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Are you experiencing high Gen5 data usage? Here's why.

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maltboy
Sophomore

Are you experiencing high Gen5 data usage? Here's why.

Are you seeing abnormally high data usage on your Gen 5 account?

Here's why.

HughesNet is charging ALL local data that goes through your WiFi against your data plan!

Are you using Chromecast to stream data from your laptop to your TV over WiFI? Guess what? It counts against your plan!

I Was using WAY mare data than usual after getting Gen 5 service, so I installed Glasswire to see where my data was going. I discovered that I was actually downloading only about 110 MB a day, but I had used 900 MB locally to stream some videos I had on my laptop to my TV over the WiFi. HughesNet charged the entire 1GB against my cap! I called CS and they confirmed that ALL data that goes through the local WiFi gets charged to my cap.  They are literally charging me to stream my own data from my laptop to my TV even if I didn't actually download a single byte of satellite data!

 

There is a legal term for charging someone for something they didn't get.  It's called fraud.

58 REPLIES 58

WiFi built in...

 

Calling TS is the most agravating thing in the world, they have NO idea what they are talking about, none...


@bbdaines wrote:

WiFi built in...

 

Calling TS is the most agravating thing in the world, they have NO idea what they are talking about, none...

 


 

 

Tell me about it.  They were beyond clueless.

 


@Amanda wrote:

Hi

 

So, obviously this is a topic we'll need to handle carefully. I have very little experience with Plex, but from research there have been similar cases where something like this occurs. The majority of the complainants, it seems, are using Chromecast. There have been some discussions regarding local setup failures causing the remote access to kick in, or NAT loopback issues. 

 

I am going to test this in our lab as soon as I can, as well as bring this thread to the attention of an engineer. Finally, I will have those support calls pulled so we can provide coaching to the agents. 

 

Just to clarify, do you use the HughesNet wi-fi built-in to the modem or do you use your own router connected to ours? 

 

Thanks

Amanda





I'm using the HughesNet modem exclusively.  I'm using Plex on my laptop to broadcast straight to a Samsung TV with Plex running on it as an app.  No Chromecast

 

Yeah, those agents definitely need some coaching.  The call started at around 8:33 CST and lasted for 61 minutes.  I was on hold for most of that.  I was apoplectic when both the CS rep and her supervisor informed me that HughesNet charges for local data and this is a perfectly acceptable practice.  This will rapidly become an actionable situation if this isn't resolved quickly. 

 

 

Maltboy, I don't believe the agent or supervisor I spoke with understand the difference between WiFi and internet and that the data over Wifi does not have to come from the internet.. ie a netflix program downloaded from another network to my phone and then chromecasted to my tv over wifi..


@bbdaines wrote:

Maltboy, I don't believe the agent or supervisor I spoke with understand the difference between WiFi and internet and that the data over Wifi does not have to come from the internet.. ie a netflix program downloaded from another network to my phone and then chromecasted to my tv over wifi..


They told me that all data that goes through the router is counted, even if it comes from my laptop and goes straight to my TV.  I explained this was akin to selling me a 10 gallon can of gasoline, and then charging me for it again when I pour it into my lawn mower.  They both understood exactly what I was doing, and they both confirmed it counts as downloaded data even if it only travels locally over WiFi.


@maltboy wrote:

@bbdaines wrote:

Maltboy, I don't believe the agent or supervisor I spoke with understand the difference between WiFi and internet and that the data over Wifi does not have to come from the internet.. ie a netflix program downloaded from another network to my phone and then chromecasted to my tv over wifi..


They told me that all data that goes through the router is counted, even if it comes from my laptop and goes straight to my TV.  I explained this was akin to selling me a 10 gallon can of gasoline, and then charging me for it again when I pour it into my lawn mower.  They both understood exactly what I was doing, and they both confirmed it counts as downloaded data even if it only travels locally over WiFi.


Man I sure hope this is not the case and only an isolated issue.

I am in FAP so can't test this for 18 more days (yeh my data moves at a fast rate compared to Gen 4 that I used to have) but I just setup my Apple Time Capsule with an external drive on it with all my movies so I can wifi into that using my Apple TV to watch them in the other room.  I would be ticked if that data comes off my data cap with Hughes.  I would think that is something Hughes would not and could not do for moral and legal reasons.  Hope Hughes gets to the bottom of your issue.  TJ

GW
Advanced Tutor

I would test it but the hughes wifi isn't a part of my network. I have a real router for that. I can log on to the hughes wifi from anything with wifi but I can't see the rest of the network when I do.


@GW wrote:

I would test it but the hughes wifi isn't a part of my network. I have a real router for that. I can log on to the hughes wifi from anything with wifi but I can't see the rest of the network when I do.


Is your router connected to the HughesNet router via ethernet cable?  I read that the HT2200 can't be bridged.  How did you get it to work?

