So slow - Useless

[ncseamonkey59]

I have had HughesNet for years.  I live in the country and it is my only option for internet service.  It has always been slow (for what they charge), but I have been mostly satisfied with it until the last few weeks or so, and has become pretty much useless at certain times of the day.  I work from home, and always have, and have never had the problem where it was so slow that I actually have to log out from work because it is so slow and pretty much useless.  

I did some speed tests here on the Hughes site at different times for the last 3-4 days.  I got speeds as high as 25.94 on the download speeds and 1.39 on the upload speeds at 9:28 AM (EST), but at 5:12 PM, download speeds were as low as 1.00 and uploads as low as 0.12,  This is unacceptable for what I pay.  And no, my usage is far from reaching the max: I just checked and I still have 83% anytime left and 97% bonus bytes left . 

This is beyond unacceptable.  There has to be something that somebody can do - if nothing else, lower the price to be comparable to the service we actually receive. 

[ncseamonkey59]

I'm not most people 🙂

[C0RR0SIVE]

He also moved you to the Ultra plan at $89.99/month and gave you his direct line if you had any concerns about the service, back in November. I don't see any notes past 11/22/16 - were you ever in touch again?

[thomflan]

GabeU,

        I have noticed the same thing, Youtube videos play with minimal buffering early in the morning but by 3 pm on weekdays and 10 or 11 am on weekends it is an exercise in frustration trying to watch a video. Doing a speed test would show that I should not have a problem since the test would be 12 to 18 mbs. I just assumed that Hughes net was just fudging the results of the tests. I have never had this problem with another internet provider before. I have never come close to using all my bytes in a month just because when I have the most time to use the internet it is to slow to be useful.

       I do not know if your explanation is correct but it is very frustrating if 12 mbs means something different at different times of the day.

[GabeU]

thomflan,

After wracking my head trying to figure out what would cause it, this is the only thing I could come up with.  The required speed is certainly there at the given time I would try to watch a video, but the "choppiness" of that speed seems to be the only thing different between the two times.  I can understand it, with more people being online during those times, and those small downloads and page openings and such that tens of thousands more people being on the system create during those times would surely create the choppiness, but I was surprised to find out it mattered so much.  I figured speed was speed, and as long as it was fast enough, it shouldn't be a problem. 

This, of course, is only a theory, but it's the only thing I can think of that's any different between the two times.  That is, unless, YouTube is affected by the sun.  LOL. 

Then again, Windows updates doesn't seem to like satellite internet, either.  I think their problem, though, may be related to the latency.  I can download an entire Linux Mint installation file of 1.5GB in around ten minutes or so during off peak times of the day, but a 300MB Windows update takes hours and hours. 

To add, I can't really blame Hughesnet for either of these, but more satellite internet in general and the lack of available ground based alternatives in my, and I'm sure your, area.  But, such is life.  In the scheme of things, it's not all that important. 

[Amanda]

Hi ncseamonkey59,

I would really like to see what the results are from testmy.net using the instructions above for the manual 12MB test so I can have some backup data to send to engineering (see GabeU's first post). They will ask me for it so it is best we have it ahead of time.

I know you're frustrated and this has been an ongoing issue, but I really do want to help, only I really need those results to move forward. I will try to dig through the cases in your account and see which agent changed your plan. 

Thank you
Amanda

[ncseamonkey59]

I am trying to figure out the point of your post Corrosive?  

If you read my post above - you will see that I have been TRYING to be in touch but no return call - I have called 4 times starting on 12/19 and the last call being yesterday evening.  

So again - what is the point of your post?????  Just to be obnoxious?  

I also do want to add that if you cannot even navigate the internet because your service is so slow, all the discounts in the world are worthless !!

[ncseamonkey59]

I believe the plan was changed on 10/03/2016.  I am not 100% sure of that.  The problem, Amanda, is time !!  I have to unplug everything and plug into the computer. Run the tests - which takes a good 30+ minutes - and probably a LOT longer with it running at only 0.13 download and 0.63 upload speeds - then hook everything back up again.  I could not even get to the Hughes Net home page last night because it was so slow and timed out.  I will try to get those tests done this weekend, though.

