Re: Gen5 SmartBrowsing? - Hughesnet Community

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

Does Gen5 have SmartBrowsing like Gen4 did, or are the new, higher FAP speeds taking the place of "SmartBrowsing"?

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

Seems so from reading this:

No Hard Data Limits†

With HughesNet Gen5, hard data limits are a thing of the past. We’re committed to helping customers stay connected no matter what. That means even if you exceed your plan data, there’s no reason to stress! We won’t cut you off or charge you more. You’ll be able to stay connected at reduced speeds until the next billing cycle. Or, you can always use a Data Token to return to full speed.

Small print: †If you exceed your monthly plan data, you will experience reduced data speeds until that start of your next billing period. Reduced speeds may be as low as or lower than 1 Mbps and may cause Web sites to load more slowly or affect the performance of certain activities, such as video streaming or large downloads/uploads. Visit legal.HughesNet.com for network management details.

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@maratsade wrote:

Seems so from reading this:

No Hard Data Limits†
With HughesNet Gen5, hard data limits are a thing of the past.

Well, that's playing around a little with the meaning of "hard data limits", as, technically, Gen4 had no hard data limits, either. And really, when it comes right down to it, neither did the legacy plans, though the throttling speed was barely even enough to be able to get to the page to use a token.

C0RR0SIVE · ‎03-27-2017

To be honest... SmartBrowsing replaced the FAP... Soo...

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@C0RR0SIVE wrote:
To be honest... SmartBrowsing replaced the FAP... Soo...

True, and now it appears to be going back the other way, though still getting better.

I have no problem with no SmartBrowsing, as the new FAP is better, anyway. I was just curious if the new FAP had more or less taken it's place. I noticed on someone else's picture of their Gen5 Status Meter that the SmartBrowsing part was gone, so that's what made me wonder about it.

Thanks for the info, folks.

larrykelly · ‎03-27-2017

What's so smart about SmartBrowsing?

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

You can browse normally as long as you stick to Web browsing and email. Stuff that uses a lot of data, such as streaming, won't work, and will lead to FAP. At least on Gen4. Is that smart? Yes, it is. Users never got this with Gen3. It's been a big improvement.

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@larrykelly

SmartBrowsing would kick in after you had run out of data (if you were on a plan that had it). It could differentiate between simple web page downloads and active downloading. If the latter, SmartBrowsing would "disengage" and throttle you to the much lower speed. If just browsing, it allowed you to keep doing so with no noticeable difference.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

@C0RR0SIVE wrote:
To be honest... SmartBrowsing replaced the FAP... Soo...

but if one's using SB and wants to stream Netflix, eventually one goes into regular FAP, right? (ETA: I sense this might be another SQOTD*)

*stupid question of the day

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

Stupid question of the day: the tokens we have purchased transfer to Gen5 like they did from Gen3 to Gen4, correct?

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@maratsade wrote:
Stupid question of the day: the tokens we have purchased transfer to Gen5 like they did from Gen3 to Gen4, correct?

From what I've read, yes.

With that said, larrykelly had an issue with them not transferring, but he called and they replaced them.

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@maratsade wrote:
@C0RR0SIVE wrote:
To be honest... SmartBrowsing replaced the FAP... Soo...
but if one's using SB and wants to stream Netflix, eventually one goes into regular FAP, right?

Yep. But, with Gen5, that doesn't appear to be the case. The FAP speed may be enough to stream in lower def.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

@GabeU wrote:
@maratsade wrote:
@C0RR0SIVE wrote:
To be honest... SmartBrowsing replaced the FAP... Soo...
but if one's using SB and wants to stream Netflix, eventually one goes into regular FAP, right?
Yep. But, with Gen5, that doesn't appear to be the case. The FAP speed may be enough to stream in lower def.

WOW. Impressive.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

"With that said, larrykelly had an issue with them not transferring, but he called and they replaced them."

I'd do that too -- I've amassed 25 gigs worth of tokens. I wouldn't want to lose them!

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

Me either. I've got 21GB myself, and I want to keep them. I don't know if I will ever have a chance to use them, but I want to keep them, anyway. LOL.

And hey, maratsade, we're Tutors now! Yippee!!!

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

@GabeU wrote:
Me either. I've got 21GB myself, and I want to keep them. I don't know if I will ever have a chance to use them, but I want to keep them, anyway. LOL.