GW
Advanced Tutor

Mine is a HT2000W. To me it's just a modem that I use to feed my Asus router by ethernet.

 

Since I left the wifi turned on in the Hughes modem, it's available as another wifi signal. We seldom use it but it's there if we ever need it. If I need a signal when I'm out of the house, it's nice to have two networks available in case one is stronger where I happen to be standing. I don't know anything about bridging it.

BirdDog
Assistant Professor


@GW wrote:

Mine is a HT2000W. To me it's just a modem that I use to feed my Asus router by ethernet.

 

Since I left the wifi turned on in the Hughes modem, it's available as another wifi signal. We seldom use it but it's there if we ever need it. If I need a signal when I'm out of the house, it's nice to have two networks available in case one is stronger where I happen to be standing. I don't know anything about bridging it.


That is interesting. Don't think there's been any discussion on leaving both the HT2000W WiFi on plus a wireless router that is connected to it. Would then have two 2.4 and two 5 bands available. As long as the channels are all setup different it should work fine.

 

Sounds like it's working for you.

GW
Advanced Tutor

It works fine. I just thought that was the way it's supposed to be. I set it up that way to do A-B comparisons to see if I could get better performance for my wife's pad and laptop in the far end of the house.

macsociety
Advanced Tutor


@GW wrote:

Mine is a HT2000W. To me it's just a modem that I use to feed my Asus router by ethernet.

 

Since I left the wifi turned on in the Hughes modem, it's available as another wifi signal. We seldom use it but it's there if we ever need it. If I need a signal when I'm out of the house, it's nice to have two networks available in case one is stronger where I happen to be standing. I don't know anything about bridging it.


Not sure if you will experience this but when I had AT&T Wifi Internet, it came with a router to give me the internet feed.  The router box had ethernet ports on it also to allow more devices to be connected.  So to make life easier, I connected my Apple Time Capsule to one of those ports so all devices connected to it would keep working as-is.  Issue I found later is a constant loss of data, about 30mb per hour, when I was not doing anything on the internet on any device.  So I decided to yank the Time Capsule from that connection and this loss of data stopped.  I then replaced the Apple Time Capsule with a switch and connected my hardwired devices to it and switched all the house wireless needs directed at the new AT&T modem.  Anyway... long story short, the way I had it with 2 routers made this phantom feed gobbling 30MB per hour doing nothing.

 

I have since re-connected my Apple Time Capsule to the Hughes modem this time but in FAP so will be about 20 days before I can check to see if I lose data too.  This time though I adjusted the Apple Time Capsule settings to off for wifi so hopefully with it not dishing out a wifi internet feed, I will not lose data this time.

 

Are you losing data if you do nothing on the internet with two routers connected like you are?

 

TJ

GW
Advanced Tutor


@macsociety wrote:

Are you losing data if you do nothing on the internet with two routers connected like you are?

Nope.

12-31 usage.JPG

macsociety
Advanced Tutor

@GW, that is a groovy chart.

Did you get that report from the HW2000?  

Or some windows or mac app?

I am on Mac so can't use that other app others have talked about to see what each device on the network is using.

Would be nice to at least see in an hourly fashion what I am using at least.

I am in Mac but also have a linux box too.

TJ

GW
Advanced Tutor

Shhh. Don't tell anyone. http://customercare.myhughesnet.com/actUsage.cfm

 

Here's my chart for today.chart 1-10.JPG

macsociety
Advanced Tutor


@GW wrote:

Shhh. Don't tell anyone. http://customercare.myhughesnet.com/actUsage.cfm

 

Here's my chart for today.chart 1-10.JPG


Oh wow, that is old.... well is the older Gen 4 site.  Does that work with Gen 5?

Guess I can try and login.

TJ

GW
Advanced Tutor

Oops, wrong day for today's chart. This one is today.

 

The chart is from spaceway days. Yeah, it works.

 

real chart 1-10.JPG

hmm, the link does not work for me.  If I remove the actUsage.cfm from it it takes me to the old Gen 4 site but once I login, it takes me to the new site Hughes uses, and i don't show any report or usage link that mimics what you have.  Guess I am not seeing it.  ;-(

 

TJ

GW
Advanced Tutor

It's drifty. Some days it doesn't work at all. I always keep this page and my modem SCC open in IE 11 on my main computer. I don't have to log in to use it. IE stores my SAN in a cookie so it's automatic. Just pick a day.

 

I just had a look and it won't open with FF or Chrome right now but I can open it on another computer running FF 52.5.3 ESR. I chased the link provided when doing a StartPage search on "HugesNet Usage".

 

 


@macsociety wrote:

hmm, the link does not work for me.  If I remove the actUsage.cfm from it it takes me to the old Gen 4 site but once I login, it takes me to the new site Hughes uses, and i don't show any report or usage link that mimics what you have.  Guess I am not seeing it.  ;-(

 

TJ


No joy for me either. 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV