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Extremely Slow Sppeds for 3 Months With No Resolution From Tech Support

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sandybair
Freshman

Extremely Slow Sppeds for 3 Months With No Resolution From Tech Support

I signed up for HughesNet Gen5 internet in March 2017.  At installation, and for the entire first month of having the service, I was consistently seeing download speeds of 40+ Mbps.  In May, we went over our data limit (50G), so the speed was throttled down to about 9-12Mbps.  We expected this, so we were not surprised.  In June, the same thing happened, we went over our data limit before the end of the month.  However, this time when the speed was throttled, it went down to 1-3Mbps - way too slow to be useful, so we immediately noticed.  I made my first call to technical support on 6/21 reporting the slow speeds, but they blew it off as me being over my data limit, weather, or some other nonsense.  I decided to wait for the data to renew in July and try again.  The data renewed, but the speeds NEVER did.  In July, I called technical support again regarding the slow download speeds. After several hours of arguing with them on the phone, they agreed to send out a new router.  That didn't fix the problem.  I called back.  After several more hours of arguing with them, they finally agreed to send out a technician.  He showed up at 5:30PM on a Tuesday when he was scheduled to arrive between 11AM and 2PM.  He was at my home until 8:30PM.  He replaced the router for a second time, replaced the dish, replaced the wiring - he replaced EVERY piece of equipment that could possibly be replaced and could not get the download speed to come in any better than the 1-3Mbps consistently.  Basically, we'd get one decent test (usually in the 10-15Mbps range) for every 5 dismal tests (in my normal 1-3Mbps range).  He left that night stating that he would go home and research to see if there were any firmware updates or other options we could try and that he would return the following day at 3PM.  He never showed up!  I called HughesNet technical support, the dispatcher, and the technician's cell phone.  The dispatcher finally called me to say that he didn't have a clue what else to try and that there was nothing he or his technician could do to help me any further.  I called HughesNet SEVEN MORE TIMES in July and August and STILL have no resolution!!  In August, I used up 75% of my 50GB on the phone with technical support running speed tests to prove that I have an issue!  I finally got my account escalated to the Tier 3 support, and was told that the issue was likely due to the fact that HughesNet oversold the satellite for Gen5 users that I am currently on and that I needed to be moved to a different satellite and all would be well again.  The Tier 3 support technician that called back said that wasn't the case at all - that it was likely due to "network" issues.  I'm not sure what "network" issues could possibly be, if they aren't related to an overcrowded satellite, but he said the Engineering department would be looking into it and call me back.  Today is the day for my callback, and the first thing I'm told is that I'm having speed issues because I'm over my data limit!!!  This is RIDICULOUS!!  I purchased the highest package available - over $100 a month, and that is what I've been paying every month for service that I haven't been able to actually use (other than to run speed tests to prove that I can't use it) for 3 months now!  What kind of service is this??  I was guaranteed a minimum download speed of 25Mbps, and I'm getting 1 to 3 Mbps!  I'm being completed ripped off, and I see no end to this in sight.  I am completely at my wit's end here.  I am an IT professional who needs to be able to work from home from time to time, but that is impossible with speeds this slow! 

27 REPLIES 27

Hi Sandy

 

We just had a call with the engineers concerning slow speeds and they say that after the recent network adjustments, it will take a few weeks for things to balance out. Significant improvements won't be immediate, but gradual. We're going to check in again with engineering next week, so please monitor your performance until then and let us know how it goes. Periodic speed tests will be useful so we can show those to the engineers next week, so please post back with updated speed tests then. The method you are using (our website) to run the tests is perfectly acceptable data for our engineers.

 

In the meantime I will be placing a discount to your bill while we work on this issue.

 

Thank you

Amanda

@Amanda - Following up with more speed tests, and, as you can see, there's been no improvement.  I had one "normal" speed test, but that was apparently just a fluke.  I've tried to run several other tests, but couldn't even get it to complete.  Oh, and just to add, I've STILL received NO CALLS from anyone at Hughesnet to give me an update on my ticket or to check on my service!  So, I would very much like to request that my account be marked in such a way that WHEN I cancel there is no early termination fee.  Currently, I have been unable to find an alternative service provider (other than the free DSL I am getting at 1.5Mbps), and as an IT professional I really NEED something faster.  If not for that fact, I wouldn't still be holding on to the slim hope that this will be resolved.  However, should a better alternative arise, I shouldn't be penalized for leaving Hughesnet after the four months of less than adequate service I've received.  I think I've shown more than adequate patience throughout this process, and I'm sure HughesNet services work fine for some customers.  Unfortunately, I have not been one of them.  I don't think it would be fair to penalize me should I find a better option.

 

2017-10-07 10_11_59-SpeedTest.png

@Amanda - any updates on this?  We're going on five months with no reliable internet connection in our home because of these issues.  I've given HughesNet ample time to find a resolution.  I will be calling today to try and get an answer by phone, but prefer to use this venue as it's very time-consuming to keep repeating my issues and going through trouble-shooting over the phone and still get nowhere.

I am experiencing the same problem.  I found several customers with the same issues.  I will add mine.  Slow, slow , slow....when we finally called customer service, get this, the tech told us that WE were downloading too much!  Can you believe that repsonse?  After ten minutes of going round and round about the changes in speed, my husband told her that we shouldn't be throttled because we were on FREETIME.  Get this....she said  "oh", and suddenly we are back up and running with no wait time.   Can't help but think that they are playing GOD.

I ABSOLUTELY agree with you!  We are going on 5 MONTHS of speeds so slow that on an average day I cannot even log into myhughesnet.com to run a speed test to even tell them how slow it is!!  I have called tech support at least 20-25 times and sat on the phone with them for an average of an hour each time.  I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 tickets for my speed issues over this period.  The last one has been with the engineering department for nearly 2 months.  As you can see, I was told that changes were made to help 2 weeks ago, but nothing has changed.  Oh sure, I can get a random speed test to come back normal - which is what happened to me on over half of those calls, so they closed my ticket only to have my speeds drop back down the very next day.  Seemed very suspicious how, whether we had data left on our plan or not, the speeds always improved after they "magically" cleared my router and "reset some things".  I am in IT - I know how routers and wifi work, and none of their explanations made any sense to me whatsoever.  I have given them every opportunity to resolve this, and I can't even get a response anymore!  No calls to follow up on my ticket since the beginning of August!  As I said, I am an IT professional and my husband runs a business from our home.  This has completely crippled us, but we have no alternative service provider at the moment who can do speeds above 1.5Mbps.  I honestly don't know what to do at this point.  I've tried to be patient.  I've tried to be nice.  I've tried being pushy.  I don't even know how this is legal - seems like a complete bait and switch scenario to me.

Hi Sandy,

 

I am very sorry, I know you have been waiting a long time for this to be resolved. Your account is on a list of people who are first in line to have changes done that will definitely help out your speed issues. In the meantime, if you feel you would rather cancel your services, please let me know and we can discuss cancellation together.

 

Thank you,

Amanda

@Amanda - I would definitely like to discuss cancellation.