HughesNet Data Management Tips 'n Tricks - How To Eliminate Phantom Data Loss

[El Dorado Netwo]

This has been posted elsewhere but I wanted to give it its own topic for future reference and linking. This is information I send out to my retail customers about managing HughesNet data to get the most out of their service:

If you haven't used a "metered" Internet connection before, you may want to review your Internet use to avoid using up all your data. Internet data use can be grouped into three, broad categories:

• The Internet of Things - More devices than ever are now capable of connecting to the internet: phones, tablets, gaming consoles, Smart TVs, security and home-automation systems, and even refrigerators can connect to the internet. All of these devices can consume data, even when you're not using the device.Also, multiple users on your system will understandably use more data. Here is an online Data Usage Calculator to help calculate your use: cableone.net/pages/datacalculator.html.
• Automatic Updates - Your computer and its applications are often running in the background and downloading updates, even if you're not actively using that program. Many of these downloads are important to maintaining your computer security so use caution in adjusting or disabling their settings. Anti-virus programs especially, will frequently download updates throughout the day and night.
• Media-rich Sites and Multimedia Content - Any kind of streaming video and audio will consume more data than any other Internet activity. Media-rich sites, such as FaceBook, can consume quite a bit of data depending upon the page content. Also, streaming two hours of HD video from YouTube or watching a single, two-hour movie in HD can consume anywhere from two to four GBs of data.
  

Monitoring Your Data Usage
The HughesNet modem itself will track and report on your overall data usage. The downloadable HughesNet Status Meter for Mac or PC will also track your data use, let you know when you're running low, and enable you to buy data restore "tokens," right from your computer's desktop. Other tools can be installed which will measure individual data usage on a specific computer:

HughesNet Modem System Control Center: http://www.systemcontrolcenter.com or http://192.168.0.1
HughesNet Status Meter for Mac or PC: http://supportcenter.myhughesnet.com
Glasswire For PCs: http://www.glasswire.com
Windows 10 Data Usage Monitor: http://www.howtogeek.com/224170/how-to-monitor-your-network-usage-in-windows-10/
Data Monitors For Mac: http://mac.appstorm.net/roundups/internet-roundup/4-ways-to-monitor-bandwidth-usage-on-your-mac/
Bandwidth+ For Mac: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bandwidth+/id490461369?mt=12

Streaming Video, and Audio/Video-rich Sites
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, news sites, etc. may contain videos, animated gifs, and sound clips that start playing as soon as you visit. Even if you stop the media from playing fully, that entire video or song may have already downloaded to your device, ready to be played. Not all sites have a feature to turn off auto-play but some do.

Netflix especially can use a lot of data, about 1 GB per hour while watching standard definition content. In order to rein in how much data your phone or tablet is using, make sure that you have the very latest Netflix update. You can find it in the App Store updates if you’re on iPhone or iPad, and in your Play Store updates if you’re using an Android device.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=videos. Change the Autoplay option to "OFF."
Android Phone settings: https://www.androidpit.com/reduce-mobile-data-usage-android
iPhone settings: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2015/10/tips-to-reduce-high-data-usage-on-iphone-ios-9.html
Netflix: Adjust your Netflix playback quality to SD: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87

If you're going to stream video, it's better to use Standard Definition video settings whenever possible, or use a scheduling tool to download large files and even record video during your HughesNet Bonus Data period from 2AM to 8AM.

Download Scheduling and Video Recording Tools
One of the most effective strategies you can use to manage your data use is to schedule downloads to occur at off-hours during your Bonus Data period from 2 AM to 8 AM. You can even use some of these tools to download streaming video content, such as NetFlix movies, for later viewing on your TV or computer:

Free Download Manager: http://freedownloadmanager.org/
Internet Download Manager: Free to Try, $25 to keep. http://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/
Firefox Download Helper Add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
Folx Download Manager For Mac: http://mac.eltima.com/download-manager.html
PlayOn Streaming Video Recorder: https://www.playon.tv/
Replay Video Capture: http://applian.com/replay-video-capture/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dan.mot.downloader&hl=en

