Hughesnet Community

Buffering, rebooting, what is FAP ?

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
bellestarr40
New Poster

Buffering, rebooting, what is FAP ?

Multiple problems. Data use seems too high. I disconnect from the laptop when not in use and only watch movies in the evening. I'm told I've used all the data token so I should be on the slow speed but netflix, prime, etc. will not load at all...just a circle spinning.....and spinning. On HN website the reboot wouldn't work. then I ran tests and have an orange rating about a FAP conditon...WHAT IS THAT? And under connected devices it shows my 5 G and 2G Guest as enabled. What is that ? My 5 and 2 are already listed; are these two GUESTS using data? So I'm paying for streamers and can't watch even on the slower speed.

16 REPLIES 16
Damian
Moderator

@bellestarr40,

Thank you for posting and welcome to the community. First, I am sorry to hear you are having a hard time managing the monthly data allotment. The acronym FAP is short for Fair Access Policy. Please visit http://hninfo.us/FApolicyGen5 for more information regarding our data usage policy. Your specific data usage can vary greatly depending on what you are using the service for. Please review this link http://hninfo.us/datatips for helpful tips. If you would like me to find which devices are using the most data on your network, please private message me the phone number associated with your account. Click this link to send me a private message https://community.hughesnet.com/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/76644 .

When speeds are being throttled they can definitely cause infinite loading as there is not enough speed to load things properly in some cases. This normally happens when devices are also too far from the modem and are experiencing poor signal quality or there are too many devices on the modem at once while in FAP. I can investigate this information once I can locate your account in the system. -Damian

I have sent two private messages to you as directed in your reply and haven't had a response. I'm copying them here. 

 

Thank you for the response. I wrote support on email a few days ago and never got a reply and I've called India and won't do that again. 

I have watched streamers before when using bonus data with some buffering but got nothing but buffering recently when trying to open them. Service is interrupted here by a little wind or light rain. I just finished a zoom job interview and had to reconnect four times in 15 minutes. The monthly fee is high enough plus the cost of buying tokens which I do reluctantly, so purchasing a higher level of data is not an option. 
I checked an hour ago and the streamers loaded and opened as they should but tonight when I try to watch a movie or series I may get nothing but buffering again. Lately the level of bonus data seems to be lower than before with my laptop internet going off by itself. I disconnect whenever I'm not using it and limit my time on firestick but overall I'm not satisfied with the service, but I have no choice in this area. 
 
I can't find the second one...probably because the internet keeps cutting out and the laptop freezes. As stated, I went onto firestick in the evening and some of the films would not load. I noticed that the modem lights were flashing crazily indicating a search for internet access, so I disconnected the cable and waited five minutes. The flashing gradually subsided to normal levels. The service has been unreliable since I signed up last August. 
 
 
 

@bellestarr40,

 

I asked you for the phone number associated with your account so I can locate you in the system and begin looking into what is actually causing your issues, outside of your data expenditure and throttled speeds. You still have not provided this. I only received one message from you. The Community support team and the Email support team are separate. We do not share an inbox. If you are already dealing with this issue through Email support, I suggest you continue through there. If you would like me to continue with your issue here specifically, please provide the information requested.

 

To address some of the things you wrote in your reply, buying data tokens is usually not necessary in most cases. If you click the link I provided, you can save your data effectively by following the tips provided. I can also provide more tips, not included, to help with your data expenditure. You also mentioned Zoom, which is a live broadcasting receiving and outgoing application. Live streaming, in all aspects, is not recommended with satellite internet due to the Latency. Latency refers to the amount of time it takes a packet of data to travel across a network. With satellite internet service, that data must travel up to the satellite and back (about 45,000 miles). This round trip adds a delay to the total time your computer takes to communicate with a Website or host server. Therefore, time-sensitive applications like these will not work as effectively as they do on cable and terrestrial based providers. This also applies to a VPN which is discouraged when using Hughesnet, due to the more aggressive needs of a VPN. -Damian

I've done everything I can and I understand that you have as well. Hughes is the only service in this area and there are limited options. However, the service is unreliable for the price. Even with a fresh monthly supply of data my computer freezes and lags. I don't use VPN and rarely use Zoom.  I disconnect from the internet when not in use. Hulu takes minutes to load in and then I get Slow Internet errors and buffering. Because it eats data so fast, even at the lowest resolution, I have to limit my use of firestick and watch reruns of old shows on antenna. I'll try downloading shows from the link you sent but it looks like the choices are few and not the shows I want to see. 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@bellestarr40 

 

You should take a look at PlayOn Cloud. It records your chosen movie or TV show episode for you, then converts it to an mp4 you can download and then watch on any device you have that can play mp4 files, including a Smart TV. There's no buffering, as you're watching from an already downloaded file, and it tends to use less data than streaming.

