Forum Discussion

wildcats198308's avatar
8 years ago

Gen5 Upgrade..

I have decided to upgrade to Gen5. I have some questions that I want to be addressed before the install. 

 

I currently have an HN9000 model which uses 2 cables from the dish to modem.  I had my initial install done in 2008.   Will the installer run new cable for the new system or just use the old?   With it being 9 years old would it be best to advise them to run new??  I know Gen5 uses only one cable, do they only run one single cable or do they still use the dual combined cable and only connect one of them?  (Just a note my cable is ran above ground, I don't know if HughesNet recommends this, but I have a water line running across under ground between where dish is and house so having the cable underground is not really an option). 

 

I was looking around for some details on what a normal install consists of and could not find any information.  I know before pole mounts were extra cost and if you need more than a certain amount of cable, is there a cable limit now? (I had to pay extra when my system was installed in 2008).   I am hoping to be able to use my current pole but if the installer suggests a new pole or location is pole mounts extra?.... In 2008, I bought a pole / concrete and put it in myself.... The installer showed us where he recommended and then came back the next day to do the install with no extra charge having to come back.

  • C0RR0SIVE's avatar
    C0RR0SIVE
    Associate Professor

    For the most part, coax doesn't really do bad... The ends may need to be reterminated, but a new run wouldn't be needed.  Installers don't carry the dual coax anymore either unless it's a business install that requires a 9000 unit.  With you being an upgrade, they will re-use your current mounting, and cables, and just clip one of the coax off at the ends.  Echostar-19 is very close to where Spaceway3 was, so pointing shouldn't be an issue.

  • GabeU's avatar
    GabeU
    Distinguished Professor IV

    For my Gen4, then Gen5 upgrade, they used the same coax that was installed back in my original install in 2004, the only difference being they used one leg instead of both.  They installed new connectors for the Gen4 upgrade, and they installed new connectors again for the Gen5 upgrade, plus a new fuse block.  

     

    The same pole has been used since the beginning for mine, even though it's nowhere near regulation.  It's too short, but being there isn't really any other easy place to put it, there being no children around here and me being perfectly fine with using the same one, they did.  They just repointed the dish and changed the polarization on the radio (or whatever it is they change the polarization on). 

  • My upgrade was done today, I am faily happy with the Gen5 system and speeds.  It is better than the HN9000 Spaceway system I had.  I was unable to load alot of flash embedded pages correctly.  With Gen5 these pages load with out a problem. 

     

    There is a slight delay in loading pages at times though, is anyone else having this issue?  I see someone did post about sluggish pages but I dont know if everyone is having the problem. 

     

    Question on the dish install... All my previous systems had a ground wire attached to the feed horn on the arm of the dish.  The installer did not attach the ground wire this time.  Does anyone else have a ground wire attached to theirs? (The installer chopped the one cable and ground wire off back behind the dish)

     

    I have been seeing signal strength of 100 for my system,  My HN9000 had signal strength in the mid 100's with max around 160.  I hope 100 will hold up good in heavy rain and snow with Gen5.

    • C0RR0SIVE's avatar
      C0RR0SIVE
      Associate Professor

      The signal strength number from HN9000 to HT1xxx and HT2xxx series equipment is a good bit different.  A signal of 100 is similar to 180 or so on Spaceway3 from what I have experienced.

      As for the ground wire, nope, none on my radio.  Most of the static build up issue is on the reflector, and the outer shield of the coax is a ground as is, so the radio does eventually get to ground (at the ground block), which should have a ground wire going off to a ground rod or copper water pipe.

    • GabeU's avatar
      GabeU
      Distinguished Professor IV

      wildcats198308 wrote:

      My upgrade was done today, I am faily happy with the Gen5 system and speeds.  It is better than the HN9000 Spaceway system I had.  I was unable to load alot of flash embedded pages correctly.  With Gen5 these pages load with out a problem. 

       

      There is a slight delay in loading pages at times though, is anyone else having this issue?  I see someone did post about sluggish pages but I dont know if everyone is having the problem. 

       

      Question on the dish install... All my previous systems had a ground wire attached to the feed horn on the arm of the dish.  The installer did not attach the ground wire this time.  Does anyone else have a ground wire attached to theirs? (The installer chopped the one cable and ground wire off back behind the dish)

       

      I have been seeing signal strength of 100 for my system,  My HN9000 had signal strength in the mid 100's with max around 160.  I hope 100 will hold up good in heavy rain and snow with Gen5.


