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Why is my available data going up AND down?

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DiggerDan
New Poster

Why is my available data going up AND down?

I am a new HughesNet customer, have only had them for just over a week. We have the 20GB plan with Gen5. 

Our old ISP (frontier communications) was unable to keep track of our data usage, so we have no idea how much we actually use per month. With that being said, I have tried to keep a close eye on our usage to date, and have noticed it is very inaccurate and fluctuates with no pattern. 

 

Attached is a screenshot of my "Usage History" for the past week or so... how is it my available data can go back UP after i have already used it? Am i being set up for a sudden drop in available data? How am I supposed to keep an eye on my usage, when it goes up and down, and does not seemt to reflect our actual usage in any way? HughesNet Usage 5-5-17.jpg

16 REPLIES 16
Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

New Gen5  customers will have their data reset daily for the first 20 days of service. This is done to allow you to update all of your devices without impacting your monthly allowance .

 

Thank you! That was never explained to me by anyone, so that is good to know!

Would the individual days on the graph in usage history be accurate then? I could in theory add those daily totals up to see what I have actually used so far?
C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

The individual days are accurate yes...  That graph depicts what is remaining at a certain time period, (I suspect it logs the remaining allowance at Midnight).  So you could in theory add each days upload/download usage all together to get an idea of what you have used so far for the month.

Can you explain what you mean by data is being reset for the first 20 days?

 

My status meeter is completely wrong about the data I've used. Both the software, and reading directly from the web page on the modem. 

 

Are you saying we are gettng unlimited data and they aren't keeping track by resetting it?

 

If they are keeping track, then I NEED to know exactly how much I am using, and a broke status meeter is not what we need.... 

 

 

 

 

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"Can you explain what you mean by data is being reset for the first 20 days?"

 

It means that as a courtesy, Hughesnet refills the data "bucket" for the first few days (for new customers), so data used on those few days is not gone, it keeps getting restored.  After the courtesy period ends, data used is gone and the "bucket" refills at the end of the period.

So the short of your answer is "Yes, you are getting unlimited data during this "courtesy" time." Correct? No buckets needed to make things sound confusing... 

 

Can someone from Hughes confirm this is true as far as unlimited data?

 

I don't want to get FAP'd for over usage while I can't tell what I'm using.......

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

Basically, if you're a new customer, you do get unlimited data for a few days.  Perhaps @Liz will verify this for you tomorrow.

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus


@jlantz wrote:

So the short of your answer is "Yes, you are getting unlimited data during this "courtesy" time." Correct? No buckets needed to make things sound confusing... 


Your data, depending on time, is drawn from two sources. The Anytime 'data bucket' (8am to 2am) and the Bonus Bytes 'data bucket' (2am to 8am). Each time period has its own data allowance that is depleted by activity during that time frame.

New customers  will have their data buckets refilled daily. It is possible that the allowances may be refilled multiple times during a 24 hour period.

This will continue for the subscribers first 20 days of service. It would be a good bet to rein in usage activity on the 19th day of service if your activity level is high ... just to taper things off. It is worth noting that there is a THIRD data bucket ... that bucket has Token data stored for use if a user were to deplete their Anytime data.

 

You stated the following in a previous post:

 

"If they are keeping track, then I NEED to know exactly how much I am using, and a broke status meeter is not what we need.... "

 

You need to make a distinction between a Usage Meter (fuel gauge) and a Usage History display.

Hughes provides users with several 'tools' in which to track their data usage. These fall into two types, Usage and History.

 

To clarify, there are THREE  "usage meters" available to you:

#1: The download Status Meter (this version 6.5.2 newer versions will only vary in details)

The Download Status Meter is a utility that is available for download from the myAccount page.

Once downloaded and installed it will reside on your computer systray at the lower right corner.

It displays the amount of data that you have used up to the point of the screenshot.

It has a "resolution" of .1 GB (100 MB) and will round to the nearest 50 MB

 

#2: SCC usage meter: (This is from a Gen4 HT1100. Gen5 will display the same info in different format)

The SCC meter resides inside your modem. It displays data used and data remaining in all three "data buckets": Anytime (8am to 2am), Bonus Bytes (2am to 8am) and Token Data.

The SCC meter may be accessed by entering 192.168.0.1 into your browsers address bar.

 

#3: myAccount Usage Meter:

myAccount Usage.PNG

 

This meter is found after logging in at: http://my.hughesnet.com/myaccount

This is the most accurate of the three meters, reading down to a single MB but it does require that you have a browser actively connected to the internet and data can be used while logging in

 

The three examples posted above are 'fuel gauge' type meters and they will display 'amount of fuel remaining'. The fact that the 'tank' is being topped off dailiy is not misleading ... they show to the last drop how much fuel you have left.

 

Hughes also offers two 'History' meters ... these do show accumulated amounts (per bucket) of data that had been used.

The first of these meters can be found as an option tab within the Download Status Meter utility:

(My example is from version 6.5.2 and the current 6.6.0 varies in detail but still shows daily totals)

Status Meter History snip.PNG

 

Lastly we have the myAccount History display found on the myAccount page .... usage/history:

myAccount History.PNG

 

 

In the end, you have three fuel gauges to choose from as well as two history displays showing acculated data use over all THREE data buckets (Tokens have their own data bucket)

I hope this clears things up for you.

 

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"To clarify, there are THREE  "usage meters" available to you:"

Four if you count the little, basic one that can be accessed from the Community, under "My Usage."

 

my_usage.png

 

 

 

 


@maratsade wrote:

 if you count the little, basic one that can be accessed from the Community, under "My Usage."

 

The my Account page has a "usage' tab ... that tab has two faces:

Usage:

myAccount Usage.PNG

 

And

 

History:

myAccount History.PNG


 

In my view the myAccount Usage Meter is not so little really ... This is the one that the modem reports usage to ... the data is then corellated and the myAccount meter is undated .. the SCC meter is updated from that data as well as the Download Status meter display.

 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV


@maratsade wrote:

"To clarify, there are THREE  "usage meters" available to you:"

Four if you count the little, basic one that can be accessed from the Community, under "My Usage."

 

my_usage.png

 

 

 

 


Well, that's interesting.  I never even noticed that was there.  Something fairly new?  What a cute, little meter.  LOL.  

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus

Well I'll be rolled in flour, there is another one !

Never noticed that one before.

usage three.PNG

 

Nice catch @maratsade

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

Those Hughes fiends make it so hard to be ignorant about data usage!! LOL

maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

"Well, that's interesting.  I never even noticed that was there.  Something fairly new?  What a cute, little meter.  LOL.  "

 

It's been there all the time, since the inception of the new Community. It is a cute little meter, isn't it?  It's very good for a quickie look at usage.

 

Oh, and there is also the app -- that has a meter too.

Hi all:  I am a brand new HughesNet customer (Gen5).  This is a _super helpful_ thread!  I am grateful to see an active community of message board users.  I hope to be able to put in 2 cents worth as I learn my way around this new system.  Again, thanks to all of you.  Duncan

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

@DBB

 

Glad you found the Community.  Welcome!  🙂