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Status meter

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Sally Thomas
New Member

Status meter

Totally frustrated and DISGUSTED with the "new" status meter!!!!! Two days ago we had one computer's operating system become dysfunctional and need to reformat and re-install/download updates and all the paraphanalia that is required to get back up and running. Well, I had about 57% of my monthly allowance of 10G of bandwidth left. I knew I would have to purchase tokens at some point as downloads of Windows 8 and 8.1 updates alone would eat up what I had left, let alone re-download of anti-virus and other necessary programs. So, I went to my "bank" and saw that I had one free token (yes, I do earn one each month), plus I purchased a couple of token to make sure they would be available when the meter hits zero and turns red. Well, from there on I found further proof that this is how Hughesnet makes money out of our "ignorance" (sound like how the government got Obamacare through, right?) by making step of the process a hidden and confusing process. When purchasing a token, a VERY BRIEF/FLASH message pops up and tells you "bandwidth has been added" and then ZAP, the message is gone. If you are not watching closely, you lose. You have no clue how much was added and no verification at all. So, in order to make sure download capacity is available to continue downloading the important programs needed, you purchase another...just to be sure....but then try and find out how much bandwidth is actually still available as you proceed....forget it. There are numerous hoops you have to jump through and hope you can find the one tiny access to that information, and half the time it does not work.  I look at my taskbar and all I get is the nasty RED CIRCLE and from there I have to spend time trying to access information that is IMPORTANT and USED TO BE READILY AVAILABLE on the "old" meter.  I am SICK of companies that think they are clever by "upgrading" or giving us "NEW AND IMPROVED" meters, etc.  Hughesnet is doing us a HUGE INJUSTICE by dumpint this nasty meter on us in order to SELL TOKENS due to information being hidden or impossible to locate.  Any chance a Hughesnet rep (official one) that can explain this or actually effect a change in this creepy way of taking advantage of us?
64 REPLIES 64
C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

First if you are on a monthly allowance this means you are on a Gen4 plan which does NOT come with free complimentary tokens every month, the only users that get those are legacy users.

As far as the Status Meter, after you purchase a token, it displays a message, "Bandwidth has been added to your account" for a few seconds, this then goes away.  It will not remove the red circle as that circle is to indicate your service plan allowance, not your token allowance.  After 5 to 10 minutes (though it should only take a minute or less) your modem will update to reflect the token you add.  This information is then fed to your status meter every 30 seconds.  Tokens you add should show under the Token Bytes Available section outlined in red in the picture below.


If it takes over 10 minutes for it to display there that you have added data, then it's safe to assume that either the system didn't get the token request, or the system has glitched and didn't add/remove the tokens.

To further check your token history you can visit the website below, enter your SAN, and Zip Code, click submit, then click Check Token Usage History.  This will show all purchases and uses.
http://services.hughesnet.com/service_tools/tokens/index.cfm
CharlesMcCool
New Poster

Charles is correct about how the tokens work but to add to what he posted your status meter will remain red until you refill date but you will NOT be throttled as long as you have the tokenbytes.
Sally Thomas
New Member

All of this I already know/found out the hard way by wasting time trying to find that info. I also already know the meter does not change from red until refill, which is a bad change from the previous meter, which would reflect added bandwidth when tokens were added. My point is that Hughesnet has now made it such a hassle trying to locate information about available bandwidth and created extra hoops to jump through to find info that was READILY available to view as soon as a purchased token added bandwidth. Now it's a total pain in the ass to keep up with bandwidth use while trying to set up a crashed O/S.  That is not a good business practice.  I also believe a lot of this obstruction is done to create confusion in order to SELL MORE TOKENS.  This is indeed shady business practice.  I found out the hard way how easy it is to MISTAKENLY purchase tokens due to the confused way it's now done (by not giving time to even read that quick note that "bandwidth has been added".  Just try to get a refund of money spent due to THEIR nasty way of doing business. I finally got it by demanding to speak to two supervisors after the "techs" in the Philippines tried to tell me "no refund".  So, I do believe this "new" and hard-to-use status meter.  Also, yes, I DO receive a "free token" each month (after being told several times that I don't).
Sally Thomas
New Member

That is also a change (not for the better) and I already knew that. It still makes me want to choke out whatever pimple-faced nerd conceived this "new" meter as well as the idiots at Hughesnet who thought it was a good idea. Bad move.
CharlesMcCool
New Poster

Sally we are just customers like yourself, and you seem to already know all the answers, I just wanted to mention if your on any business sale site if you keep clicking buy now button they will also sell you an item for each time you click, oh and your token bytes can be seen at anytime simply by entering 192.168.0.1 into your browser, they show there before they will the status meter, theres no need to be hatefull and curse because of your lack of knowledge, Have a nice day
Warren
Alum

Hello Sally,

Thanks for your reply. We actually do have a lot of customers that love the updated Status meter, as it provides enhanced information to monitor your data usage than our previous version.

We do appreciate your concern, as we take all feedback we receive into consideration. Please let us know if there are any additional concerns you may have regarding your service.

