slower than slow...my turn

[spydermike]

Test Results here:

https://testmy.net/db/nS~tOqm~Y.HUZGrYp5R

when I first tried to post this I got this error:

• Post flooding detected (community received posts of a unique message more than 1 times within 3,600 seconds)

[maratsade]

The HN reps will be back tomorrow and they will need more tests from you.  Aim for batches of 3 to 5 tests, spaced a few minutes apart, and run one batch in the morning, one mid-day, and one in the evening. 

The posting error you encountered is common -- if it happens again, just leave the post open and come back a couple of minutes later, and it should go through. 

EDIT: you do have more tests; they're here:  https://testmy.net/quickstats/spydermike.

That's the URL the reps need.

You still should have tests over more than just the one day. Also, your upload tests should be 4MB in size.

[spydermike]

the HughesNet instructions say "For Gen4 customers, the minimum download file size is 25 Mbps, and the minimum upload file size is 2 Mbps."

I will run the tests again as suggested.

[maratsade]

Not sure where you're seeing that. Check the testing instructions here:  https://community.hughesnet.com/t5/Tech-Support/Think-you-have-slow-speeds/m-p/110034#M74607

"if testing upload instead of download, you must use a 4MB size upload test file"

[spydermike]

maratsade, it is in the middle of the link you reference...here:

"For a more in depth guide on running the tests, please visit: http://hninfo.us/speedtest"

This link has the 2Mb minimum statement that I copied.

At any rate, I ran the tests again at 4Mb upload and got the same basic results.  I look forward to a solution.

[maratsade]

Thanks, Spydermike.  Like @GabeU said, there are so many places where the information exists, and some of them look likt they need updating. 🙂

To have speed issues addressed in this community, though, the reps and engineers require the procedure outlined in the "Think you have slow speeds?" article.  In any case, I hope things get solved for you quickly!

[GabeU]

---

@spydermike wrote:

the HughesNet instructions say "For Gen4 customers, the minimum download file size is 25 Mbps, and the minimum upload file size is 2 Mbps."

I will run the tests again as suggested.

---

Though there's no doubt there are a few web pages out there with differing instructions, they've been streamlined due to Gen4 now being more close to Gen5 in service levels. 

Your 2MB upload tests will still likely be of value to the reps, but please do use the 4MB moving forward.  🙂

[Liz]

Good morning spydermike,

Glad to see you found us and are getting help from your fellow community members. I'd like to run diagnostics on the HughesNet equipment to make sure that's working properly, so please private message me your SAN (account number) or associated phone number.

What were you trying to do online that prompted running tests?

-Liz

[spydermike]

Liz,

PM sent.

We are just trying to survive...not much different from most people these days.  We are not attempting to do too much on the internet, but at 400kbs to 500kbs download speeds there is not much that can be done.  We have been customers for some 20 years and I am usually after tech support a few times a year.  Being so rural, this is our main way of contacting the outside world (friends and family).  After a while the service degrades to the level where I need to focus on a solution, and this is, unfortunately,  now.   It wasn't a sudden change that is prompting this request for help.  This is one of a few places we live.  It just happens that we returned here and have a real need for decent service at this time.

Thanks for the help,

Mike

[Liz]

Hi spydermike,

Thanks for the SAN, I ran diagnostics on your site and see that the equipment is working normally, although currently it is raining at your gateway's location which can have an effect on performance.

The biggest factor, however, is you're still on a Gen 4 plan. I could try sending you the latest HT2000w modem to see if that can improve performance, but it would be best to upgrade to Gen 5, which has been around for over 3 years now. 

If you want me to send you a new modem, let me know, otherwise, I think you can upgrade to Gen5 via the Shop/Upgrade link at the top.

-Liz

[spydermike]

Hi Liz,

Where exactly is my Gateway's location so that I can monitor the weather there?

Please bear with me, but this sounds like I have heard this before over the 20 years (Gen 1 to Gen 2 to Gen 3 to Gen 4).  

Is Gen 5 working, I mean really working?  Gen 4 never ever worked that great as the previous version didn't either.  We did test at 7Mbps in June with Gen4, but that as an anomolie if I recall.  Generally, it is really slow. 

Is the Gen 5 Gateway at a different location?  Does it access different satellite(s) or satellite technology?  What is the advantage to me, the user?

Please send out the new modem and we will give it a try.  But if it is a newer modem still accessing older satellite technology, what would I expect to see?

Thank you,

Mike

[Liz]

Hi Mike,

Your gateway is in Missoula, MT, but that will likely change if you were to upgrade to Gen 5. Gen 5 customers are able to use either the EchoStar17 satellite you're currently on or the latest EchoStar19 satellite. Gen 5 is our latest technology to optimize performance and has been serving most of our 1+ million subscriber base. More info here on Gen 5.