[ncseamonkey59]

I would also like to ask why Hughes Net allows some of these "Champions" to participate in this community and continue to be rude and obnoxious to customers on a very regular basis.  I do not believe for a second that they are not compensated by Hughes Net in some way for their participation in this forum.  Otherwise, they would not sit here and comment on nearly every posting.  While some of them are very helpful and nice (GabeU) for example.  Then we have others who are just rude and obnoxious and contribute nothing meaningful or helpful - see post above. 

[thomflan]

GabeU,

        I agree that this is a satellite internet problem not a specific Hughesnet problem. As you say I live in a satellite only area and nobody is happy with their internet provider no matter what company.

[ncseamonkey59]

Update.  I did speak with my contact in Executive Customer Care. - I am not sure I can mention his name.  As usual - he is just the greatest thing since sliced bread.  If it were not for him, I would pull my hair out.  He understands WHY the internet is so important to me. I don't just get on it to play on Facebook or play games...it is how I earn my living.  So when my connection is slow that I cannot work, this creates a real problem for me in that it is impeding me from earning a living. 

I would like to comment that when some of these "Champions" come onto a thread where a PAYING CUSTOMER Is already upset, angry and frustrated about a problem they are having and start with their rude, obnoxious, unhelpful and condescending posts, they do nothing except exacerbate the customer's frustration and anger.

Telling customers over and over that Hughes Net is a satellite internet and does not work like a ground based internet is not helpful.  When customers come to this community, they are searching for an answer - they do not need to be told to make sure their computer is plugged in, or that satellite internet is slower, etc.  They also do not need to be treated in a rude and hateful manner.  

Some of the "Champions" need to remember that these people are PAYING CUSTOMERS and have a right to be upset and frustrated and angry, and to treat them with courtesy and respect.  If they cannot do this, or they if they cannot provide a helpful response then they just need to keep their fingers to themselves.

Hughes Net needs to address the issue of some of the posts that I have read from some of the "Champions."  They are rude, obnoxious and totally unnecessary.

[BirdDog]

If I came off as rude or obnoxious then I truly apologize, I thought I was providing some facts that might be helpful and simply clarifying some blanket statements that weren't exactly correct. Hope your issue gets resolved sooner than later.

[C0RR0SIVE]

If you don't like me pointing out a question that was asked and not answered, and consider it rude, then I am sorry.  Figured it would be best to contact the ECC rep that was handling your account to see what they could do.

[ncseamonkey59]

Corrosive -

I did not mind your comments about the streaming.  And I was not really referring entirely to you with my comments of rude, obnoxious posts.  

I WAS, however, referring to you in regards to you just copying and pasting from Amanda's post. If you would scroll back up to Amanda's question (The one you so kindly copied and pasted), you will see that in the very next post I absolutely DID answer her question. 

I might not have taken your copy and paste post as being rude and obnoxious had you bothered to explain why you were copying pasting....of course, we BOTH know exactly why you copied and pasted that.  

Perhaps I should copy and paste my answer to her question here.....

Yes, I have been in touch.  I called and left a message for him and he is out of the office until tomorrow, 01/03/2016, I believe.  I do not have the test results because i have not done them.  I appreciate his help so much - he has been a lifesaver, but discounts don't help when the service is so slow that it is difficult to do your work.  Yes, he also moved me to another plan, which has not helped.  As i mentioned in my original post, I had a plan that I was happy with for most of the time I have had Hughes.  When the girl switched my plan without my consent and knowledge a few months back, that is when the trouble really began.  Since that time, the service is so slow that I have a hard time doing my job.  I will be getting in touch with him tomorrow.  I posted this message because he was out of the office for quite a while and I was beyond frustrated !!

[C0RR0SIVE]

Hrm, guess I missed that, very sorry.

[Gwalk900]

ncseamonky,

I too apologize if any of my posts seem rude or "condescending" and as a 12+ year Hughes subscriber I truly understand ... in spades ... the frustration of trying to do "long distance" support in any manner be it phone, chat, email or web based.

One point I think not well understood by many users is that there is not "one Hughesnet".

There are in fact three different generations of "platforms" (soon to be 4), the HN7000s, the HN9000 and the HT1100.

There is a massive performance spread between the above mentioned systems and there are subdivisions of performance levels within those systems.

All of them however share certain key points but in the end the question resolves down to is: "is the customer receiving service within the expected parameters of the platform type and plan level?".

