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swtbama
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Random Server Location

So as of the last two weeks, since the plan reset we have had absolute abysmal speeds.

 

I am on the 50gb monthly plan, which quite frankly isn't enough and it has been proven to be false that ISP's "run out of bandwidth". Stupid money grab in my opinion, coupled with routing issues make this service almost pointless.

 

I wasn't sure what was happening to begin with, as I have had satellite internet before and had similar issues when dealing with the weather. However, it has been clear and my satellite connection floats between 103-106. I have contacted Support multiple times, only to be told to wait 3 more days, wait 3 more days. It's ridiculous that we are paying for such an expensive service that offers us NOTHING.

 

While I pray for the day ISP's quit purposefully bottlenecking speeds, this is what I'm forced to deal with.

 

After flushing the DNS through CMD and rebooting the router, both internally and externally, my IP Address location changes between Dallas and Missouri (and some others I forget). While I'm unsure of where or how Hughes Net handles server locations, it's glaringly clear I should not be connecting to a server in Missouri when I live in Alabama. After multiple resets the connection is fine and normal speeds return until the IP address is renewed. To my understanding, with the tools I have available I am being routed across the US for my connection and Customer Support has been zero help in this matter with continuously escalating my issue to higher level maintainance with no resolution or call-back.

 

Is this solvable on my end by changing router settings or is this a backend issue I have to have fixed through tech-support?

8 REPLIES 8
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

First, a few things:

 

Firstly, HughesNet does not deliberately throttle your speeds unless and until you run out of data and go into FAP. 

 

Secondly, bandwidth is finite.  It's only as high as the system that supports it.  As for throughput, the higher the number of people using the system, the slower the service gets for each individual using it.  You can't throw 15,000 cars per hour down a road that is designed for 10,000 at 55MPH and expect those 15,000 cars to all go 55MPH. 

 

Thirdly, HughesNet uses shared IP addresses.  If you're on a website or using a service that auto detects your location, it will detect the location of the IP address, and that won't be your location.  There's nothing you can do about that.  Also, your actual entrance to the internet is your gateway, and that is located in another state.  It's not in Alabama.  

 

Lastly, be careful with resetting the modem.  Doing so too many times in too short a time span will cause your modem to select a backup Outroute ID, which has less capacity and is often slower than the the normal ones.  It does this because it assumes there is a problem.  You can be stuck on this Outroute ID for days.  

 

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

 

Now, if you're sure you are not out of data and in FAP, the reps will need some speed tests to be run to help you with your speed issues.  The instructions for the speed tests are as follows....

 

 

 

To help the HughesNet Customer Service Reps get a head start on your speed concerns you should create a testmy.net account and, while signed into that account, perform 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
-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 visit: http://customer.kb.hughesnet.com/Pages/7001.aspx

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 are unaware of how to disable the WiFi in the HT2000W, please see "How do I manage my built in WiFi modem?" in this PDF.  Make sure to click "Save Settings" after unchecking SSID Enable for each radio individually, as unchecking all four, then clicking "Save Settings", will not hold the settings.  

"Does not intentionally throttle UNTIL...".

 

While I'm aware Bandwidth is finite, there is MORE than enough to go around without the need for bottlenecking. Regardless.

 

Your analogy is understood, I'm well aware of how bandwidth works but if you have a Highway capable of supporting 100,000 cars at 55mph and you purposefully block off 90,000 of that THAT is bottlenecking. The presence of TOKENS says that "We have more bandwidth, you just have to pay more than you're already paying to access it."

 

If you honestly agree with FAP and Data-caps it's kinda sad. It's nothing but a money-grab, especially when the service doesn't even work. 

 

https://testmy.net/compID/61573185426

 

Speeds.png

 

 

While I'm aware some of these dips in speed are caused by bad weather days, this has been happening since it was installed. I also did some browsing in other threads and see that the Gateway is the connection, that's my bad for incorrectly mentioning something. However, it seems like this would be a pretty straightforward with so many people having this problem of intermittent connection and bad speeds. The other thread had the same issues, and after replacing ALL equipment, all tests are fine, Engineers and Lead Engineers working on it with no solution this tells me there's nothing wrong at all. 

 

I would say I'd rather have any internet than none at all, but this is ludicrous that new customers who pay a RIDICULOUS amount of money for what is offered can't even get the service they pay for. The other thread I was referencing was extremely patient and polite for what looked like the last 5 months with still not a single solution to be found.

Hi swtbama,

 

  We're closing this thread since we never got a reply from you. If you still have concerns, please start a new thread and include recent test results so we can more effectively help you.

 

Thank you,

Amanda

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@swtbama

 

For some reason the spam filter deleted your reply post.  But, in reply to it what you stated...

