fifth wheel
A towable RV hitched in a truck bed. Tall roofs make roof mounts harder to reach; many owners use a ladder or pole mount.
Hotspot
A phone or small device that shares cellular data over Wi-Fi. Cheaper than satellite when signal is good and trips are short. Many plans slow down after a set amount of data.
In-motion
Using the dish while the vehicle or boat is moving. Allowed on every Roam plan in the US up to a speed limit, with a dish model rated for it, mounted flat. Not allowed on Residential plans or in Standby Mode. Never set up or adjust gear while driving.
Low-speed data
What you get after the allowance runs out. Starlink says it handles email, calls and texts; video, big downloads and video calls are limited.
Obstruction
Anything between the dish and the sky: trees, awnings, A/C units, cliffs. Even small obstructions cause short drops. The Starlink app has a tool that shows where the view is blocked.
Ocean Mode
A paid add-on to Roam Unlimited for use more than 12 nautical miles offshore. Billed per GB and stays on until you turn it off. Can also be used on land for higher priority, still per GB.
Residential plan
Starlink’s home plan: unlimited data at one fixed address. Doesn’t work at other addresses or while moving. Changing the address turns service off at the old one.
Roam
Starlink’s travel plan family: works anywhere in your home country, including while moving. Roam comes in 100GB, 300GB and Unlimited versions for US accounts. For a US account, “home” means the US, Canada and US territories. Only Unlimited works in other countries, 30 days at a time.
Shore power
Plugging the RV into a campground’s electrical pedestal. With shore power, the dish’s power draw doesn’t matter much. Without it, it comes out of your batteries.
Standby Mode
Starlink’s pause: a slow connection for a small monthly fee instead of full service. Keeps unlimited low-speed data (up to 500 Kbps) and your account active. Not meant for use while moving. Resuming charges the month right away, prorated. It replaced free pausing in August 2025.
Travel Registration
Starlink’s identity check before you use the service outside your home country. Needs a passport or other government photo ID and a live portrait. Billing continues if service is disabled because it’s incomplete.