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VickyA
Sophomore

Not getting promised service

I have had Hughesnet for a total of ten days now and have hated it from day one. First time connected, with tech still here, was slow as dial up. He witnessed this and told me to allow a few hours for dish and modum to "adjust".  I am still waiting.  My plan is 25 mbps and I have yet to experience anything close. Speed tests and actual are totally opposite.  Not to mention sporadic. As an example, I just did a speed test while typing this and after waiting a full 2 minutes 23 seconds for "finding server", then 40 seconds for "connecting", I got 21.2/6.34. I attempted another test for comparison and got "Error. Test failed to complete. Please check your connection and try again."  After three errors another test started but failed with the error again. 21.2??? I think not. So I cannot even give a current reading. Other tests have ranged from 1 mbps to 30 mbps all within a five minute period. And though the test may show high speed my actual isn't much faster than dial up. I am wasting my money on Netflix and Hulu premiums because I have yet to watch anything without buffering. Average watching time is less than two minutes without buffering. I have contacted customer service and all they offer is boosting the modum on their end with no results. And, by the way, since I cancelled my landline, I have to drive over a mile for cell signal to call. I discussed this with Hughesnet rep from day one. I am in a rural area and need a booster for cell service. He told me wireless calling would work. So now, in addition to slow, buffering, sporadic frustrating internet,  I have no way of contacting emergency services. I am very unhappy with Hughesnet and want it gone!

13 REPLIES 13
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@VickyA 

 

If you'd like help from a rep via this support community, they will need some speed test results.  The protocol for the speed tests is as follows...

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

To help the HughesNet Customer Service Reps get a head start on your speed concerns, please create a testmy.net account (if you do not already have one) and, while signed into that account, perform a batch of 3-5 tests during different parts of the day, then share the account results link with us here.

Most important points to remember during this test:
-do the tests while directly connected to the HughesNet modem with a LAN cable (NO third party Router or Wireless devices can be used)
-disable the WiFi while the speed tests are being performed
-the testing device should be the ONLY device connected to the HughesNet modem while testing 
-use the 25MB size download test file  

-If testing upload instead of download, you must use a 4MB size upload test file
-space each test at least 5 minutes apart
-post your testmy results URL here, it may look something like http://testmy.net/quickstats/yourusername


For a more in depth guide on running the tests, please see this site (due to being an older site, the stated test sizes are incorrect for Gen5 (please use the test sizes listed in the instructions above, in bold, for Gen5)).

The Reps are on M-F from approximately 8AM to 5PM Eastern. They will be the ones to address your speed issues, but they will need these tests to do so.

If you don't know how to disable the WiFi in the HT2000W, please see "How do I manage my built-in WiFi modem?" in this PDF. Please be sure to click "Save Settings" after unchecking "SSID Enable" for each of the four tabs individually (2.4Ghz, then 2.4Ghz Guest, then 5Ghz, then 5Ghz Guest).

GabeU. I did as you requested and replied with test results. Haven't heard from you. Did you not get it?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@VickyA wrote:

GabeU. I did as you requested and replied with test results. Haven't heard from you. Did you not get it?


In order for the reps to help, you need to post the results page URL into a reply in this thread.  While signed in to your testmy.net account, click on "My Results" on the upper right of the page, then copy the URL in the address bar of your results page and paste it into the reply.  It will look like the following, but with your user/account name where it says yourusername...

 

http://testmy.net/quickstats/yourusername

https://testmy.net/quickstats/Vicky%20A  

 

In addition, I have been notified that I have used up all of my data.  I cannot figure how when I cannot use it!!!!  My only explanation is that I PATIENTLY tolerated buffering on netflix when it took OVER AN HOUR to watch a 40 minute episode.  I guess I didn't realize that I was paying for buffering!!!!  And guess what?  On the very day of data notification I did NOT have a single buffer problem.  Coincidence? I think not.  Have any of you heard of "throttling bandwidth" ?  It is when the carrier "plays" with your speed throughout the day/month in order for you to think you need a faster, more expensive, plan.  And guess what?  It is perfectly legal!  They can deny it all they want, but I think that is what is happening.  Look at my test results.

PS....

In case anyone is wondering.....yes after the data usage notification the speed tests have been extraordinary!! COINCIDENCE? 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@VickyA 

 

That link isn't working, possibly due to an extra space being added at then end when pasting it (the blue underline continuing past the A), but I think this is yours...

 

https://testmy.net/quickstats/Vicky%20A

 

If those are your tests, they aren't really going to help, as they weren't run the way they need to be run.  They won't do the reps or engineers any good.   As stated in the instructions, the download test size needs to be 25MB and the upload test size needs to be 4MB, and they need to be run on a LAN cable connected device, not a WiFi connected device.  The WiFI in the HT2000W modem also needs to be disabled while the tests are being run.  

 

But, tests run while you are out of data won't be of any help, so you should wait until you again have data and then run some tests.  

 

And your complaint about bandwidth throttling doesn't apply, as all HughesNet Gen 5 plans provide up to 25Mbps, so it would be of no advantage for them to throttle your bandwidth.  There would be absolutely no point.  There are no faster plans.  However, just like everyone else with HughesNet, when you exhaust your plan data your speeds are throttled.  With that said, customer load affects speed. The more customers actively using the service, the slower your speeds may be.  That's not throttling.

Gabe, I am waiting for my data and will then run fresh speed test.  In the meantime I want to make you aware that the current "throttle" speed is no different than my day to day speed when I have full data. 

