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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.

38 REPLIES 38
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
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.

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
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.  Smiley Happy    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. 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@wildcats198308 wrote:

  With 2 children under 16 in the house the Quota Limits are much needed!


No doubt!  🙂

 

The Wi-Fi is pretty basic, no doubt.  No frills.  I think, though, for a lot of people basic is good.  Many don't know much about computers (after fifteen years my folks still wouldn't know how to get to a web site if you gave them the URL), and more options means more confusion for them.  I only use one computer at a time, and it's only me, so the built in Wi-Fi is great.  

 

But, of course, one can still use their own router, so that's good, too.  My Netgear router works perfectly with the modem, but it doesn't really do anything more than the built in Wi-Fi, and having one less component sitting there is nice for me.   

 

How are your speeds?  

 

Yeah,  Basic is best for most people.  If it wasnt for my niece and nephew I would possibly give the built in WiFi a try.  But then again I have multiple devices and tablets and the Kindle Fire tablets I have like to do random system updates with out warning and you cant turn off auto update for the system updates.

 

Some of the speed tests that I ran were quite slow.  I was tested and ran tests on different connections.  Started with my WD Router and it was extremely slow.  Did tests with the built in WiFi and direct.  I have to say I did get a bit speed test happy LOL.... Some of the tests I ran on testmy.net kept going up to higher data usage.  I didnt really do much except speed tests and test a few websites and played a game for about 20 mins and my usage meter showed I used 500 MB in about 2 hours... I was glad to see my usage was reset. 

http://testmy.net/quickstats/wildcats1983

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@wildcats198308

 

With Gen5, it's best to use the 25MB file for downloads and the 4MB file for uploads.  The 25MB file has forwarding disabled, so it won't resize to anything larger.  

 

I see a couple of nice speeds, including one that was in the high 50s.  Very nice.  

 

Maybe someone will have some ideas for you on how to get the speeds up when using Wi-Fi.  Maybe you could try the different bands (2.4Mhz and 5Mhz) to see if one gives a better result than the other.  

 

Being that you came from a legacy plan you are probably gettiing the daily data resets.  Lucky bugger!  But, just to be safe, I wouldn't go hog wild today.  Wait until tomorrow, when you know for sure it's resetting, then go hog wild.  🙂

I couldnt remember what was recommened to run tests on I thought I seen someone say 12 so thats what I was using for most and as you could tell the one jumped up to 73.4 MB.    I think the 50 was directly connected to the modem.  I have tested 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz connections with my WD Router.  The last test I ran was with my laptop using the 5G connection on the WD Router  (20.59 Mbps)

 

It is not a daily reset..  ( @GabeU I guess you were on the 20 day reset)  I have noticed my usage was reset 3 or 4 times already in 7 hours.  Yea I am going to wait and make sure it keeps resetting at least tomorrow as well.  Then I will do more if it does.  I might even let the kids have full access for a while ... or is that too much LMAO..

@GabeU   Your Gen5 was on the 20 day reset correct?  After the 20 days did your month restart or did you have the remainder of the month to use your plan data?   My account shows Allowance Resets in 29 days. 

 

On the HN9000 system there was a Troubleshooting option in the System Control Center.  I dont see a Troubleshooting for Gen5.  Is there anyway to test if there is a problem and then reset the connection.  I also do not see anywhere to Restart the modem.  Is the only way to restart by unplugging the power?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@wildcats198308

 

No.  I didn't have the resets.  Those coming from Gen4 (not sure about the faux Gen4) don't get the daily resets when upgrading to Gen5.  

 

If I remember correctly, when I upgraded from my legacy plan to Gen4 and got the 20 days of daily resets, my account showed the proper allowance reset date, but I was still getting the daily resets.  Once I was through with the initial 20 days of daily resets the data I had was for the remainder of the cycle (ten days), and then reset like a normal month after those ten days.  

 

If yours is resetting more often than daily, it may continue to do so, but it will most likely only be for the first twenty days.  That's pretty cool.  Heck, that truly is like being unlimited for those 20 days.  Even luckier bugger!!!!  🙂

 

Edit:  The 12MB file size is for download speed testing with Gen4, but being that Gen5's speed can be twice what Gen4's are, the recommended download file size is 25MB.  

 

Edit:  Being that the speed was very good when directly connected, hopefully you can fiddle around and figure out how to get the wireless speeds near that, too.  Perhaps someone on here may have some additional things to try.  

 

C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

Don't get spoiled or spoil the kiddos during a reset period.

Those coming from Gen3 to Gen4/5 will get 20 days of resets.  Those coming from Gen4, unless they get a new SAN, will not get daily resets.


Anyways, yeah, Gen5 use the 25MB download package, and the 3 or 4MB upload package if testing that.

As for website issues, yeup, I have experienced odd slowdowns when opening websites, but have only experienced it when Web-Accel is on.  I suspect Gen5 is more popular than expected and those servers take a good beating once in awhile thus causing page hangs and other abnormalities.

Gen4 had similar launch issues early on in its life, after a month or two everything was good to go for most everyone till the congestion started to take a toll on it.

By the way, if your able to, when testing, do direct connections...

As far as rebooting the modem, you can do so in the WebGUI under the Advanced Menu, there will be an almost invisible "i" icon near the language selection, click that, and you can click reboot.

How can I find out where my Relay location is?  (I forget what the proper name is for it LOL)

We are having some storms move through here now.  Nothing real heavy here right now just light rain but dark clouds and thundering.  My signal has droped to around 70.  Like to see what it does in more heavy rain!

Can't really, but, you can take a good guess if you look under System Status and look at IPGW Association State.

For instance, mine is J2SDO066HNSIGW0113

J2 SDO 066 HNS IGW 0113
J2 = Jupiter 2
SDO = SanDiego
066 = Beam 66
HNS = Hughesnet Service??? System???
IGW = IP Gateway???
0113 = Some kinda outroute and gateway???

 J2SDO068HNSIGW0111

 

If its SanDiego thats a long way away!  I am in South Central Pennsylvania.  I know that they can be far but....


@wildcats198308 wrote:

 J2SDO068HNSIGW0111

 

If its SanDiego thats a long way away!  I am in South Central Pennsylvania.  I know that they can be far but....


Yeah, not nearly as far as the almost 45 thousand miles round trip to the satellite. A drop in the bucket.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

The gateway?  

 

The only way I know is to look on the System Control Center's System Status and the IP Gateway Association State.  After the J2, there are a few letters, and I believe those are the abbreviation of wherever your gateway is.