 

HughesNet does not deliberately throttle anyone until they have used up their data and have gone into FAP.  A single exception is the Video Data Saver, which automatically throttles the service when streaming in order to save data, but it can be turned off, and it's a feature.  Whether you believe this or not doesn't matter.  It's a fact.  

 

Yes, I agree with FAP and soft data caps on a system like HughesNet, which has a much more restricted throughput than all other standard types of internet.  I'm not here to educate you on why it's needed, nor does it matter to me whether or not you understand, or believe, why it's needed.  Feel free to continue believing it's a "money-grab", even if that's not actually the case.  And a few people buying data tokens does not have anywhere near the same effect on the system that unlimited data packages would.  Again, whether you believe that or not doesn't matter.  It's a fact.  

 

As for your posted speed tests, please be sure to use the 25MB test size for download tests and the 4MB test size for upload tests.  The tests need to be run using these sizes.  Please also be sure to run them under an account so that they can be verified to be your tests and also be viewed in a single location by the reps and/or engineers.  

 

Good day.  

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@jezrawrote:

The last time I spoke with advanced support, there was a mention of "traffic shaping" which is most certainly the same as throttling. 


Traffic shaping or load balancing or whatever you want to call it is a whole different animal than deliberately throttling someone.  

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Semantics. Traffic shaping is a dynamic, automatic function of the system. Traffic shaping is not, "Hey, Bob, let's throttle Jezra."
C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor


@swtbamawrote:

Which quite frankly isn't enough and it has been proven to be false that ISP's "run out of bandwidth".


Care to cite a source that backs this statement up when it comes to communications networks?

Just curious, what happens when you have 10 computers all with a 1000Mbps connection to your router, and your router has only a 1000Mbps connection to the internet?  Yeah, congestion, on the link between you and your ISP, you would need 10Gbit to feed those 10 computers at their full wired lan speed.

Take that principle, and apply that to a wireless based communications system, where the weak link sits 20,000+ miles in space, a link that can't be upgraded.  Lets just do some simple math, shall we?

200Gbps Total Capacity / 120 beams = 1600Mbps per beam
1600Mbps per beam / 25Mbps = 64

That is 64 customers that can sit at 25Mbps sustained, because of that number, and that number alone, it dictates exactly WHY data caps MUST exist, and how an ISP actually can, under certain situations run out of bandwidth.

If you want to cry, "Well, stop selling service!".  Sit and think then, how much more you must pay so that Hughesnet can stay profitable, they aren't a chairty.


If you want to figure out your "Server Location", well, Geo-IP is known to be pretty horrible for showing ones actual location.  I highly suggest reading an article I wrote some time ago that will help you figure out where your Gateway Location is, How To Find Your Hugesnet Gateway.

Amanda
Moderator

Hello swtbama,

 

Welcome to our community! So first off I would like to just reiterate what GabeU said above - please perform the speed tests using the manual options for download (25MB) and upload (4MB). The purpose of testmy.net is to measure your speeds by sustaining a download/upload scenario, so smaller file sizes will not be an accurate representation of service performance. Our engineers here in the corporate HQ will look at your results in addition to your actual HughesNet system's diagnostics to determine if there is a problem and where it is occurring.

 

In regards to the other parts of this discussion: 

 

1. Not all states are built equal. Population combined with usage habits vary from place to place. Streaming music/video accounts for almost half of all traffic in California with a very small amount of anything else, while customers in Iowa like to do an almost equal balance of everything. Using the above road traffic analogy in real life we know CA has more traffic congestion on average than Iowa so Iowans having shorter peak times isn't a surprise. 

2. On the congested roads you will encounter more stop-and-go traffic all day long in CA than you would in IA. Some options in CA would be to sit in traffic (fight peak time and try to stream while everyone else is online), take mass transit (stream in lower quality), telecommute (download during Bonus Zone), or carpool (consider getting a television provider). 

3. Lets say some people in Cali decided they'd rather live life big and drive a Hummer (cord-cutters). Well, they are backing up traffic BUT they're also running out of gas faster than the family sedans on the same road and need to exit earlier to put more gas (Fair Access Policy, tokens). 

4. Traffic shaping v Throttling - I visited Arizona a couple of years ago and they had this amazing concept for highway on-ramps, which was a stop light. If traffic became heavy or was anticipated to be heavy, those lights would start occasionally turning red  to make sure the flow of traffic was well-paced and drivers hopping onto the highway weren't cutting people off or shoving their way into the lane all at once. I'd probably say this is a good example of traffic shaping. If Arizona wanted to throttle traffic, they'd be doing something like leaving the on-ramp lights red until traffic cleared or you left the line and opted for a back road. 

 

I hope I made sense... 🙂

 

~Amanda