Also, you need to be more specific with your speed test instructions for those of us who are not savvy.  Just saying to set speed to 25 and 4 isn't enough. I looked all over to try and find this.  Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find it under manual speed test. Again, you are used to this but those of us "lay" people are not. 

I will be in touch with a new test.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@VickyA wrote:

Gabe, I am waiting for my data and will then run fresh speed test.  In the meantime I want to make you aware that the current "throttle" speed is no different than my day to day speed when I have full data. 

Also, you need to be more specific with your speed test instructions for those of us who are not savvy.  Just saying to set speed to 25 and 4 isn't enough. I looked all over to try and find this.  Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find it under manual speed test. Again, you are used to this but those of us "lay" people are not. 

I will be in touch with a new test.


I'm sure that this information, as well as the test results showing the slow speed, will help the reps with figuring out what may be going on.  

 

With regard to the speed testing instructions, if you look directly below the bold set of instructions you'll see a link for an in depth guide for running the tests, though, as indicated, the sizes in that linked guide are incorrect for Gen5.  The guide shows where to find the manual test files for the download and upload tests.  The page may take a little bit longer than normal to open (it does for me).  With this said, however, I'll be sure to add the location of the manual test files to the instructions.

https://testmy.net/quickstats/Vicky%20A 

 

Hi Gabe,

I connected my PC directly to my modum and did manual testing with 25 and 4. I ran 30 minutes of tests at five minute intervals.  Above is the result.  I hope I did it correct this time as I am still so very frustrated. 

Thanks

Vicky

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@VickyA 

 

You did, and those speeds actually look pretty good, especially for this time of the evening.  It's too bad that the 1907Mbps result wasn't genuine (the test likely hiccuped).  Can you imagine a speed like that?  😛  

 

I'm sure this will help the reps to start figuring out what may be going on with the streaming issues and slow internet.  I'll tag Liz so that she'll be sure to see this thread. 

 

In the meantime, I don't know if one of the phone reps mentioned it, but turning off, or pausing, the Video Data Saver may help with the buffering.  This is especially the case if the streaming is being done in HD (high definition).  

 

Also, unfortunately, WiFi calling doesn't tend to work well with HughesNet.  The rep should not have told you that it did.  If it was the sales rep that said this, you may have recourse by asking for a sales call review.  The problems are the latency and the technology that HughesNet uses to help alleviate some of the problems associated with it.  They do offer their own Voice service, though.  

 

@Liz 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I also wanted to mention this, but in a separate reply so that it didn't muddy up the other.  

 

Just in case the buffering issue can't be fixed or fixed completely, you may want to look into PlayOn Cloud.  A few of us "regulars" on here use it, and it works well.  What happens is that your chosen item (movie or TV show) is streamed to PlayOn's cloud based DVR.  The item is then converted to an mp4 file, which you can then manually download via a link you get in your email, or automatically download via the PlayOn Cloud app to your iPhone or Android based device.  You can also schedule the download to one of those devices so that you can take advantage of the Bonus Zone data.  This way, you don't have to use any of your regular plan data for your streamed items.  

 

The advantages to PlayOn Cloud are that you can schedule the downloads, as mentioned, and the file is yours to keep.  There is also no buffering, as you're watching from a file that you've already fully downloaded, like if you're watching something from a DVD or BluRay.  You can watch it at any time on a device that can play mp4 files, and many devices today can.  Computers, tablets, your phone, or even a SmartTV.  I watch the items I've downloaded on my Smart TV directly from a USB flash drive connected to it.  I even back them up permanently to DVDs and/or Blu Rays, and my Blu Ray player can also play them. 

 

The main drawback to PlayOn Cloud is that it's not full HD, but the 720p it can record in looks great.  It can also record in standard definition.  I have my Netflix playback set to HD, and when PlayOn records it in 720p it looks nearly full HD to me.  There is small advantage to this, though, and that's that the files are only about 1.1GB per hour vs the 3GB or so per hour while HD streaming with Netflix in the normal fashion. 

 

PlayOn Cloud itself is free, but you buy recording credits, and it "costs" one credit per item, whether that item is a film or TV show.  After you sign up and buy your first credits, you sometimes see really good credit deals via email, like the one they had for Game of Thrones, which was 73 credits for $12, though you can use the credits for anything, not just what the deal is named for.   

 

Again, this is only an idea for an alternative way of streaming, but it's worked well for me for the last five months.  I didn't stream before this, and on the few occasions I tried in the evening it would sometimes buffer.  PlayOn Cloud opened up a whole new world to me, though a couple of times I've gone a little nuts with it and downloaded so much that I used all of my data, which I had never done up until I started using it.  It doesn't work with all streaming services, but it does with most of the big ones.  If you scroll down to the bottom of the linked page you'll see which ones it works with.

Hello @VickyA,

 

Thank you for providing these speed test results. When running diagnostics, I also see similar speeds on our end as well. I checked for any underlying issues such as bad alignment or modem malfunctions and I was unable to detect an issue with the equipment. If it hasn't already been mentioned previously, I recommend manually lowering the resolution of the content you are watching. Medium or standard is the recommended resolution. You can do this on most streaming services websites. If you would like instructions on how to do this with Netflix, please let me know. @GabeU has also provided many techniques to stream/view content successfully and I do hope they help.            

 

-Damian         

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"Have any of you heard of "throttling bandwidth" ?  It is when the carrier "plays" with your speed throughout the day/month in order for you to think you need a faster, more expensive, plan.  And guess what?  It is perfectly legal! "

 

I have not heard of this. Where have you heard about it?

 

ISPs engage in network management practices (which include reducing speeds), and these practices are both legal and necessary, especially with shared bandwidth (as is the case of satellite internet).