Operating System Updates
Windows 8 and 10 updates especially can use a large amount of data. In the case of Windows 10, Microsoft implemented a network sharing scheme that not only downloads updates to your PC but also uploads updates from your PC to others. Most operating systems can be configured to turn off auto-updates and/or schedule them to run during your Bonus Data period from 2 AM to 8 AM:

Windows 8: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/metered-internet-connections-frequently-asked-questions
Manage Windows 10 Data Use: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/manage-windows-10-data-usage/
and http://www.howtogeek.com/249254/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-using-so-much-data/ Stop Windows 10 from Sharing Updates: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/stop-windows-10-sending-updates-other-pcs-internet-wudo/
Manage Apple iOS: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204

Background Applications
Even if you don’t have any active applications on your screen, your computer/device might have applications working in the background and using data. Here are ways to check what's running in the background on your devices.

Windows PC: http://www.ehow.com/how_5685413_check-programs-running-background.html
Mac OS X: http://www.ehow.com/how_4799610_running-processes-mac-os-x.html
iOS: http://www.macworld.com/article/1164616/how_ios_multitasking_really_works.html
Android: http://www.howtogeek.com/166140/you-dont-need-to-install-a-task-manager-how-to-manage-running-apps-o...
Kindle Fire: http://www.cyberockk.com/2013/07/5-ways-to-speed-up-your-kindle-fire-hd_3.html
Nook: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/NOOK-Talk/Closing-apps/td-p/1234828
Microsoft Background Intelligent Transfer Service ("BITS"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_Intelligent_Transfer_Service

Save Data on Web Browsing
There’s a good chance that a lot of your data usage comes from your web browser–you can see just how much by looking at the Data Usage screen in Windows 10..

To save data on this web browsing, use a web browser that includes a built-in compressing proxy feature. The web browser will route the data through other servers where it’s compressed before being sent to you. This is normally a feature common on smartphones, but not desktop PCs.

Google offers an official Turbo mode“, which works similarly, if you’re more of an Opera fan.

Viruses and Malware
Malware can use your internet connection to send and receive spam and malware without your knowledge. You must protect all your devices with good, active anti-virus, and scan your computer regularly to prevent and eliminate malware:

Windows General Security Information and Tips: http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/default.aspx
Security information for advanced users: https://www.us-cert.gov/Home-Network-Security
Best Malware Removal Tools for 2016: http://no-adware.com/blog/best-malware-removal-tools-of-2016/
MalWareBytes Scanning Software: https://www.malwarebytes.org/
Information on Googost Malware: http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/battling-googost-bandwidth-stealing-bot/

Anti-Virus Programs
Anti-virus programs need regular updates to safeguard your system. We recommend checking those update settings and adjust them with care since new viruses are unleashed every minute and Anti-virus programs need to be frequently updated to protect you and your data.

Best Free Antivirus Utilities for 2016: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp
Avast!: Describes how Avast streams its anti-virus updates: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/avast_introduces_streaming_updates_new_antivirus_software

Cloud Backups
If you use Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, MS Skydrive, or any other cloud storage service, check if your service syncs your data automatically and when. Syncing your data with the cloud uses your internet connection and data allowance.

Dropbox: You can limit the amount of data that Dropbox uses to synchronize but not when. Go to Dropbox Preferences > Bandwidth, and adjust the Download and Upload rates. You can also control which folders synchronize. Dropbox Preferences > Account > Selective Sync.

Set-top Boxes, Satellite TV and Digital Media Receivers
These devices can use your internet connection to stream or store digital media. Any kind of "On Demand" programming requires an Internet connection to stream the programming to your TV or computer. Satellite TV "Pay Per View" programming, that airs at a specific time, usually does not use your Internet connection. Here are support pages for various popular set top boxes:

Roku: http://support.roku.com/home
TiVo: http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1279
Chromecast: https://support.google.com/chromecast/?hl=en#topic=3447927
AppleTV: https://www.apple.com/support/appletv/
Amazon Fire TV: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201347660

E-mail Clients
Desktop-based E-mail clients can constantly fetch and download your e-mail from the Email server. Most E-mail clients let you adjust how often to check the server and download mail:

Outlook: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/
Thunderbird: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/thunderbird
Macmail: https://www.apple.com/support/mac-apps/mail/
Windows Live Mail: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/email-communication-help#email-communication-help=windows...