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"Hulu takes minutes to load in and then I get Slow Internet errors and buffering. Because it eats data so fast, even at the lowest resolution, I have to limit my use of firestick and watch reruns of old shows on antenna."

 

You should consider getting satellite TV for your show-viewing needs. It uses no data and offers packages with hundreds of channels for a set price.

As far as I can tell, DirectTV offered by Hughes is an additional cost on top of the internet service. And I don't want DirectTv or Dish as  I get what I want on antenna without paying for all the stations I'll never watch. The problem is Hughes service and as we are almost a quarter of the way into the 21st century, there must be a way to bring good service to rural areas, although I'm only twenty minutes from the city and not obstructed. Last night, with the computer disconnected and not using firestick, my phone that uses wifi while here in my house, wouldn't even load in websites or complete logins. 

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"we are almost a quarter of the way into the 21st century, there must be a way to bring good service to rural areas"

 

There is. Cable and fiber companies could come to your area, but  they  can't be bothered with rural areas, as there aren't enough customers to fit their business model. They're the ones you need to go after, or you need to contact your local representatives and your representatives in congress to offer these companies deals that will entice them to come to your area.  Satellite internet is a limited technology that fills a niche and comes to areas where the big cable, fiber, and other companies don't want to go because they don't care about those of us who live in those areas.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@bellestarr40 

 

Did you send Damian the requested info so that he could take a look at your service?

bellestarr40
New Poster

I'm done discussing this. I just want to move and be done with it. And I will not pay the exorbitant disconnection fee when I've struggled with unreliable service for almost a year. 

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

If you haven't worked with the reps and techs, the fee will be valid and you most likely will have to pay it, to them or to a collections agency. Best of luck to you.

I have stated several times that I have done everything suggested to reduce data use and get better service. 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@bellestarr40 wrote:

I have stated several times that I have done everything suggested to reduce data use and get better service. 


Except give Damian the requested info so he can take a look at your system, evidently.

@bellestarr40,

 

Thank you for providing me your information via private message. I will publicly post what I sent you even if the some of the info is redundant. After running remote diagnostics, I see that the equipment is fully operational and the issues you are experiencing are specifically due to what was already discussed.

 

To provide more tips that can help with your issues, when it comes to streaming, try disconnecting most of the devices from the network and streaming on one device connected to the modem via LAN cable if available. This will provide a quicker, more stable connection. If buffering is the main issue, downloading shows and movies locally on your phone is another option for you. You can do this by downloading the steaming app and initiating a download to watch a show or movie offline. This would eliminate buffering completely and save you on data, since it is playing from a stored file and not streaming in real-time. You can find more information on this process below for many streaming services https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/every-way-to-watch-movies-and-shows-offline-netflix-youtube-hbo-ama....  PlayOn Cloud, however, is a much more efficient/flexible and easy process if downloading content is the way you choose to go. It is highly recommended especially in your situation. GabeU already provided info to you on this. 
You were also provided extra info from our champions as well to get around some of the things you are experiencing. Outside of this, I do not have any more tips or information that hasn't already been provided. -Damian 

Patsandlin
Spectator

I can’t get through one show or movie without constant buffering 

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

Then you're in the right place for some tech help.  Start a new topic in the Tech Support section by clicking on the "Start a topic" button, and provide as much detail as you can about the issue. so the techs can work with you and help you improve your experience.  Answer these questions:What operating system are you using? Is it up to date?Are you under FAP?

Are there error codes or messages, and if so, what are they?
Does the problem happen only at a certain time of day or night?
How often does the problem happen?
What sequence of events leads up to the problem?

 

The reps on this site are happy to help, but they need input from you first.  If you're just reviewing your experience, this is not the site for that. There are dozens of sites on the Web you can go to to share your experience, so please go there.