Router states full strength but from one room over will not allow my apple tv to stream

[lorijangle]

We had HughesNet installed a week ago.  It is in a family room on one side of our house and our TV is on the other side.  However, we have a small house and a kitchen is all that separates the two rooms.  The router says it has full strength and I even bout a wifi booster but we cannot stream consistently through our apple tv.  Netflix will not work at all.  Any tips or do I need to have them come out and reinstall in the room we have the Apple TV in?  Our data is not anywhere near used up either.  So no slow down from that.

I did notice, as a side note, that the dish does not seem to be grounded.  the copper wire runs from the dish into our house but is just attached to the coaxial cable and nothing else on the end.  Is this normal?  Thanks, everyone!

[GabeU]

@lorijangle

Are you able to view Netflix on a computer that is either connected directly with a LAN cable or via WiFi? 

If it isn't a WiFi strenth issue, something that may be causing the streaming issue at the TV is the Video Data Saver, which is designed to slow the speed of the service while streaming in order to save data, but if the streaming service you're using, or they way it's set, isn't amenable to slower speed, what it may end up doing is buffering.  If you try lowering the definition of the streaming service it may work better.  Conversely, you can try turning off, or pausing, the Video Data Saver to see if that makes any difference.  You can do so under Video Settings in the HughesNet Usage Meter, or by signing in to the HughesNet MyAccount site and clicking on the Settings Tab.  

What is Video Data Saver?

There is a HughesNet mobile app which you can use to see if the WiFi strength is adequate where your TV is.  You can get it at the Google Play Store or Apple Store.  

Regarding your data usage, your monthly data allotment is reset on a regular basis during your first twenty days of service.  HughesNet does this as a courtesy to enable new customers to update/upgrade their devices to current without it affecting their regular monthly data allotment.  After those first twenty days your data allotment will revert to a normal monthly reset.  So, just keep that in mind and keep en eye on your usage, especially after those initial twenty days. 

As for the ground wire, no, this isn't normal.  The ground wire should be attached to an adequate ground source.  I'll tag the HughesNet reps to that they will be aware of this.  @Liz  @Amanda

[lorijangle]

I had not yet tried to stream on my computer either wifi or ethernet.  I hadn't even thought of that.  And my computer is in another room so that should actually answer the question adequately whether or not the non-streaming is a Video Data Saver issue.  I appreciate that tip.  I will try that this evening as well as lowering the definition on the Apple TV and pausing the Video Data Saver.  All great advice.  

I'll look at some photos of what the grounding should look like and see if I'm not wrong about that.  It's weird because it goes through the "loops" and continues into the house but it's just kinda hanging off the coaxial cable with a copper wire not attached.  When it goes through the "loops" is that where it is typically grounded?  If so maybe it's stripped in the loops, attached, and then continues into the house and the end is fine.  Thanks either way for any advice on that.  I would hate for someone to come out and find out I'm wrong.  

I'll try the app as well and see if we actually are getting good strength in the living room.  

[GabeU]

@lorijangle

Regarding the grounding, normally the end of the grounding wire terminates at whatever it is that's being used for the grounding.  Sometimes the grounding can go from the equipment to a grounding block, then from the grounding block to the actual source of the grounding.  The techs take pictures of the most important aspects of the installation, including the grounding, and it's likely that the reps will be able to look at those pictures to be sure that it's grounded properly.  If not, they'll definitely want to address it.  

Hopefully it's the Video Data Saver that is causing the buffering, as that's an easy fix.   But, while it won't impact you during the first twenty days due to the aforementioned data resets, streaming can use a LOT of data, especially when done in HD.  Usually, with the Video Data Saver on, you should still be able to stream in SD or lower, but to stream in HD you'd need to pause the Video Data Saver, or turn it off.  I tend to pause it so I don't forget to turn it back on for when I don't need to stream something in HD.  

The following page gives an idea of how much data streaming with Netflix uses, or can use.  It also gives instructions on how to adjust the definition of the stream...  