Wireless Routers
We recommend you use a HughesNet-tested router; Apple Airport Express and Extreme, ASUS N56U and AC66U, Belkin F9H1001v5, Cisco Linksys EA4500 and E1200, D-Link 619L, Netgear R6300 and WNDR4500, ReadyNet WRT300N-DD, TrendNet TEW-712BR. Be sure to password protect your router to prevent unauthorized users from connecting to your network and using your data. Usually, this information is in your router's User Manual. Make sure your router is updated to the most current firmware. Here are links to some popular support sites to help you set up your router:

Apple Airport Express: https://www.apple.com/support/airport/
ASUS: http://www.service.asus.com/#!consumer/csn9
Belkin: http://www.belkin.com/us/support
Buffalo: http://www.buffalotech.com/support-and-downloads
D-link: http://support.dlink.com/
Linksys: http://support.linksys.com/en-us/support?icid=global-header-support-link
Netgear: http://support.netgear.com/for_home/default.aspx

[Liz]

Thanks for bringing this back to the forefront!

-Liz

[deepdiver1]

Great Job Alan.

[BirdDog]

His customers are a lucky bunch for sure.

[lisaputnam]

Definitely have a PHANTOM using my data.  It is ALL gone and doesn't reset for 25 days.  Nobody has even been home.  SICK OF HUGHES NET!!!

[Foamking123]

I had same problem.  Go to your task manager, open up Processes, and see if you have following running:

http://www.file.net/process/iastordatamgrsvc.exe.html

If you do, go to programs on computer, and delete this. Your usage will drop significantly.

[Tinnibell11]

Same here...and Hughesnet techs are of zero help! They can't tell me anything. They are a ripoff and stealing my money!

[gen4gal53]

'll my data gone in 17 hours & fiance out of town in another state !!!??? What gives !!!???

[El Dorado Netwo]

Lisa, in your first post of two, you were asked to provide some information so others could help you troubleshoot your problem but you never responded: https://community.myhughesnet.com/hughesnet/topics/my-status-meter-is-not-working-cant-get-restore-t...

This is a community help forum. Just lodging complaints without offering any information won't help you solve your problem. If you think everyone has the same problem as you, well, that's simply not the case, and you won't get help this way.

Did you try any of the steps outlined above to help identify where your data is going. I'm thinking no.

[BirdDog]

Would also be curious what size plan as using 5 GB in 5 days is much different than 15 GB in 5 days.

[BajaBros]

I have a Pro Plus account, use the system maybe 2 weeks per month, and I am up to stuffing 3 tokens a day into the stupid system (which can take up to an hour). For $79.99 a month, this is a rip off.

[BirdDog]

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@BajaBros wrote:

I have a Pro Plus account, use the system maybe 2 weeks per month, and I am up to stuffing 3 tokens a day into the stupid system (which can take up to an hour). For $79.99 a month, this is a rip off.

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Well, in all fairness that is a 9000 Spaceway plan which I feel should be referred to as "legacy" now. A 475 MB daily limit is quite easy for many people to burn through nowadays.

[aztmsniper]

