Oh Crappy HughsNet

[Warsawrose]

I just recently became a HughsNet customer...because in the area I live it was basically the only choice I had...The only devises that I use are my IPad and I stream with FireStick on my TV...

From day one...my Streaming on the FireStick was really crappy at best...buffering really bad, unwatchable, during certain hours...exspecially evening hours. 
I down loaded the HighsNet app and was watching how much data I was using...the first 20 days it was only using 4%...Then all of a sudden in the last week...it started using data up like crazy...with absolutely no change in my usage! And before the first month was up...I had used all the data...

Fearing that my crappy internet would become crappier after the data was all gone...I called tech support...and they did not detect any reason why I would all of a sudden start using the data so fast! 
And what the kicker really is...Is when all my data was gone...my internet is exactly the same...buffering as usual! No change from when I supposedly had "faster speed"! Lol! 
Now into my second month...I'm on day 4...with only 6% remaining on the data...The crappy supposedly faster speed data is a hoax...

[maratsade]

Your data is constantly refilled over the first 20 days of your account, as a courtesy. After the 20th day, that stops.  The data usage you're seeing now is what you are actually using. 

There is no hoax. The throttled experience is actually quite good for some people; you may be one of them. For others, the throttled experience is pretty awful. 

[Warsawrose]

I was not informed of the courtesy data...and was told that only using my 2 devises including the FireStick  TV, would be perfect for the data package I have...it's still crappy internet but better than none...Thanks for your reply...

[maratsade · Accepted solution]

I've been told the info is in the welcome email you get. I've been a customer for so long I don't have that email anymore and it was probably totally different then.  Do you happen to have the welcome email?  If so, could you check to see what it says? 

Streaming is a crapshoot with satellite internet, because of latency (both the signal latency from satellite to Earth and from internet latency) and congestion (which has to do with how many people in your area are accessing the system at the same time). 

The system gets bogged down quickly when  people are all trying to do something data intensive like streaming.   And streaming does eat data.  You can change the resolution to use less data, and go with standard definition, which eats the least data, though it still will chomp through the data, but at a slightly slower rate.  I think it's about 300MB per hour. 

EDIT: I used the word "data"  a lot. I'm thinking a drinking game might be called for here. 😉

[GabeU]

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@maratsade wrote:

You can change the resolution to use less data, and go with standard definition, which eats the least data, though it still will chomp through the data, but at a slightly slower rate.  I think it's about 300MB per hour.  

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Standard Def uses about 700MB per hour, whereas Low Def uses about 300MB per hour.  High Def uses about 3GB per hour.  

i.e. even with a 50GB plan, that's only about 16 hours of streaming in HD before the data threshold is reached.  

@Warsawrose 

HughesNet is definitely not designed with every day streaming in mind.  Occasional streaming, but not on a regular basis.  The plan data levels simply can't support it, nor can the system itself because of its limited system capacity, which is very likely one of the reasons you're seeing buffering, especially in the evenings.  Your best bet for regular visual entertainment is satellite TV.

[kpike01]

I Have 20 Meg anytime and 20 meg after hours data plan $150 a month. Getting throttled to 2 mps even though no where near plan limits. What a piecc of crap service. Been a customer for 10 + years due to I live in nowhere USA.

[GabeU]

@kpike01 

If you're looking for help, please start a new topic in Tech Support and explain the issue, and please do so without the colorful metaphors.

[Warsawrose]

I have contacted Tech Support and they told me they have done all that they can do. I have a solution for my FireStick TV...I will use the hotspot on my phone...It works without buffering! 
And I have a colorful personality...why would I not use colorful metaphors! 
Thanks for your reply😁

[maratsade]

Warsawrose, @GabeU was replying to kpike01, not to you (unless you're the same person?).  🙂

"I have a solution for my FireStick TV...I will use the hotspot on my phone...It works without buffering! "

Lucky! My Verizon hotspot is quite awful -- not V's fault but the county's (not enough towers), but unreliable and frustrating all the same.