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VPN working at home suddenly not working

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dhorwath
Sophomore

VPN working at home suddenly not working

So I've been with Hughesnet for 5 years now. I start with saying that to state that I know how Hughesnet speed gets reduced when going over data plan. Also, I know how to use testmy.net. For the past 4 months I've been working from home, with no issues on VPN when I go over data. I actually downgraded my data plan to 10 gig 3mos ago because I literally go through 10 gig in 1 or 2 days, probably due to VPN and streaming occasionally. So out of the blue this month I'm only getting 100-300 kbps in the last 4 days which is not fast enough to get online. I called tech and twice now they have given me extra data and my speed is 6-10 mps which is fine, then it goes back to 100-300 kbps when that is used up. Anyone else have this issue? Does Hughesnet throttle people that use a lot of data? I'd be willing to pay more for more data, but don't see the point if that just means 1 or 2 more good days. I had a bad storm go through just prior to this, but tech guys on the phone state my connection is good and won't send a tech out unless I pay
17 REPLIES 17
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

Are you testing while usign the VPN?  If so, what happens with the testing when not using the VPN?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

Also, do you know which satellite and beam you're on?  I ask because of this.  

 

If not, you can see your Beam ID and Satellite Name on this page of the SCC.  The info is in the "Satellite" box on the lower right.

I'm on echostar beam 29. Also I disconnect VPN when testing, hardwired to modem. Thanks for checking in! I'm starting to feel like I'm on a naughty list for usage. Gonna look into CenturyLink if this is the case, I have to VPN for work. It's just odd that the past 3 months was fine. I've gotten a free service call on here years ago, not sure if that's the answer or not. Phone techs see no issues on their end
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

On the Satellite Name which does it say you're on, Echostar 17 or 19?

Sorry, it's 17
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

Your gateway is in North Platte, NE, which means your issue likely isn't connected to the other person's, as theirs is in Amarillo, TX.  Your issues are similar, however, and you are on the same satellite, though I don't know that this means anything.  It's just an observation.

 

Hopefully a rep will have an idea of what could be going on.  Just in case you don't normally do so, make sure to leave your modem plugged in tomorrow so that they can run remote diagnostics to see if anything's amiss.  It's also possible that Damian might see this and reply this evening, as he's sometimes on in the evenings.  The reps here may be able to see something that a phone rep can't.

 

Hang in there. 

 

@Liz @Remy @Damian

Sounds good, I appreciate your time
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@dhorwath wrote:
Sounds good, I appreciate your time

You're quite welcome.  🙂

I do know that over the years they have switched satellites for me, due to congestion. Maybe time to switch again. A lot of us in the boonies use Hughesnet
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@dhorwath wrote:
I do know that over the years they have switched satellites for me, due to congestion. Maybe time to switch again. A lot of us in the boonies use Hughesnet

Maybe, but with it coming on so suddenly and drastically rather than gradually I'm hoping that it's something they can see a cause of and fix.  Sometimes they can do a little tweaking to get things working properly again.

Really bad still. Fast this morning until 9am central. Continued to lose internet connection. I checked on my phone, I knew it was bad when Yahoo took a minute to load and pics didn't load. I hope someone checks in soon
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

Unfortunately, judging by the answer the person got in the other thread I referenced (here), it may not be something that's fixable.  I don't know if the speed has come down due to load levelling or some other type of system change, but it might be the new norm for a while.  I can only imagine that it's happening due to the drastically increased load on a system that was already somewhat strained before the pandemic related increase ever hit, but again, I don't know for sure.  And, with many school systems likely closing again due to the pandemic resurgence, it may get even worse.  😞 

 

Trust me, I feel for you.

@Liz
Adding Liz, she's helped me in the past.
I did see that train and others. With condition of covid, I have been forced to seek options other than Hughesnet in order to VPN. I have worked through slow speeds over the years but now my job is involved so my hands are tied. I ordered Verizon home internet and will test it out when it arrives in a few days. If it goes well, I'll have to move on. I will report back, I'm hoping that after 5 years with Hughesnet that I'll be able to get out of what's left of contract and not owe anything. Being a cheaper option, I would consider going back to Hughesnet when things get back to normal
maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

Given your circumstances, you really have no choice, and I hope the new ISP will work for you, especially in terms of the VPN that you need for work. 

 

Are you still under contract with HughesNet? 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dhorwath 

 

Nobody would blame you for doing what you need to do, especially when it involves your livelihood, that's for sure.  I do hope that you can find a resolution, whatever that resolution may be.  

 

I tagged Liz on Thursday evening with the others, but another tag won't hurt.  She just may not have gotten a chance to reply on Friday.

@dhorwath,

 

Thank you for posting again and I apologize for the delay. I had performed extensive research into your equipment and ran diagnostics on every aspect of your equipment that generates a report. What I was able to find was that your beam and equipment itself is fully functional, however, the load on the system has increased greatly, even just from a few months ago. This is likely due to some of the country starting to shut down again which means more people are coming and staying home. In the past, the load was not as high so that even when you were using a VPN, your throttled speeds were just enough to keep things working. Now, with throttled speeds from running out of data and the load on the beam, VPN usage will be impacted. I would normally recommend a few tips to get as much speed as you can from the modem, but it appears you have already implemented these tips into your daily usage. This will not be permanent, of course, but I do not have a concrete time on when this will not affect your system.  

 

When it comes to you finding another provider to use VPN we completely understand and encourage this. I will definitely be able to help you when it comes to your contract ETF. If you find a new service before your contract is up, please private message me and I will provide assistance for that. I am hoping that in the continuous work our engineers provide, they will be able to find more ways to deal with this extreme load increase. 

Thanks for getting back to me and for the honest response. I must say that people on here are heads above anyone I've ever spoke with over the phone. I would gladly tell that to anyone at that doesn't already know that. I wish things were different, we all do, but I understand the system load must be huge now. I will get with you after I am able to test out things on the new service. Thanks again!