We all can understand that a subscriber just wants their system to "work". They don't want to become "computer techs" or "network engineers" ... they just want it to work.

The fly in that ointment is the fact that most satellite internet subscribers are in relatively remote locations. This means that some degree the user needs to participate in the troubleshooting process. Support is not at all like calling Verizon and demanding a "truck-roll" because  ... "my phone don't work".

So lets take a look at the various support options:

Phone support:

For me, this is frustration at its best with all due regard to those that man the phones, wherever they may be located.

For the most part the tier 1 phone support is "script driven". In many cases it is outsourced which means that language or accent problems are going to rear its ugly head and that is going to add to a users frustration. If you couple that with long wait times on hold, dropped calls and the likelihood that a user seemingly starts from scratch with each call, this soon bumps the user experience from Frustrating to Anger.

Chat Support:

First the users system has to be working well enough to connect......

Second, the user is still at the tier 1 support level that is the "filter" that it is intended to be.

Third, I can't count the number of times users have posted of Chat Support just being "dropped".

Email support:

You still begin at Tier 1

Community support:

I'll admit to bias here.

In the Community there is no "tier 1". The Mods here are at the corporate level. They have greater knowledge and greater latitude but .. they are few in number and that brings us to we "Champions".

Here in the Community the Mods can (if warranted) fast track your issue to the very top of the required area of the support chain be it Sales, Installation, Repair .. and Engineering among others.

They, as top level corporate employees, are going to work "bankers hours". 8-5/ 9-6 eastern. In order to fast track your issue ... it helps to have certain items performed. We, as fellow users, have likely have been down the same road you are going down. We may be able to offer some "work-arounds" to get you up and running until official support can address your problem. Some of the things we Champions may ask for are to help built a "picture" for the Mods when they do get a chance to get to your post in the respect that they can see responses, A, B & C have been done ... we have test results we can work with ... we can forward this issue now (or with just a little more info) to the top support level.

In your original post you never specified what platform your were on, what plan level you were on ... these are the main things that give us (we off-hour Champions) a sense of direction in offering ways to get your system up and running until a Mod can step in.

unless we can ask questions ... how can we help?

We can not pull your level of computer experience or understanding out of thin air.

Your issue may be temporality fixed or at least the boundaries defined by something as simple as a MBX Reset or a combination enable/disable WA combined with a MBX Reset in a specific order that increments your system to a different Web Acceleration server.

How can we help you do something on a Saturday night when you find our questions "condescending"?

Troubleshooting is a matter of experienced based Divide & Conquer and who better to work with in the off-hours and short term than your fellow users that use the same system day in day out for years.

I agree with BirdDog, I do hope they find an solution to your problem soon.

[ncseamonkey59]

I do appreciate those who tried to help and were courteous about it.  As stated multiple times in my posts above, I had no idea what plan I was changed to because it was done without my knowledge and without my consent.  Also, since I had not authorized a change, I did not know the exact date of when it was changed.  I now know what plan I am on because I talked to my contact last night and he told me.  \

The ONLY reason I posted in here in the first place was because my contact in the Executive Customer Care was out for the holidays and I had reached the end of my frustration level.  

I have worked with my contact from Executive Customer Care for quite a number of years now and he has always gone above and beyond to figure out what my problem is and try to get it fixed. As I mentioned previously, he understands WHY my internet is so important to me.  

Thankfully, he is now back from vacation and I spoke to him at length and in great detail yesterday evening and he is back on the case, so I hope to get some results soon.   

Hopefully, the new satellite will be up and going by April and I am slotted for that.  

But in reading through some of the complaints in this community - there are many, many, many where the "Champions" are rude, condescending and obnoxious.  That is pretty sad - and more sad that Hughes allows it to continue.

[ncseamonkey59]

Have been running the tests at testmynet all day.  Here is the latest.  The first one I ran this morning at 8 AM (*EST) is the only one that has not had the "there might be a problem" box.  All the rest have had it.

[ncseamonkey59]

Here are the test results so far.  Pay close attention to the last one - it took 10 minutes to run the download.  I did not even bother to run the upload.  It is beyond clear that there is a problem.  This is NOT what I pay for.  I have been barely able to work multiple times during the day.  

[ncseamonkey59]

[ncseamonkey59]

[ncseamonkey59]