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I have had Hughenet for 2months now

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mkelly147
New Member

I have had Hughenet for 2months now

I feel like I'm paying $150 and month for nothing. I have the best plan but the internet is super slow and data usage make no since. Extremely unhappy.
29 REPLIES 29
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

When you look on the control center page at  http://systemcontrolcenter.com/ are both boxes green?

There are some things that can be adjusted and other things that can be done to help you save data.  If you'd like to know what they are, let us know. 

There are also different ways for monitoring usage.  You can download the Hughesnet Status Meter at http://my.hughesnet.com/ .  You can also sign into that site and see your usage there.  You can also see it on the control center page I gave at the beginning of the post. 

What is it about the usage that makes no sense?

mkelly147
New Member

We only use data for surfing the internet and listening to music but our data doesn't last for the entire month. 20GB?
mkelly147
New Member

Yes both lights are green. How can I change my data allowance
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

So are you saying you are out of data?  That would certainly affect your speed.  Are the boxes both green? 

Are you using a router?  What devices do you have connecting to your Hughesnet?  A single computer?  If a single computer, you can download Glasswire and see what programs on your computer are using the data.  Glasswire is here...


https://www.glasswire.com/


What operating system are you running?  Windows 10?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

You can see if you can upgrade to a higher plan, if available, by calling Hughesnet, but you may not need to do that.  What devices are you using with Hughesnet?

mkelly147
New Member

We seldom use our computer at home most of the usage Is from our iPhones
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

So the only two things that have access are a seldom used computer and IPhones.  Nothing else?  No Xbox, DirecTV receiver, tablets or Smart TVs? 

Your IPhones may be doing a lot of updating.  I don't know how much data an IPhone uses during updates or streaming music, so I'm at a bit of a loss there.

You should check your usage often to see if it is your IPhones that are using all of the data.  Of course, you'll have to use your computer to do this. 

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Plan availability varies by location.

Go here:

http://my.hughesnet.com/

Log in, select the "support" tab, click the "service upgrade" button in lower right:

Enter your SAN and zip code to see your present plan and other plan options.

If you do not know your SAN it can be found by opening the Modems SCC at 192.168.0.1


Do NOT post your SAN in the Community !


Are you monitoring your data usage ?


These are the tools you have available:


Hughes offers three different usage meters:

#1: The modems internal SCC (System Control Center) display that can be found by entering 192.168.0.1 into your browser.

The portion devoted to data allowance looks like this:

(click on picture for larger image)

The above meter has the advantage of being always available, it shows allowance info from all THREE "data buckets", Anytime Bytes (8am to 2am local) , Bonus Bytes (2am to 8am local) and Token Bytes which are extra cost data blocks that can be "stored" for use if and when needed.

The only problem with the above meter is in its "resolution". You won't see it increment downward in amounts less than 100 MB's.

Its great for a quick check but lacks "detail" if you are trying to track a data loss issue.


#2: There is a utility that is availa ble for download and installation on your computer from your dashboard at http://supportcenter.myhughesnest.com called the Download Status Meter:

(click on picture for larger image)

It too displays remaining data in all THREE "data buckets", Anytime Bytes (8am to 2am local), Bonus Bytes (2am to 8am) and the optional extra cost Token Bytes.

It also has a handy little ribbon graph that quickly shows if you are ahead or behind the "usage curve".

This meter, once you are past 1 GB of usage also lacks "resolution" and at times is slow to "update" from the source but it still has its uses. It also has a "u sage history" display.


#3: The third and most accurate of the usage meters is the "at a glance" meter found after logging into your dashboard at http://supportcenter.myhughesnet.com:

(click on picture for larger image)

This one is the most accurate ... you can see usage right down to a single MB if needed.

It too shows data remaining in all three data buckets .. Anytime, Bonus and Token.


In addition to the "usage meters" there is also a History display in addition to the one within the Download Status Meter utility.

It can be found on your dashboard after clicking on the "usage" tab.

It is, as a history, subject to some delay ... usually one to three hours. The display has been recently updated: 


That pretty much sums up the official Hughesnet "tools".


There is another program we use frequently around to track usage on a single computer called GlassWire: (there is a free and paid version ... free is fine)

https://www.glasswire.com/help/


It will provide usage details for all programs and background processes on the single computer upon which it is installed:





There are of course other things you can do:

Install Adblock Plus to stop data being wasted by unwanted ads

NoScript to block scripts from running

Reduce playback resolution on videos where ever possible.





GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Gwalk,

May I copy that and use it in the future?  If so, what do you have it copied to so it's readily available to copy/paste?  Or, do you add it to the post another way?