- Warren

Sally Thomas
New Member

I might just toss it back into YOUR lap mr. cool. You are trying to mitigate my complaint by making snide remarks to me. NO, I do NOT "know all the answers" and I can only relate my PERSONAL experiences in hopes that others bill benefit or learn from. This is a forum and unless YOU are an authorized spokesman for Hughesnet, then YOU need to allow others to vent THEIR personal problems, experiences and opinions about all things Hughesnet.  Thank you for your input.....NOT!
Sure, there is a way, if you jump through hoops, to find what the remaining bandwidth is after purchasing tokens, but the really helpful and transparent  information is no longer helpful, handy or transparent and results in frustration and often making a mistake by purchasing more tokens than needed due to that lack of transparency. (where have we heard that word before, huh?). Thus, since we (well some of us) have complained in the past and received the obligatory "that's an idea I will pass on to....." yet nothing is ever done to fix the problems.
Sally Thomas
New Member

Oh, and mr cool., looking up and typing a web address into a browser while your computer is downloading updates and programs is NOT a good idea, considering how easily download get interrupted and lost on Hughesnet web "services"...you know, like when a butterfly flits between the dish and the signal?  Yeah, it's easy for you to make such judgements, but in MY opinion and personal knowledge of how the status meter should work, I opine that the old meter was much more user friendly to customers than this new opaque one that only helps Hughesnet (through erroneous token purchases by confused customers) and NOT Hughesnet customers. Thank you again for your input, so valued by many I am sure.
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Choking someone out over a status meter seems a bit extreme, maybe I'm crazy.  😞

Not being a "sycophant", as one member here likes to call anybody with a positive comment, but if you check the "other guys" forum the meters are one area Hughes excels at and their members keep begging for.

Can we dance?

Sally Thomas
New Member

Lighten up, cool. OK?  If you take someone's venting as literal, then perhaps you are they type who cruises other forums and reports people who make comments you don't approve of or interpret to mean something you "feel" they mean? Give me a break, ok?
CharlesMcCool
New Poster

Funny, I have NEVER had a download interrupted by simply opening a 2nd tab to open the SCC or even opening a 2nd Chrome browser window, but thats just me. There were some things I liked about the old status meter like the fact you could set it to add a token automatically when your anytime data ran out but with the addition of the token bucket you really dont need that feature, now you can just add a few tokens to the token bucket and dont worry about it. And I also dont like how the meter turns RED when your running on token bytes and a lot of customers have complained about that also, I dont have a problem with people "venting" thats your right I was only offering an option to see your tokens other than the status meter which if you make a shortcut to the SCC its only a simple click to see it just like the status meter. so since your not needing or looking for actual help I bow out, have a great day, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 
Sally Thomas
New Member

Warren, since you say "many" of your customers like the new crappy meter, then I take it to mean that's the bottom line and no one cares that there are possibly "many" more who do not and possibly for the same reasons I outlined? Hmmm, perhaps a poll of actual users would bring us a more accurate picture?
CharlesMcCool
New Poster

Hey I was done yesterday but you just keep commenting to me, vent all you want
Sally Thomas
New Member

You hang up...no YOU hang up...no YOU hang up, no YOU hang up.......GROW UP, CHARLIE, ok? LOL
C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

The meter does it's job as intended and provides all the information one needs, it is on the user if they fail to pay attention to the meter for three seconds.
Sally Thomas
New Member

Got it. Thanks for your input and understanding.
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Sally,

I know we have spoke of this before but, there is more than one way to access Tokens.

It seems the method through the Download Status Meter just doesn't give you the info you need.

Instead I suggest you use this alternate method:

Go here:http://my.hughesnet.com/

From this meter note the amount of data in your "Token Bucket":

BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Or simply the one at 192.168.0.1, it shows everything too, although rounded off. I will say though, have to give the the system a few minutes to register new token bytes used and applied to the available meter. The key being patience if unsure a token got applied to the available bucket. 
Sally Thomas
New Member

The old meter allowed for one to check the box that stated to add available token (s) automatically if/when bandwidth ran out, thus it prevented the need to constantly monitor the meter and worry if your token would take effect and thus not interrupt or disrupt the download in progress...and not have to log in, purchase a token and wait to see if it took effect (or if you blinked and missed the flashed message telling you it was added). All of this new process makes the meter and the token process not as user-friendly as the prior one was.  I stand by complaints about the defects in this new process/meter and would love to tell the "pimple-faced nerd" that designed it to his face how I feel. I hope that does not further offend certain "champions" here.
Sally Thomas
New Member

Yeah, patience is in short supply when dealing with a total re-format etc. Ever get that never-ending loop called "automatic repair" that commences when you turn on your pc/laptop and never lets you out of it's pull?  Try it sometime. No getting into the workings of your pc to access menu/programs/start menu...nothing but lose it all and reformat. Cuts into your supply of patience a whole lot. When this happens 3 days short of refill bandwidth by Hughesnet and you have spent all month being frugal to make bandwidth allowance stretch until refill?  Yeah, that's when the nasty new status meter and it's tricks make you crazy and short on patience.