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JUST INSTALLED! Speeds are at....

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ericdanielle
New Member

JUST INSTALLED! Speeds are at....

Good morning all!

Well, yesterday we had our Hughesnet service installed.  Just before installation I ran a speed test with testmy.net on our so called High Speed Frontier DSL at 11am, the result....  0.413 Mbps.  Our new Hughesnet service...  The result 24.97 Mbps! 

I just want everyone to know that during off peak times, and bonus byte times, that's when our service screams!  The tests I have ran throughout those "Off peak times" ranged from as high as 25mbps down to 6 Mbps.  During the times from 7pm-10pm we did slow down significantly!  I did have a few tests of Hughesnet during those peak times all around 0.489 through 1 mbps.  Do I like the slow down, NO!  But, I do realize how satellite internet works and understand EVERYONE and their GRANDMA is using the internet at the PEAK time, and in a 3 hour window.  Even though we were slower in the peak time, my wife and I were still able to do all the things we normally do without a problem.  Youtube, Netflix STANDARD DEFINITION, Facebook, just to name a few.  Did Hughesnet out perform DSL from Frontier as a whole?  Hell yes, by leaps and bounds! 

I also downloaded an update for a game on the PS4 that was 1.5 GB, at about 5pm, and it took 1 hour and 10 minutes.  DSL, would take 14 hours!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK HUGHESNET!  If you can improve peak time speeds, you would have even more customers and a lot more praise!  I'm also keeping an eye out for that new satellite

VERY VERY Happy as a new customer!  GOOD BYE FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS! Got rid of them yesterday! 


Lastly, we had West Satellite, LLC install our service, and I have not received a feedback form so I can give them as much praise as possible. I would ABSOLUTLY like to give them praise, especially Cody the tech!  He was kind, courteous, knew everything about the service.  I was extra picky about how I wanted cable to be ran, and how the system was ran inside our house.  HE DID EVERYTHING I asked and was AMAZING!  Hughesnet, you need to give extra thanks to this subcontractor of yours!  I am in the construction industry, and my standards are a little higher than most when it comes to how things look in and outside my home. Everything, all cables are looped, tucked into J channel of the siding, and stapled so that not a wire is loose and hanging.  He also took the time to run us through our modem info at 192.168.0.1, so that we would know the "Lingo" if we ever had issues.


Eric

16 REPLIES 16
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

What a nice post! Thanks for sharing a positive experience.

Be aware for the first 20 days you get unlimited data so you can catch up on software and computer updates. During that time the meters will reset to full each day.
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

I too get good performance from my system.

FYI: Here is a list of the "Tools" you have available to monitor your usage:


 

These are the tools available to you:


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".



ericdanielle
New Member

I forgot who, but someone told me about the resetting data for the first 10-20 days.  I think it was both the lady I actually ordered the service for over the phone, and the installer.  I do know that this could get a lot people in trouble if they didn't fully understand.  But unless you tattoo it on every subscribers forehead...  Then again, I've seen people use CD-ROM drives as convenient cup holders, and my poor grandmother at the state fair indicating that no one needs to hold her hand bag while she uses the portable toilets, she'll just use the hand bag holder...  aka, urinal.  :-))))

However, my wife and I DO, and have used this opportunity to test things like Netflix and youtube, and updating devices and PS4.   One standard definition Netflix TV show set at 0.3mbps quality uses 300 Megabytes(MB) of our data.  So my wife is using this information to know how much TV she can watch.  I tested youtube, as well as updating the PS4.  All our internet devices have bookmarked at a minimum the 192.168.0.1 page, to allow us to monitor data while we use the net.  My large updates will more than likely occur during the bonus byte time. I'm up between 5-6am for work, or gathering the baby when she wakes, so if I have a PS4 update, I can manually start it then, and with the new speed, more than likely it will be done by 8am.

I like the tips, and the info.  Its nice to talk to real folks who understand the system and know what they signed up for.  Its nice to know that this community exists to help us at NO CHARGE.  I use forums to troubleshoot lots of things...  This will be know different.  I'm pretty computer savvy, and my wife is HORRIBLE when it comes to computers.  But she is very thrifty, which makes explaining to her about SAVING data for things much easier.  JUST HOPE SHE DOESNT STEAL MY BONUS BYTE DATA!  lol  just kidding! 


Eric

BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Nice to see someone with a sense of humor here and a willingness to take suggestions. Please don't be a stranger, we need more like you.
ericdanielle
New Member

I can't make any promises.  But I hope to be around for a while...  😉

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

ericadanielle,

Glad you like the service and have been having fun with the daily data resets.  I did the same.  A great thing with regard to your timing is that, if you have a computer with Windows 10, you'll still be experiencing the daily resets when the Anniversary update is released on August 2nd.  It's a large update, so it will work out great for you. 