I'm referring to the part about usage, not the first part about upgrading. 

mkelly147
New Member

I have directive fit its not connected to the internet. I do have one tablet but that's it
mkelly147
New Member

Directv is not connected to the internet is what that should have read
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Hi Gabe,

Please feel free to copy/paste/reuse anything I post.

Copy and paste does work.

I use Thunderbird as my email client program. I made sub-folders to the inbox of the email address used for Community activity.

To those sub-folders I'll either create or save a GS Community response email.

Many of my replies are somewhat lengthy and contain graphics and doing some replies as "reposts" saves re-inventing the wheel.



GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I think, with how you use it, the only way you're really going to be able to tell what's using so much data is to turn your computer on every now and again and see how much has been used since the last time.  With just a computer it's fairly easy to determine, but since you don't use the computer that much, it's a bit harder.  Can you check your usage from your tablet? 

That's what it's going to boil down to.  Since the computer is seldom used, you are going to have to check often to see how much data the IPhones and the tablet are using. 

Take a look at Gwalk's post above, too.  Although the Glasswire will only measure what's going on with your computer, it may still help.  Something is using the data, you've just got to narrow it down to what. 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I appreciate it.  I'm going to try that Thunderbird.  With copying and pasting from my MSN account, using the mail app in Windows, the pictures don't come through when pasted.  Just the words do. 

So in Thunderbird you can just copy the parts of the post you want and paste it here and the pictures come through, too? 

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Using a tablet implies the use of a router and that multiplies the complexity considerably.


Lets look at a router:


Broadly speaking there are three areas of "connectivity".


A router consists of three potential traffic areas:


#1: Its firmware/hardware:


This would include automatic update checks, Remote Access accounts/vulnerabilities, WPS settings/vulnerabilities and "front end" username/password setup to name a few.


#2: Wired LAN connections and the types of devices connected as well as their settings. Specifically end users not understanding the differences between "hard off", "sleep" and "hibernate" as well as other system settings such as Wake On LAN, Wake On Ring and even extending to "scheduled tasks".


We need not even go into the details of forced updates and data "sharing" inherent to Win10 and being back ported to Win7/8/8.1


#3: We come to the most difficult to control ... Wireless activity


We can start with what encryption level, if any, has been set up. We also need to consider the username and password that limits access to the routers front end so that unauthorized users can add themselves to the wireless users list. It needs to be changed from the default values.


We also have the multitude of settings of the many types of devices that can connect wirelessly be they computers, notebooks, tablets, cell phones or even thermostats.


It is often not apparent when all apps on all devices have had their update ability turned off. Very frequently an update will cause other settings to change to their default values.


It is very important that the router be set up properly ... no guest accounts, no WPS, no Remote Access, properly set up username and password, strong wireless encryption .....

It really is tough to totally "tame" wireless devices.


Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Yup, right mouse ... drag to highlight, copy ....



The only thing I didn't like about Tbird (in the beginning) was it "auto-selected" the next message. I didn't want that.

There is a extension that can be added to prevent that.


GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Gwalk,

Again, I really do appreciate it.  I didn't want to use someone else's work without asking.

For now, what I've done is added the link to the post in my favorites on this computer.  I know that copying and pasting works fine when doing it directly from a post.

I'm going to use my Acer notebook, which I use as a test bed, to try the Thunderbird.  If I like it and it doesn't conflict with anything, I'll install it on this desktop and start using it.  I use the Acer to test everything because if it does something to it, it doesn't really matter in the end as it was free.  I know from the conversation earlier this week or late last week that Thunderbird is a pretty good mail app.

I'm always trying to learn anything I can so perhaps one day I'll be able to help as well as you, BirdDog, Corrosive and Alan, and anything I can have ready at hand will surely help.  Thanks again. 

 

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

You are more than welcome !

As a side note, I have several computers ... I have Thunderbird installed on most of them so I can make quick mail check.

They are set up to "download but leave a copy on server" on all but one computer.

My main machine is set to "download and remove from server:.


GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

They are set up to "download but leave a copy on server" on all but one computer.
That's something I was wondering about.  I wouldn't want to download a bunch of mail, perhaps even something important, have the computer die on me and those emails be lost to the wind forever.  I know there's always backup, but sometimes things happen when you least expect it and I don't backup constantly.  It's good to know it can still be saved on the server. 
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

To leave or not to leave ... that is the question !



I think I have Tbird set up to get mail from about six accounts. Each has its own "inbox", each can have customized sub-folders, each account can be "tuned" with a number of criteria. I also have a mix of POP3 and IMAP.