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Very slow and erratic internet speeds

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m94src
Freshman

Very slow and erratic internet speeds

I have had Hughesnet service for just over a month now and It has never worked properly. Download speeds are sometimes OK during parts of the day but so slow in the evening that streaming is impossible. I've called the support number 6 or 8 times and the result is always the same. Some adjustments are apparently made and speeds come up for a few hours but then go back to around 1mbps the next day. I am always told that engineering will call within 24 hours but they never do.

 

I have the exact same service at my summer house in Idaho and it works fine. I am by no means knowledgable when it comes to the workings of satellite internet service and only use it to access the web and stream video. No gaming etc. Is this thing ever going to work?

 

John

27 REPLIES 27
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

John,

 

When going to the following page, what is the Satellite Name and Beam ID in the "Satellite" box?  http://192.168.0.1/#!/home/information

 

I ask this because, at this time, there is a beam having issues, and I first want to establish whether you are or aren't on that beam.  This info will determine the next steps.  

Satellite is Echostar-19-NAD

Beam is 74

 

I have checked download speeds at various times of the day and they seem good in the daytime but drop to around 1mbps in the evening when I want to watch a movie. I just checked and it was 0.19mbps.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

John,

 

I'm not aware of any known issues with beam 74 on the ES19, but your speeds dipping THAT low are definitely a problem, so the next step would be to run some download speed tests at testmy.net so that the reps and/or engineers can help you.  

 

First, though, just double check that you aren't out of data and in FAP, as running the tests while in FAP wouldn't give usable data.  "FAP" is the throttled state your service is put in when you've run out of data.   

 

If not in FAP, the following is the procedure.  Even though the instructions below include these, there are a few important things.  Make sure to run the download speed tests while signed into an account that you have created at testmy.net.  Make sure to run them with a single device that is connected directly to the HT2000W modem with a LAN cable (no WiFi).  Also make sure to disable the WiFi in the HT2000W modem while running the tests.  If you are unaware of how to disable the WiFi in the HT2000W, please see "How do I manage my built-in Wi-Fi modem?" in this PDF.  Upload speed tests aren't necessary in this situation, so you don't need to run them, though you're certainly free to if you just want to know what your upload speed is.  The rest of the instructions for the speed tests, and what I've already listed, are below....

 

 

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.  

Please keep in mind that HughesNet will only accept testmy.net and the official HughesNet speed test results. Tests from other sites like speedtest.net are not accepted due to the compression technologies and latency that satellite deploys.

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 ONLY 

-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 page 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.

 

I have run a bunch of speed tests on both testmy and the hughesnet site and they do not agree at all. The testmy speeds are always high and the hughesnet low. I just ran both and got 40+ on testmy and 1.25 on hughesnet. This in the evening while speeds are too low to stream anything. What gives?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

I can't tell you why, but I can tell you that Hughes' own speed test is sometimes unreliable, which is one of the reasons the engineers need speed tests from testmy.net.  A second is that the testmy.net tests use a specific test size with each and every test, while the the Hughes test doesn't.   

 

The testmy.net speed tests are only the first step in the process of determining what's causing the issue, but the engineers will need them.  

I ran a bunch of speed tests on TestMy and think I have a good set of examples. As I said before I mostly get good speeds in the daytime but very very slow in the evening. My user name on TestMy is m94src.

Thanks, JohnB

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

https://testmy.net/quickstats/m94src

 

Eek!  Those speeds dropped like a rock, that's for sure.  

It seems as though they have gotten very slow in the daytime now also.


@GabeU wrote:

https://testmy.net/quickstats/m94src

 

Eek!  Those speeds dropped like a rock, that's for sure.  


 

Is anybody going to do anything about this problem? When?

Am I doing something wrong? My service still doesn't work and I'm in my 3rd month. I've called and emailed the service people numerous times and have gotten nowhere. I've done as instructed on this forum and run a bunch of speed tests. Is there something else I should do t get this thing to work? After seeing all the posts from others in the same boat as me I have to wonder if HughesNet is some kind of scam.

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@m94src

 

I apologize.  I should have tagged the reps when you posted your speed test results.  They are the ones that will help you.  I will tag them now.  

 

@Liz

@Amanda

When you say that you tagged these people does that mean that you have notified them of the problem and that they will take care of it? Do I have to contact them myself?

I'm going to reply to this thread because I am in the same boat. I have been dealing with slow speed in the evenings for over a month, have a thread started here, have had a discussion with @GabeU, and still have NOT had anyone from HughesNet try to resolve the issue. This is ridiculous.

 

To make matters worse, two things happened while in CO last week visiting my family.

 

1) My sister has internet that bounces from radio tower to radio tower. They pay a fraction of what I pay while only getting about 5mbps download speeds but have ZERO problems streaming live TV or movies at anytime. Oh, and they have unlimited data.

2) Stayed in Granby, CO at a rental house that had HughesNet. Each evening, my girls watched Netflix with ZERO problems... absolutely no buffering and no quality issues. Why can I stream in Granby, CO just fine in the evening but average about 1mbps download here in TX and can't stream anything from 4:00-10:00PM?

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@dirtred9

 

I just tagged the reps in your original thread so that the reps will be sure to see it.  

 

Your frustration is understandable and I hope that they reply to you soon.  

Hi m94src,

 

Welcome to the community and thank you for posting your speed tests. I've run diagnostics on your site and at first glace all looks fine, but I did see some state codes I'd like to escalate to engineering for their input. I'll post back once I have any instructions or news for you.

 

Your cooperation, patience, and understanding are much appreciated.

 

If you have a tech or billing question and need help, please start a new thread in the appropriate board. Unsolicited Private Messages may not get replies.

Slow performance? Click me!

Liz,

Still waiting.............

I'm beginning to wonder if there is no solution to my problem and that Hughesnet is simply a ripoff. This site is full of people who are in the same boat with ultra slow evening download speeds that won't allow streaming. I've had this service for over 3 months now and it has never worked. The service department is either utterly overwhelmed or there is nothing to be done. You say that my system checks out OK. How can it be OK when it does not work? Haven't you people been sued for fraud? I don't understand how you can get away with this kind of service. This is ridiculous!

Good morning m94src,

 

Is the HughesNet modem plugged into a power strip or surge protector? To test, can you please have the modem plugged into a wall outlet for a few days? I need to check your state code history afterwards, so please don't reboot your modem during that test period.

 

Your cooperation, patience, and understanding are much appreciated.

If you have a tech or billing question and need help, please start a new thread in the appropriate board. Unsolicited Private Messages may not get replies.

Slow performance? Click me!

The modem is and has been plugged into a wall outlet.

Hi m94src,

 

Thank you for the confirmation. I've escalated your case to engineering for their assistance. I'll post back once I have any further news or instructions.

 

If you have a tech or billing question and need help, please start a new thread in the appropriate board. Unsolicited Private Messages may not get replies.

Slow performance? Click me!

Same situation here; although Liz the mod never replies to me or sends me mysterious private messages?!

What is going on HughesNet?

This is one of the worst companies I have dealt with.