LOL, Gabe. I am beginning to wonder if I'll ever need them, but maybe when Windows releases the Creator Update, it'll eat up my data and I'll be happy to have them.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

@GabeU wrote:
Me either. I've got 21GB myself, and I want to keep them. I don't know if I will ever have a chance to use them, but I want to keep them, anyway. LOL.

And hey, maratsade, we're Tutors now! Yippee!!!

I just saw this! You totally have earned it. In my case, I think I have proven my earlier comment that if I posted enough [inane] posts, I'd move up the ranks. And it happened!

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

@maratsade wrote:
@GabeU wrote:
And hey, maratsade, we're Tutors now! Yippee!!!
I just saw this! You totally have earned it. In my case, I think I have proven my earlier comment that if I posted enough [inane] posts, I'd move up the ranks. And it happened!

Nah, you've earned it. You've helped out a lot of folks on the new site (the old, too).

As for the Creator's Update, I've read that it will be up to around 4GB, depending on what version of Windows 10 one has on their computer. Not huge, but definitely large enough that there will be people that run into problems with data if they aren't aware of the update and prepare for it accordingly, which will happen, of course.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

Thanks, Gabe, and check's in the mail for you too.

I'm always surprised that Windows updates are relatively small, because they take so many hours to download. I don't understand why they're so slow to download (or why Edge is such a slow browser too -- what's with all the Windows slowness?).

I'm not looking forward to the CU because I hear the privacy settings are going to only give two choices for settings: "Medium invasion of your privacy" OR "We see and know all." They're taking away some of the choices and I'm not sure if there'll be a way to tweak this other than to use Linux.

GabeU · ‎03-27-2017

What I'm hoping is that Gen5 will give a better experience with those Windows updates. Why they are so slow is very odd, and the only thing I can think of is the latency. I notice that it does it with Malwarebytes, too. It takes forever to do an update, though with Malwarebytes it's more that it takes forever to find the updates and start downloading them, but once it does do so it's relatively quick, whereas the Windows updates are just slow all around.

As for the privacy settings...it's getting hairy, that's for sure. Less and less control. I understand we need them to keep our Windows product up to date, but it gets a little ridiculous when they want to know more and more about what we are doing, especially when it's a product that we paid for. A freebie wanting to know things is one thing, as in we'll give this to you free if you let us record your habits, but when it's something we pay for it's a whole different ball game, even if we have to rely on them to keep that product up to date.

Hopefully the techie folks out there will come up with tweaks like they have in the past, but I know Microsoft will do everything they can to keep that from happening.

And, like you mention, Linux is always an option. With every subsequent version of whatever Linux distro one likes, it's becoming more and more user friendly, and better, as well.

maratsade · ‎03-27-2017

@GabeU wrote:
What I'm hoping is that Gen5 will give a better experience with those Windows updates. Why they are so slow is very odd, and the only thing I can think of is the latency. I notice that it does it with Malwarebytes, too. It takes forever to do an update, though with Malwarebytes it's more that it takes forever to find the updates and start downloading them, but once it does do so it's relatively quick, whereas the Windows updates are just slow all around.

As for the privacy settings...it's getting hairy, that's for sure. Less and less control. I understand we need them to keep our Windows product up to date, but it gets a little ridiculous when they want to know more and more about what we are doing, especially when it's a product that we paid for. A freebie wanting to know things is one thing, as in we'll give this to you free if you let us record your habits, but when it's something we pay for it's a whole different ball game, even if we have to rely on them to keep that product up to date.

Hopefully the techie folks out there will come up with tweaks like they have in the past, but I know Microsoft will do everything they can to keep that from happening.

And, like you mention, Linux is always an option. With every subsequent version of whatever Linux distro one likes, it's becoming more and more user friendly, and better, as well.

I find the updates are slow to download no matter the speed. In my experience, even with a superfast, Star Trek style connection, they can take 3 hours. There must be something else besides the latency, or they'd be a flash when done through a cable or another fast connection.

I also don't like Windows snooping into everything, and even though everyone pretty much does, it doesn't make it right, especially when like you say we're paying for this stuff. If we pay, we should have a bit more control.

I imagine Windows is very prepared to deflect the tweaks that might happen. It might backfire eventually, if people move to other platforms. I love Linux and it's getting better and better with time, both in looks and functionality, plus it always comes across as a labor of love and not a shrine for greed, and this makes it even more likeable.