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

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El Dorado Netwo
Advanced Tutor

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

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
El Dorado Networks |Diamond Springs, CA | eldoradonetworks.com
33 REPLIES 33

I will try this.  After hours on the phone trying to get through the crappy IVR and then actually spoke to a person (who is barely understandable), tech support is less than helpful. I also looking for a new ISP - any suggestions.  The customer services is horrible!

Is there a place on the Mac Pro like the file.net/process/iastordatamgrsvc.exe on the HP that could be a phantom using our Data?  We have both computers.  I have removed it from the HP.

Thank you

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@nc

 

Macs do have the Activity Monitor, which has a Network tab.  I believe this will show you what, on the Mac, is using your data.  The only problem is that, I believe, the data is erased when the Mac is shut down and starts again when it's started again.  I don't have a Mac, but I've read about this Activity Monitor.  

 

JUST GREAT

 

I figured if I said anything here it would be a jinx

I stay up until 2am for that "bonus" and what do I get??

ZERO Bonus Zones

 

It said I used it all which is impossible since it was 15 minutes after 2am and before I did this I had the ethernet unplugged on the computer end like I do just to save GB.

 

So now this will be a disaster (gee thanks).........I can't wait until tomorrow night where it says how many hours I have to wait for that "Bonus" and see if it will just be running at 2GB like it does all day (except a couple times when the server was down and I had to restart the modem a couple times)

My stuff is all new top of the line dish and modem and my computers are data processors (several 8-core 24GB ram)

They don't use a single MB when the ethernet isn't plugged in.

Several speed tests just now giving me only 2GB

 

Something tells me I will switch back to the 20GB

@MagicPhysicist

I understand you are frustrated, I would be too and something appears to be clearly wrong. Depeleting 80GB (30GB Anytime + 50GB Bonus) in 7 days is pretty incredible.
We can probably help you best if you start from the beginning and explain the situation in detail (what modem you're using, what OS you're using, is it the only thing hooked to it, is the wifi secure and guest accounts turned off, what you primarily use the internet for and with what kind of applications, etc.) in a separate post so it's not added to a pinned informational post such as this.


* Disclaimer: I am a HughesNet customer and not a HughesNet employee. All of my comments are my own and do not necessarily represent HughesNet in any way.

I have the newest HughesNet Gen5 

I am a former microwave communications engineer and built my first satellite dish (C-band/KU-band) in 1982 and I know satellites have been in the sky for over 50 years and this is Hughes new satellite launched in March 2017

I had the old Telstar satellite here and Westar back in the 80's and it sure seems we should be farther advanced than this.

 

I could have faster and better and cheaper if I moved to downtown Seattle but I will never move from where I am on the Olympic Peninsula (since 1971) so satellite is all I can have (Centurylink DSL was pitiful yet they claim they are the best on tv commercials 24/7)

Thanks for the reply Mike and sorry about posting this here. (delete it if you must)

 

I do have several computers doing data processing and they do send and recieve BUT after they get work I unplugged the ethernet cables just so they can't communicate with the Hughes satellite until they are ready to send back data about 18 hours later.

So for $84 per month I expect this to be better than that since my phone and satellite TV bill combined is the same amount.

I always find it strange that we have to pay monthly for these modems since they actually are not worth that much (CenturyStink didn't even ask for me to return the one I paid for monthly and unplugged a couple months ago so that shows what a modem is worth)

I can't believe that people can use the Gen5 to watch videos like Netflix all the time and all the other movies and not run out of the high-speed in one week just like I did and I didn't even watch any movies or videos or music with this 30GB +50

 

In fact I always do the same thing yet the month I had the 20GB plan it lasted 20 days......so I switched to 30GB hoping that would take care of that last 10 days........well you can see it didn't.

 

Not much you can do about this other than making that *Bonus* a nightly part of the current plans or make the 100GB version for the price of the 30GB

 

Like I said I am retired but I volunteer to do special data processing and programming for a certain high-energy physics project. (Alpha testing)

Thanks for the reply Mike and sorry about posting this here. (delete it if you must)

suag
Spectator

Great info BUT I have directv and can`t turn off my connection to the router. The hughnet wireless router doesn`t let me change password or restict devices that can connect. Suggestions?

I spoofed my directv by connecting to my phone hotspot and it dropped the hughesnet connecton. Then I turned off the hotspot, which I dont use, and directv is now disconnected. A bad solution but now Im not losingdata to directv. Other suggestions would be welcome. Directv said theycan reset but arent sure it will forget how to reconnect. I will be monitoring to see if my jerryrig worked permantly.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@suag

 

Though I can't remember for sure, I do belive resetting the internet connection from within the DirecTV receiver severs the connection to Hughesnet, though I don't have my receiver connected to try it.  I had done it before, and I think this was the method I used, but again, I can't remember for sure.  

 

However, if you find that the constant reconnection reminders annoy you to no end, like they did me, there is a way to stop them and put your receiver back into a pre WiFi connection state, but it entails performing a factory reset, which wipes out everything on your DVR and puts all settings on the receiver back to factory default.  It's not hard to change the settings back, but it wiping out the DVR can be unfortunate, especially if you have something on there you really don't want to lose.  

 

With that said, if you do find the constant reconnection reminders annoying enough to want to do this, press Menu, go to Settings & Help, then Settings, then Reset (near the bottom).  Choose Reset Everything.  

 

With all of that said, I'm glad that you were able to pinpoint the source of your data loss.  

I just have a wired connection with DirecTV.  I just plug it in and out when needed.  But I stll loose data at more than 5gig a day.  The only thing I can think to do, is find a deferent service and take a chance after 12+ years with Hughes.net.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@Hallva

 

Unless the new service you choose is unlimited, switching is not going to solve the problem, as whatever is utilizing so much data now will continue to do so with the new service.  

 

If you'd like some help in figuring out what it is that is burning through your data, please start a new post.  You can do so by clicking on the blue "Start a topic" button on the upper right while within the Tech Support section.  If you choose to do so, it would be helpful for you to list the devices you use with HughesNet to get started.  


@suag wrote:

Great info BUT I have directv and can`t turn off my connection to the router. The hughnet wireless router doesn`t let me change password or restict devices that can connect. Suggestions?


You can indeed change your router's password and restrict access. Go to http://192.168.0.1 to access your HughesNet modem. Then look for the WiFi settings link in the left-hand menu.The default password to access the settings is: admin

 Here, you can change your WiFi SSID names and passwords. Dig a little further into the router and you can configure other settings to control access. 

El Dorado Networks |Diamond Springs, CA | eldoradonetworks.com