Data Usage With Jupiter 3

[JSMomof2]

Hi. I was so excited to get realigned to the Jupiter 3. Not only do I have faster speeds but the Elite plan is substantially cheaper than the 200GB plan on the old satellite. Yes, there was an initial installation fee for the realignment but with the decrease in cost, the fee will be offset in 3 months. I have not had any interruption in service since the switch January 8th. My issue is data usage. I am burning through my 200GB at an unsustainable rate, although nothing has changed as far as devices and daily use. I have reached out to support and they have been stellar in their response. I have a technician scheduled to realign things for the third time next week as support keeps saying its an alignment issue. Like all new technology, I realize the kinks need to be ironed out. 

My question now after researching this forum, is anyone else experiencing this issue with data usage with the Jupiter 3? I have received conflicting information concerning faster speeds requiring more data and just want to make sure I am taking advantage of all resources to resolve this problem and possibly help anyone else experiencing the same issues. 

[eco]

I don't see info except sales pitches. They tout 50mps and more. I just did a test at a site comparing Gen 6 to Viasat. It gave me 20 mps. I never had more that 16mps on testmytest, (Select Plan) . I'm ok with that , this aint Charter lol . No info I could find on post priority speed (fap) . Hughes still the best deal for the $. 

[maratsade]

@eco , 

The FAQ section on the legal site has this:

"If a subscriber uses all of their Priority Data during a billing cycle, he or she can continue using the Service using unlimited Standard Data until their Priority Data resets. Standard Data is prioritized behind Priority Data, which means that during high traffic periods, subscribers using Standard Data may experience slower speeds, which will lead to web sites responding and loading more slowly and certain activities such as video streaming or large downloads/uploads being significantly impacted."

https://legal.hughesnet.com/node/786

"Slower speeds" is not defined in numerical terms. It will be interesting to see what happens when people run out of priority data and hit the standard data situation. There will likely be some issues when more people have subscribed to the new system. 

[eco]

Maratsade - Thanks for your reply. I did see the statement , we will have to just wait and see, hoping that the new bird has much greater capacity.

I got a mailing from my land line phone co-AT&T, that they are going to apply to end land line service in my area, most all of California. Being in a canyon, cell signal is sporadic in my home, I can get a signal if I venture out of the house, not convenient. I am looking at Hughes VOIP. It would be cheaper than AT&T when looking at basic service, long distance calls, if I read the statement correctly it states " includes all local, long distance calling". So If I am correct the $30/Mo.  Hughes VOIP includes all calling charges? Thanks

[maratsade]

I hope VOIP works for you. I personally don't use it so I'm not really familiar with it. I used to have a land line with Verizon, but canceled that over a decade ago, because Verizon had started to let the land lines go and the line was down more often that not. 😡

[GabeU]

@eco 

I believe there are taxes on top of the charge for HughesNet voice.

[eco]

Thanks for the replies . I really won't have a choice if the capuc allows AT&T to end land line service . I would still have my AT&T go phone , but it is .30/min with the plan I have, I don't use it except in emergencies. My unused credit is sick. I will seriously look at Hughes voip.

[GabeU]

Not to throw this off topic, but it's sad what's happening with landline phones. My landline home phone became prohibitively expensive, as in over $100 per month, and it was having a number of the problems over the last few years I had it. So much so that it was less expensive to go with a cell plan. I don't get a very good cell signal here, but it's enough. I also have a cheap flip phone through Tracfone for backup. It's less than $20 per month with autopay, but very worth it.

My folks had AT&T landline service, but AT&T ended it here a few years ago, so they had to switch to Verizon. With fewer and fewer people having it around here, it wouldn't surprise me if Verizon bows out soon too. Of the seven houses on my little, dead end road, I think my folks' is the only one that still has it.

[maratsade]

I had to go switch to a cell plan too because the landline infrastructure was deteriorating and Verizon wouldn't repair it. And it was quite expensive too.  I don't get a stellar cell signal here, either.

[eco]

I doubt Verizon will buy out AT&T land infrastructure. Their cell service here is worse than AT&T. I do have a generator if the power goes out, so voip would work, if Texas doesn't freeze or? like it did for a few days. Always ready for an outage of? the travails of an electronic world. Satellite combat coming , why we have space force .

[maratsade]

I had a Verizon landline and moved to Verizon cell service after V stopped maintaining their own landline infrastructure. AT&T is abysmal here; Verizon is much better. 

[JSMomof2 · Accepted solution]

An update to my Jupiter 3 experience.

My last post was 2 weeks ago. I was frustrated and had resigned myself to either spending money on tokens or not streaming TV for the 2 weeks after I used my priority data. I ran out (250GB - I had purchased tokens) 2 days later with 11 days to go until the data rollover. To my surprise, nothing changed. Standard data speed was more than adequate for my home and daily use. In fact, I returned to my habit of having the TV on all day and turned the data optimizer off. No more blurry TV! It was nothing less than liberating. I routinely checked speeds with Ookla and am consistently within 10 Mbps - 20 Mbps range, speeds slowing in the evenings. All internet providers boast speeds and I was convinced that I needed hundreds of Mbps to do anything. This is simply not true. I changed my service plan to the 100 GB to recoup some money. I realize that the standard data speeds may decrease in the future with the inevitable increase of accounts signing on to the Jupiter 3, but I am hoping that will take some time and that the big guy up there can keep up the pace. 

Also, here's an interesting nugget. When I switched service plans yesterday, the100 GB priority data was immediately applied. I just checked my speed...15.4 Mbps at 8:20am LOL. We burned through 37 GB watching the game yesterday in HD but I can comfortably say I don't care, it was worth it. Even if my strategy falls apart this cycle, which given HughesNet's inconsistent service is a very plausible possibility, I am no longer going to stress out over speed and data. All of the back and forth, both here and exhaustive calls with tech support, has done nothing but cause more stress and frustration. At no time (official HughesNet tech support has yet to respond here) did anyone suggest that standard data speeds might be adequate for my purposes but then why would they? Its the same reason why there is no plan less than 100 GB (unlike the old satellite that offered 25 GB) or just a standard data plan. I'm sure the hardware up there is a bit pricey. 

I'm sure the "Professors" are firing up their keyboards and will "educate" me further but meh...I'm good. 

N/C

[maratsade]

That's excellent news, @JSMomof2 !  

"I am no longer going to stress out over speed and data."

This is the way! Stressing won't fix things, anyway.  Enjoy your TV watching. 🙂