Frankly, anything can be cracked including the Pentagon and other agencies.
From your description of numbers it sounds like you may legacy "daily refill" plan.
When the modem is powered off it is no longer in sync with the gateway so readings can be off for a short period after reconnection.
Daily plans have a "roll-over" of unused data to the next day. The meter is calibrated to show the max amount of data that your plan can hold .. two days worth.
Screenshots would help.
I suggest the following procedure:
here can be many reasons for losing data. In the end though it can only be either on the Hughes end or on the users end,
You should run a modem isolation test to see if it is on the Hughes end,
Here is the official graphic:
Follow the steps above and post screenshots of the before/after usage meter and the disconnect/connect times.
If you find that no usage occurs with all of your networked equipment disconnected we have to conclude that the usage is caused by something within your network.
While the following is a repost I think the steps apply to your situation as well:
In the event that no data was used during that period we can only conclude that "something" "somewhere" within your network is using data. It then becomes a "whodunit" and there are methods to determine that.
Divide and Conquer is the name of the game ... and it is essential.
A typical "home network" looks like this:
It is much too complicated to determine the "leak"
The Modem has access ... but we already performed an isolation test
The Router "guts" have access
Anything and everything with wireless range .. both authorize AND unauthorized devices COULD have access
Finally all wired computers have access.
During the troubleshooting phase the "network" MUST be reduced to the minimum number of variables.
It needs to have the router removed from the equation so as to look like this:
The number of variables has been brought down to a manageable level.
It now is time to download and install some software to track usage and identify what program and what process is or has been running and using data.
For this we need Glasswire:
https://www.glasswire.com/ help/
An important point here .....
GlassWire will only monitor the single computer upon which it is installed.
Later as the router is reintroduced, GlassWire will have to be installed on every Windows computer that is connected to the router
Another point to be made here is that if Windows IS the root of the issue ... it uploads/downloads sporadically .. it may take time to "catch it in the act".
So as to not "torque" the amount of usage displayed by GlassWire we need to change a couple of settings ... we don't need to count (later on when more devices are connected) "local" traffic.
Here are my suggested settings:
(click on picture for larger image)
Understanding the results:
Each computer, one by one needs to go through this process.
Once all wired computers have been "cleared" we can add the router back in to the mix with one major exception .... we have to disable the "radio" ...
We then want to test the "network" consisting of all "cleared" wired devices and the router "guts" to ensure they work well together as a whole.
Now comes the sticky part the re-introduction of the routers wireless function.
Its tough because I know of no software that will load on the variety of devices that CAN connect ... cell phone, tablet and so forth.
On laptop computers you can od course load GlassWire but that still leaves many potential avenues open.
The "Poor Mans" method requires great discipline. ALL devices other than a single one have to be and remain in a "hard off" state and that is not easy to do.
Run that single device over time and monitor usage carefully while still running Glasswire and the "difference" is ... the amount used by THAT device.
Of the devices ... Apple stuff is probably the worst ... VERY large updates on a random basis and the updates are very prone to "break" during download causing them to restart from the beginning ... massive data loss there.
It is essential that the router be properly set up !
Guest access MUST be disabled in the routers internal GUI
No "open network" :
WPA-PSK [TKIP] encryption at the very minimum !
Clear all devices one by one with the understanding that the usage may be sporadic.
There are higher end routers that WILL track usage by individual device but these may be out of reach (about $200) for the casual user. That is the only way to be SURE of what is going through a network.
I have a seasonal home that I suspend service in the fall, and Hughes net automatically turns it back on in the Spring. I too had the same issue last summer, that Over 80% of my data was getting used when no one(and not devices) were at home. I opened a ticket and all they could do is give me some extra tockens.
This week I logged onto the web interface to update my credit card info, and I see my usage is at over 4.2Gig this month. I sent support a ticket request, telling them this is impossible because the modem is not plugged in, and has been sitting in a drawer unpowered for 6 months. The tech support person sent me the same standard verbiage, that it I need to test for apps updating. It is impossible to use data if your modem is not plugged in, so If Hughesnet does not do something to fix their issue I will be filing a complaint with the Public Service Commission. When Summer comes around, I will be installing a wireshark device on the line, and comparing my usage with Hughesnets. My hunch, is Hughesnet has a bug in their usage meter, and it is not reporting accurrate data, which is costing us paying consumers the data we are paying for.
Using wireshark to count your traffic would be almost useless if you are using a router on your network, and wireshark doesn't always capture every bit of data that's going over the network.
Please perform the following test outlined in the graphic below, this is known as an isolation test and will help determine whether the issue is with Hughesnet or your local network.
1: Take a screen capture of the Status Meter
2: Disconnect the LAN cable from the modem. If on the HT2000w, please disable wifi as well.
3: Note the date and time of the disconnect, it is best when doing step two, to also capture the time displayed on your screen.
4: Leave the LAN cable disconnected from the modem for several hours, Hughesnet recommends doing this overnight, or during the day while at work.
5: Reconnect the LAN cable to the modem.
6&7: Take a screen capture of the Status Meter with the clock displayed on your computer.
8: Post your screenshots to the community.
Please be aware, if you downloaded any large files just prior to this test, or if the disconnect was for an extensive time period, some usage may appear to have occured, but should be rather negligible.