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87

[Ricky]

The link below may help you get up to speed with the grounding issue.

https://getsatisfaction.com/hughesnet/topics/my_system_is_not_grounded

[GabeU]

@Ricky

I wasn't really sure how they did it now, save for knowing that there is a grounding block and that the grounding block must be grounded.

My original install, from years and years ago, didn't have a grounding block (it went straight to ground without it).  My new system has a grounding block, which is definitely grounded, but the only thing going to it from the dish is the coax, so I assumed it must use the coax for grounding, as well.  The ground wire from the dish connects to the bracket attached to the installation pole, and that's it.  It ends there.  So, again, I figured the ground from the grounding block to the dish must go through the coax that is connected to the grounding block, with the grounding block itself actually connected to ground.  

Sorry, I didn't mean to take this thread off topic. 

[lorijangle]

This is helpful too.  And might actually be what is happening with mine and the installer just ended up leaving the wire attached to the coaxial cable but not used.  

[lorijangle]

Thanks for this!  

[lorijangle]

Ok.  So let's say none of these things helps and when I run the signal strength test I get a bad signal in my living room.  Can I move the router or modem into the living room by extending the length of the coaxial cable?  What I mean is could I try this before having someone come out?  Or does the extension of the coaxial cable mess up the signal?  

[GabeU]

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@lorijangle wrote:

Ok.  So let's say none of these things helps and when I run the signal strength test I get a bad signal in my living room.  Can I move the router or modem into the living room by extending the length of the coaxial cable?  What I mean is could I try this before having someone come out?  Or does the extension of the coaxial cable mess up the signal?  

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Whether or not you can extend the cable is something a rep will have to answer, but I don't think so.  I believe it can cause too many issues.  There may be other ways to get the signal into your living room, if signal degradation is the cause of the problem.  

@BTW, when replying to a post, it's best to either quote the post (or at least the part you are replying to) with the Quote button on the upper right of the message body, or type the @ symbol and choose the name of the person you are replying to.  This way the replies will make more sense.  

[lorijangle]

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@GabeU wrote:

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@lorijangle wrote:

Ok.  So let's say none of these things helps and when I run the signal strength test I get a bad signal in my living room.  Can I move the router or modem into the living room by extending the length of the coaxial cable?  What I mean is could I try this before having someone come out?  Or does the extension of the coaxial cable mess up the signal?  

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Whether or not you can extend the cable is something a rep will have to answer, but I don't think so.  I believe it can cause too many issues.  There may be other ways to get the signal into your living room, if signal degradation is the cause of the problem.  

@BTW, when replying to a post, it's best to either quote the post (or at least the part you are replying to) with the Quote button on the upper right of the message body, or type the @ symbol and choose the name of the person you are replying to.  This way the replies will make more sense.  

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OK.  So it has been a couple of weeks, I constantly run speed tests that say everything is running at full, download and upload, I turned off video data saver, and if possible I lower the video playback speed on whatever streaming service I am using.  Buffering all of the time now.  We cannot watch any videos on Hulu, Amazon, or Netflix.  We have officially paid our $70.00 bill for the first time and we still can't use the service for what we got it for.  I have no idea if moving the router will help because we cannot move it on our own.  Any other thoughts for me?

[Liz]

Hi Lori,

  I'm glad you found the community, thank you for posting. I pulled up your account for review and I see that there is indeed an issue with the network coverage. It's likely because of the position of the wifi modem, I'd rather not have the kitchen in between the modem and where you're trying to stream; your Roku and Apple TV are only getting fair coverage according to my diagnostics.

As a courtesy, I've dispatched a technician to address your concerns. Your dispatch is currently scheduled for our earliest available slot: Wednesday, Jun 6, 2018 between 11:00 AM-02:00 PM. Call us at 866.347.3292 and reference case #112892493 if you need to reschedule. Please let us know how the site visit goes.

[Liz]

Hi Lori,

It's been a while since we last heard from you, so we will close this thread. I hope that site visit went well. If you still have concerns, please start a new thread and include a detailed explanation so we can more effectively help you.