Ok gonna try this before I run out of data for the morning.  We manage our data as closely as we can. If one of us is up in the wee hours of the morning we download updates to whatever we have that needs updating. It should work nicely. We have already done most of the things you list in your post and they did help. We did have some help from a moderator on the facebook page when we purchased a new computer and it was taking all of the data in minutes. She was wonderful but no longer there.  Here is what happens. Whenever Doug wakes at 3 or 4 am he gets on the computer and watches videos, updates the computer etc.  Because it is the "bonus time".  You really should teach the people who answer the phone about bonus time.  I have had at least 3 say it does not exist.  Well in our case maybe it doesn't.  Before switching to Gen 4 it worked perfectly and we had no complaints.  (yes I know your computer says we are Gen 3. It is wrong.)  Since switching to Gen 4 it is hit and miss. Sometimes we can get the downloads done without loss and other times it will take 50% of our data to do so during the so called "bonus time".  Your post states that bonus time runs until 8 am. We are in Mountain time and it stops at 7 am.  Back in February we came home from a month away.  And we started having issues.  I got on the phone with your people and was told it was my equipment.  Then he told me the data was used up from 5 to 6 am  (bonus time).  I tried to explain in then not sure he ever got it. He wanted to do a phantom loss check and was told to call back in a few days. Which I did and no one knew why I was calling.. good grief. But our data appeared to be working properly so I let it go.  Monday (5/01/17) morning at 0700 we had 100% data at 0702 we had 50%.  So I called again.  I don't mind that I have to talk to someone from another country most of the time. But they don't even understand the time zones, bonus times etc. She wanted to do a data loss check for an hour and we did. She stated you still have your 50%. She tried to explain to me that when it says 100% that is double my daily allowance, 50% is actually my daily allowance.  I agreed that we don't just lose data most of the time when it is shut off, but I disagree with 50% on the meter being my daily allowance.  After almost 2 hours on the phone working with her. I called the other number to someone in the states (I assume).  She was quite nice and wanted to do basically the same as we had done before. I again explained that we do not lose data when it is shut down we lose it in the bonus time.  She was confused but said "well let me add some data for you and you can monitor it and let us know if this problem continues."  I was frustrated so I said fine.  We had the whole system unplugged the whole day. The around 5 or 6 pm we turned it on expecting to at the very least have the 50% we had when we shut it off.  Nope we had 0.  We were and still are a little more than irritated and looking at other services. Not because the service itself is bad but because the customer service is frustrating to say the least.  I am made to feel as if I know nothing about this when we have had this service for many many years. I know the usage, I know the perameters, I know how I use it. I am not trying to steal data I just am confused about the data charged against me during the bonus time.  Sorry have a nice day.  

[El Dorado Netwo]

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@aztmsniper wrote:

Before switching to Gen 4 it worked perfectly and we had no complaints.  (yes I know your computer says we are Gen 3. It is wrong.)  Since switching to Gen 4 it is hit and miss

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Do you have a white modem, or a gray modem?

[aztmsniper]

Now thats a question I haven't been asked!  The modem is white.

[El Dorado Netwo]

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@aztmsniper wrote:

The modem is white.

---

Oh boy, you're gonna love this... 🙂

1. First go here: https://www.hughesnet.com/get-started/how-to-buy/find-dealer
2. Put in your full address
3. Find a local Retailer near you, check their references, and call them
4. Tell them you're waaay overdue for an upgrade to Gen5
5. Celebrate finally getting real Internet 

[aztmsniper]

Thanks for your interest but with all the added equipment costs. We will pass on the upgrade.

[El Dorado Netwo]

If you're out of contract, then your upfront upgrade cost is $0 on the lease option.

If you're leasing the gear, then your lease fee goes up by $5/mo. 

If you're already paying to get Internet by satellite, then sticking with the older Spaceway gear you have now will only keep you tied to much poorer, slower Internet service with less data.

$65/mo (including the lease fee) gets you 25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up, ~1 Mbps unlimited, 10 GB daytime, and 50 GB nightime. 

[bfs40usa]

Gen 5 I have is worse than dial up in the 90’s switching to HughesNet was one of the WORST mistakes in my life, and customer service? What’s that!!!

[Amanda]

Hi bfs40usa,

We can definitely help you with the service perfomance and any other concerns you might have. The best way to get the ball rolling on that is to make a new post for yourself in our community, giving us some detail on what you are experiencing, devices you are using, case numbers, etc. I would recommend the Tech category

Thanks

Amanda

[Foamking123]

Look into this link:

http://www.file.net/process/iastordatamgrsvc.exe.html

I eliminated this program under add and delete programs and nearly all of my data loss disappeared. Give it a shot. Hughs were no help at all. Discoverd my self by watching what processes were running in the task manager.