When are bonus bytes used?

[ret2rom]

When I logged onto my computer this morning at 6 AM I had 100% of my bonus bytes available.  According to the history usage, I used 212 MB (out out of my 1050 MB at 6 AM and another 139 between 6 AM and 7 AM before leaving for the day.  The graph shows no usage after that.  So I am puzzled as to why the status meter indicates I have only 36% of my daily service plan data left at 6 PM.  Shouldn't the data used between 6 AM and 7 AM PDT count towards bonus and not daily service plan?  I am confused as to when the bonus bytes are used since we seem to always run out of our daily service plan bytes and never use the bonus ones.

[C0RR0SIVE]

Bonus Bytes are used between 2:00AM and 8:00AM local time.

As to why it seems the usage may have came out of your Anytime data is beyond me.

[ret2rom]

It seems that daylight savings doesn't apply either because my status meter is still blue (bonus time) until only 7 AM PDT not 8 AM.  After 7 AM itturns to green which seems to indicate being on anytime data.

[C0RR0SIVE]

It takes DST into account...  Do you happen to live anywhere near where the timezones change?

[BirdDog]

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@C0RR0SIVE wrote:

It takes DST into account...  Do you happen to live anywhere near where the timezones change?

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Great question!  https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-major-cities-divided-by-two-time-zones

[ret2rom]

No, I live in CA.  Not sure why my bonus time is not being applied during the hours it is supposed to be.

[C0RR0SIVE]

Hrm, this would certainly require @Liz to investigate then.

[Liz]

Hi ret2rom,

Thank you for posting. I've located your account so we can investigate further. I'll post back once I have additional questions or information for you.

Your cooperation, patience, and understanding are much appreciated.

[ret2rom]

Thank you Liz.  Can you also explain how the refill of anytime data works on the legacy system?  I know if we use more than 50% in one day, we start the next day off with less than 100%.

[Gwalk900]

What legacy  system?, 7000 or 9000?

The rules  apply differently.

[ret2rom]

HN9000

[Liz]

Hi ret2rom,

I'm glad that cleared things up somewhat. I was also surprised to see that the Allowance reset for you is at 5 am. I've asked internally for further clarification on that, but going by what is in your System Control center, your Anytime period ends at 2am and your Daily Allowance resets at 5am.

[ret2rom]

Please let me know when you get further clarification as I feel that we are being short-changed on our bonus time since we do not appear to be getting what is said in the support documents.  I would also be curious to know if this applies to all Gen 3 users on the HN9000.  Seems like maybe West coast customers are getting short changed as bonus time ends at 8 AM Eastern time and not per our local time zone?

[C0RR0SIVE]

The fact you are on a Legacy service plan means your bonus period is (or WAS) between 2:00AM and 7:00AM Eastern if I remember correctly, however, that supposedly changed at some point, because according to an older Hughesnet page they extended it, and made the time local for users....

Great news for our HN9000/SPACEWAY customers! We’ve enhanced the Download Zone associated with your service plan so that it now works on YOUR local time, rather than our (Eastern) time. With this update, you no longer need to remember, convert, or schedule based on another time zone. All you need to do is remember that your Download Zone is from 2 am-8 am in your local time zone.

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[Gwalk900]

The "rules" for legacy plans are .... different.

7000s daily plans are different from 9000 daily systems. 7000s users in Alaska have the rules applied different.

9000 daily plans are thus:

All times are "local"

Plans have a "roll-over" feature where up to 2 days of allowance can accumulate (IE; 525 MB per day refill with "data bank" would equal a max Anytime value of 1050 MB)

The "Anytime" data bucket is from 7am to 2am local

The "Unlimited data bucket" is from 2am to 7am local.

The new "daily allowance" is add to your data bucket at 5am ... but you will not begin to draw from that data bucket until 7am.

Because of the data bank feature the new daily addition will only add your "daily allotment" that is added to the previous days remainder as of 2am.

Example: You don't use your computer for two days ... day 1, 525 MB is added and you use none so at the end of Day 1 you have 525 "in the bank" at 2am. At 5am the day 2 allotment is added to your remainder ... added at 5am. You will see the total amount in your Anytime Bucket. You just won't draw from it until 7am.

If you had less than your full daily allownce left at 2am, that lesser amount is "banked" and the next day allowance is added at 5am. Lets say you had 250 MB left at 2am and 525MB was added at 5am for a total of 775 MB available to be used starting at 7am when the unlimited free zone ends. It may be that the lower "roll-over" amount is what is making it appear you are using data earlier than 7am.

This is said by someone who had a 7000s system for years that had even more complex rules for those few of us that had data bank on that system

.

Screenshots are your friend here:

Take one before 5am ... that will document your roll-over amount.

Take another just after 5am when your daily allotment is added to your previous days remainder

Take a third screenshot just prior to 7am .... your Anytime data should not have dropped ... meaning you were drawing from the free-zone prior to 7am.

EDIT:

Just clarify ...

9000 Daily plans .... Anytime Bytes: 7am to 2am, Unlmited Free Zone 2am to 7am local time

9000 Monthly plans ... Anytime Bytes: 8am to 2am, Bonus Bytes 2am to 8am local time

Just because your remaining data is increased at 5am is no reason to think that you are "using" from it .... unless you see those numbers drop before 7am.

[ret2rom]

Thank you Gwalk900 for that detailed explanation.  That makes sense although as Corrosive pointed out, that was supposed to change for HN9000 users so that the bonus period was between 2 AM and 8 AM local time.  The issue I mentioned at the outset is that data used before 7 AM (350 MB) does appear to have come out of my daily anytime data rather than the bonus data.  I will obviously have to watch this closely in the future.

[Gwalk900]

One has to consider that there are two classes of Spaceway-3/HN9000 users

The most common are those users with a HN9000 modem and a monthly  data refill. Those users have two periods from which to draw data. Anytime Bytes (8am to 2am local) and Bonus Bytes (2am to 8am local)

There are some users that stayed on the now grandfathered legacy daily refill plans. The time periods are a little differant. Anytime Bytes (7am to 2am local) and an unmetered free zone from 2am to 7am local.

[C0RR0SIVE]

Gwalk, the change was supposed to be system wide according to an announcement long long ago.  That included Legacy users with older plans.

[Gwalk900]

I too seen the announcement.

I don't think that applied to Gen3 legacy daily plans. Daily Gen3 went to 2-7 local.

While it is Friday; lets tag @Liz for clarification.

There was a relaxed period while Hughes switched to "local times" way back when.

There were further changes for the 7000 folks ... those in Alaska going "local" while those in the lower 48 being based on Eastern while all Gen4 (ES17) and SP-3 Gen4 "wannabe" plans going Bonus Bytes 2am to 8am.

[Liz]

Hi folks,

Still trying to get clarification on this. What Gwalk described is what appears is the case here; ret2rom's data resets at 5am, before the Free Download Zone ends at 7am. I'm having an engineer check if Anytime data was being used before 7 am or see if there's anything abnormal about this site.

[Liz]

Hi ret2rom,

Just spoke with the engineer and he will investigate into why your Anytime Bytes were being used before 7am on June 9. Your Free Download Zone is 2am -7am your local time. The engineer also cleared up that the "Allowance Resets in..." part on your SCC refers to your monthly billing cycle. "Regular period ends..." refers to when your Anytime Period ends and your Free Download Zone period begins.

Once I hear back from the engineer regarding your unexpected usage on the 9th, I'll let you know.

Since then, has this happened again? Your Anytime Bytes being used before 7am?