Please remember what I mentioned about using your DirecTV receiver for streaming on demand like Netflix and such.  I just don't want to see you run out of data.

Again, I'm glad you like it.  24.97 Mbps is a great speed.    

ericdanielle
New Member

GabeU,

It is a good thing I dislike windows.  If I have to get rid of windows 7 anytime soon, i'll just go back to Linux Mint.  As a matter of fact, I should just go back to finding some new Distro's of Linux and make the switch sooner than later. 

Besides my one windows 7 Pro computer, my wife has a MacBook Air, and we have two Ipads, and a PS4.  Now that my installer took into account, and I'm glad I told him, that we were looking into DirecTV, he made sure he put our Hughesnet dish in an area on the roof that would not interfere with the future Directv dish.  Once we get that service, the idea is to discontinue our Netflix, and just DVR current shows.  We will not connect the Directv Genie to our Internet service, just so OnDemand don't eat our data.

So far I have checked from work our data usage at home, and it appears that our data is not "leaking".  I believe we shut off all our devices from wi-fi before we left this morning, but I am still unsure if our Belkin N600 router would cause a leak.  I am thinking of picking up a N600 range extender.  The hope would be to create a stronger signal to our devices down in my office PS4, and the TV where Netflix is installed.  We have some dead spots I would like to correct.

And yes, I damn near fell right out of my chair when my speed test came up 24.97 and the download percentage bar for a 12mb test shot across the screen just as fast as I could snap my fingers.  It took a solid 30 seconds with my Frontier DSL.  I'll be rolling up our old telephones and cords tonight.  It will be a breath of fresh air cleaning up that clutter I have had for 8 long years.

Eric

Chris11
Alum

Hi Eric,

Thanks for posting! We appreciate the feedback and you taking the time to share your experience with us! It's so nice to see this and we're super glad to see that the HughesNet service is working to your satisfaction. We'll certainly share your praise with your local dealer and installer. I'm sure they'll appreciate the sentiment. As mentioned by others this is a great place to get and share information about your service. Feel free to come back and participate. We love positive energy. 

Thank you,
Chris
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Eric,

I have Linux Mint on an older desktop and have it on a spare drive in this one.  I don't use it much, but I definitely like it, and if I have a reason one day to not use Windows anymore Linux Mint will most assuredly be the OS I will use.  It runs well and it's reliable.  It looks pretty good, too.  LOL.

Some people are averse to Windows, for whatever reason, and I completely understand that.  I've actually enjoyed Windows throughout the years, with the exception of Vista and that deplorable thing they called ME, the Mistake Edition.  I like Windows 10, as well, though I do find the lack of update control a little annoying, like most people.  It just works for me.    

Your router itself shouldn't cause any type of leak, nor using it with a range extender.  Actual data leaks aren't very common, from what I've seen.  Most of the time a perceived leak is actually something legitimately using the data, but trying to find out what it is on the device(s) is a whole other ballgame.  I only ever have one thing connected at a time, whether directly or through a router, so I never run into that.

With regard to the PS4, you're probably already aware of this, but certain types of games don't work well with satellite internet due to the latency, while others work just fine.  It mostly affects "twitch" type games.  Games that rely on practically instant reaction by the player.  It's a drawback, for sure, but at least we can get high speed internet.  That's the way I look at it, anyway. 

I've been with Hughesnet since Nov 2004 and upgraded to Gen4 in Feb of this year.  I was thinking that I would be very happy if I got about 60% of my plan "up to" speed of 10 Mbps.  The first time I did a speed test I thought something was wrong, as there was NO WAY I was getting a speed of almost 20 Mbps.  Absolutely impossible.  Well, of course, I was wrong, and the result was right.  It was an amazing day, for sure.  Then, on the second or third day, I noticed my data resetting back to full.  I came on here to ask if something was wrong and was told about the initial daily resets.  A speed that was three times what I had hoped for and nearly three weeks of resets.  I was quite happy, to say the least.  Pleased as punch (however pleased punch can be).  Happy as a clam (are they really happy?).  Happy as a cat in a roomful of mice.  You get the idea.  LOL.

I'm also glad to see that you are on top of your data usage.  I think a lot of people that come from some type of land based ISP don't really understand the importance of this in the beginning and end up backing themselves into a wall, data wise, without realizing and before they know it.  A hard lesson learned, but one you won't have to.   

I have DirecTV and that's what I do.  Just DVR things and watch what is on.  Heck, in nearly twelve years (I got DirecTV in Nov 2004, as well) I've only purchased two pay per view movies, though I do have some pay movie channels. 