      I'm glad that your install went well and that you are able to do things now that you were not able to do with your HN9000S system.  

       

      The delay seems to be happening to at least some people, though apparently not in the same way, or even perhaps for the same reasons.  For me, it is a delay before a page opens, like when you open the browser for the first time or when going to another web address.  I use Chrome, though I don't know that the browser matters when it comes to this.  What I've found is that, when this is happening, on the lower left there is a "resolving host" message, and this is what is causing the delay.  Again, this is with Chrome, so I don't know where, if anywhere, it would give that message with another browser.  I've tried various things to solve this. Some have worked temporarily, some have not.  It doesn't always happen, but when it does it can certainly be a bit annoying.  Once the page is found and it starts to load, though, it's very fast for me.  

       

      As for the ground wire, I'd have to look.  It's pouring outside right now, so I can't at this time, but I don't believe mine has a ground wire going up the feed arm either, though I think there is a ground wire connected to the mount itself, behind the dish.  I know for sure the system is grounded, I just can't remember exactly where.  I do remember the ground wire going up the feed arm on my legacy dish.  It's probably just that they are very different pieces of equipment and are grounded in different ways.  

       

      My signal strength reaches up to about 104, but usually hovers in the mid-high 90s.  It's been very good with rain.  I've only had it lose its signal twice.  Once with wet snow on the dish, and the other time during a heavy snowfall and VERY thick cloud cover.  My DirecTV lost its signal both times, and one additional time during heavy rain when the Gen5 didn't.  

       

      I've found Gen5, overall, to be fantastic.  I didn't think I would like, nor use, the built in WiFi, but I changed my mind on that quickly.  It has better range than my Netgear router, and it's easier to use, as it's right there, meaning I don't have an additonal piece of equipment cluttering things up.  

        

       

      • That is how mine is as well.  When first opening Browser and going to a site it is takes a little while for it to load, or loading a new site on an additional tab.  

         

        Thats good to know that the lower signal is better with the Gen5 system.

         

        With just having Gen5 for about 6 hours and the little that I have been doing and testing everything I find it to be fantastic as well.  :smileyhappy:    I am not a fan of the WiFi though.  I dont know how the distance is with it, but I do not think I will be using it unless they add some much needed features.  I have Gargoyle-Router firmware installed on a Western Digital MyNet N750 dual ban router.   There is a Quota usage feature in Gargoyle,  so I can set all my devices to a certain Download limit and then Throttle or Shut Down all Internet Access for the device once the limit is reached.  I have found it to work great with the 375 daily limit I had with my Spaceway System.  With 2 children under 16 in the house the Quota Limits are much needed!    I have my WD Router hanging on wall so its pretty much out of the way.  I was just thinking about putting a small shelf on the wall to sit the HT2000 on it to get it up off the desk and out of the way.  Plus I dont like all the holes that are on the top.  The holes are pretty BIG! 

         

        Bringing up the Modem,  what I researched I was thinking it would be MUCH larger than it is.  I was thinking it would be a few inches taller and wider.   But it is a decent size,  but weird with all the big openings and how its shaped. 

  • I see posts in different threads about going to www.systemcontrolcenter.com ....  Nothing loads for me on my Gen5 system.  I get a The connection has timed out message.  I can load 192.168.0.1 with no problem.   Why wont it load going to the web address as well?  Any other Gen5 users have this issue as well?

    • GabeU's avatar
      GabeU
      Distinguished Professor IV

      wildcats198308 wrote:

      I see posts in different threads about going to www.systemcontrolcenter.com ....  Nothing loads for me on my Gen5 system.  I get a The connection has timed out message.  I can load 192.168.0.1 with no problem.   Why wont it load going to the web address as well?  Any other Gen5 users have this issue as well?


      Are you using a public DNS server, like Google's or someone else's?  Doing so can cause that.  I use Google's and it does that for me, too.  I have to use 192.168.0.1.  


      • GabeU wrote:
        Are you using a public DNS server, like Google's or someone else's?  Doing so can cause that.  I use Google's and it does that for me, too.  I have to use 192.168.0.1.  

        I use Firefox  mostly.  But I havent tried any other browsers.   I just tried Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera, and Edge.  None of them will open it using www.systemcontrolcenter.com.   I believe with my Spaceway HN9000 modem I was able to open it that way, but I was always used to typing 192.168.0.1 so always used that.  It sounds like with Gen5 it does not accept www.systemcontrolcenter.com ??