Lastly, as I'm sure you've become aware, these boards are a great place to get advice and seek help if you have any problem(s).  In addition to the Official Reps there are the Champions, who have a wealth of knowledge and are always willing to help whenever they can.  A great bunch of people.           

  

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Just to toss one in here .. actually routers can cause "leaks" or at least be involved.
Much depends upon the knowledge and experience of the user.

Some routers ... Linksys if I remember correctly have/had an issue where they auro check for firmware updates and get caught in a loop .. and burn data like crazy.

Setting up a "cloud" remote access account opens up a potential back door that can be exploited.
Not disabling "Guest Account" can lead to a leak as well as not disabling WPS.

Those items are core to the "guts" of the router.
Yes those issues can be "handled" OK but the novice user is totally unaware of these types of things.

We then of course have the issue of "my router is password proteced" which is not the same thing as what level, if any, a user has set up on the wireless side of the router.

Password and encryption passkey or passphrase are not the same thing.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I was referring more to a router actually causing a leak, not it being exploited and someone/something actually using the data, which happens, unfortunately, especially in populated areas, but I didn't know about the loop thing, so that's good to learn.  That's why you guys are Champions. 

I remember something like that being mentioned in a post a while back with regard to the modem itself, too.  Something where it's trying to establish a connection or search for files or firmware and gets stuck in a loop.  I don't know if that's exactly right, but I remember something about a loop causing it to continuously use data.  If I remember correctly it's rare, but it's happened. 

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Just tried to fix my typos in my post and .... to late but I think the basic premise can be derived.
Modem loops are rare and can be found in the modem logs .. that reminds me, I need to post a copy of my "SCC Lite" although I think Hughes would rather users not muck around in the SCC Advanced Pages.
There is however much to be seen there including toggling Web Acceleration, doing an MBX Reset and incrementing to a different Web Acceleration Server if needed.
 
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I don't think those two things would cause any alarm.  The more involved things, though...? 

Is there a post that gives a good explanation and/or instructions for making sure the router settings are configured properly to be secure?  That would be a good thing for a sticky post.  

ericdanielle
New Member

All,

My wife and I looked at each other last night, and said...  "It will be a sad day when the data stops resetting".  BUT, on the other hand, as we plan ahead, and have gotten in the practice of shutting down the wi-fi devices, and updating devices and games during our Bonus bytes, we should be just fine.  We don't really have a choice now when it comes to data. 50gb/50gb = 100gb a month.  But more on the lines of speed.  We are pleased.  I ran 3 tests again, the first when I got home from work, 530pm = 15 Mbps, 2nd test 10pm 1.12 Mbps, and this morning at 6am 19Mbps.

We are very pleased with the speed!  The slowdown actually didn't happen until my wife was done with two episodes of Netflix tv, and we noticed it in the 3rd.  She used 330mb of data watching those three shows.  Which I thought was a little odd, as I thought I was seeing 300mb per show.  So again I will have to watch that a little closer.

As for windows vs. Linux.  I just don't like how windows always needs updates.  I like that Linux seems for me to run longer without any fuss or a need to reformat do to clutter.  Seems for me windows is like a street sweeper picking up trash as you go along until something doesn't work and it slows beyond belief.  Linux seems to run fast consistently FOR ME.  Everyone is different.


Take care!


Eric

ericdanielle
New Member

All,

My wife and I looked at each other last night, and said...  "It will be a sad day when the data stops resetting".  BUT, on the other hand, as we plan ahead, and have gotten in the practice of shutting down the wi-fi devices, and updating devices and games during our Bonus bytes, we should be just fine.  We don't really have a choice now when it comes to data. 50gb/50gb = 100gb a month.  But more on the lines of speed.  We are pleased.  I ran 3 tests again, the first when I got home from work, 530pm = 15 Mbps, 2nd test 10pm 1.12 Mbps, and this morning at 6am 19Mbps.

We are very pleased with the speed!  The slowdown actually didn't happen until my wife was done with two episodes of Netflix tv, and we noticed it in the 3rd.  She used 330mb of data watching those three shows.  Which I thought was a little odd, as I thought I was seeing 300mb per show.  So again I will have to watch that a little closer.

As for windows vs. Linux.  I just don't like how windows always needs updates.  I like that Linux seems for me to run longer without any fuss or a need to reformat do to clutter.  Seems for me windows is like a street sweeper picking up trash as you go along until something doesn't work and it slows beyond belief.  Linux seems to run fast consistently FOR ME.  Everyone is different.


Take care!


Eric

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Eric,

You'll actually find that slowdowns in the evening aren't at all unusual.  It's happening because that's when the highest number of people are online using the system.  For most things you probably won't notice much difference.  It's really only the things that require higher, steady bandwidth that may be affected.