Performance may vary from subscriber to subscriber, but I'll defer to our long time community members to share their experiences with Gen 5.

I'll go ahead and send the HT2000w which may improve your service, there's no need to return your HT1100. Please let me know how it works out for you. For your convenience here's a guide to swapping modems.

-Liz

[maratsade]

"Performance may vary from subscriber to subscriber, but I'll defer to our long time community members to share their experiences with Gen 5."

I have very few problems with Gen 5, and those I do have are related to congestion and to how services such as iMessage, iCloud, and Google Drive react to congestion and to internet latency.  iMessage really dislikes congestion and internet latency and has issues sending images (no issues sending texts). iCloud is particularly sensitive and doesn't load up most of the day. I use it early in the morning and late at night. Google Drive reacts to congestion by thinking I'm not connected to the internet, though this doesn't happen as much as it happens with iCloud and anything Apple. 

These aren't huge issues  (though they can be frustrating) and mostly they can be worked around.

If speed is a concern for you, Gen 5 is faster than Gen 4. But remember YMMV. If there are many people using the system, you will notice it as everything may slow down considerably, especially during prime time (around 6 to 11 pm).

I very rarely stream anything; I use PlayOn Cloud to record shows, so there are no issues. 

Zoom doesn't work well for me and it eats up large amounts of data so I don't use it. When I need to be in Zoom meetings, I connect to the meeting via phone (Zoom provides phone lines to call in to a meeting). 

I have had issues at times with the gateway having a problem, but these have been very rare and they get taken care of fairly quickly. 

[spydermike]

Thanks for your insight maratsade.  We are slow at all times, regardless of time of day...we don't get to do any of what you are suggesting.  We are just trying to web browse basic news site and interest sites.    There is only two of us users here and we are doing to least activity so that we can be "connected" at a minimum.  There is no way I could run my business from here now.

Mike

[maratsade]

That's pretty bad, Mike, and I can see why you wouldn't want to upgrade. I hope the new modem helps.

---

@spydermike wrote:

Thanks for your insight maratsade.  We are slow at all times, regardless of time of day...we don't get to do any of what you are suggesting.  We are just trying to web browse basic news site and interest sites.    There is only two of us users here and we are doing to least activity so that we can be "connected" at a minimum.  There is no way I could run my business from here now.

Mike

---

[spydermike]

Thank you Liz.  I will hope that we see an improvement in performance.

They are expecting fine weather tomorrow in Missoula and I will retest then.

I see the Gen5 plans are the same performance "target" DL and UL speeds with a lower 20Gb cap (we currently have a 50Gb cap) and the Gen5 is 30 percent more a month with no performance guarantees.  We have never realized anything close to the targets and yet have hit our cap trying.  I have to be honest, that is a tough sell.

Anyway...fingures crossed that the weather in Missoula allows me to contact my 88 year old Mom on her Birthday with a zoom call tomorrow.

Mike

[GabeU]

@spydermike 

My experience with Gen5 has been mostly positive.  I don't tend to stream, both because of the varying levels of buffering than can and sometimes does happen (probably more so lately), and because I don't like not really having anything to show for the data that was used, save for the memory of a movie or TV show I just watched, but which I no longer have.  I do, however, watch YouTube clips now and again, and though sometimes there is buffering, especially in the evenings, it's not so much that it's a deterrent.  When there is buffering I'll often pause the video and let it load a good bit before I start watching it again.  I do use PlayOn Cloud quite a bit, and that works well.  I tend to download the PlayOn files during the Bonus Zone.  

My overall speed is decent, though certain sites/servers sometimes don't seem to like the combination of latency and system congestion in the evenings, like when I perform Windows updates and they take a bit longer to download than they should with the speed available at the time.  With that said, however, my experience concerning speed has been positive overall.  You can see my occasional speed test results here.

Because I've had HughesNet for a long time (since Dec 2004), I already don't try some of the things that I know may not work properly or very well, such as online gaming, VOIP services and VPNs, with the last one being just because it tends to cause a significant slowdown.  Well, that and I never really have reason to use a VPN.  

Mostly I browse, shop, pay bills, use social media and frequent a few different support communities.  Gen5 has worked very well with those things.

For me, the main advantages of Gen5 over Gen4 have been better speed and better value for the price, as in more data for the money.  I upgraded to Gen5, from Gen4, the month it was released (Mar 2017).

[spydermike]

I understand what you are saying GabeU!  "browse, shop, pay bills" - that is important to us where we live.  It is a challenge at times.  

"For me, the main advantages of Gen5 over Gen4 have been better speed and better value for the price, as in more data for the money."  Unfortunately, we don't see such a value proposition in our case.  We pay $100/mo for 15Mbs DL speed target and 50Gb monthly data cap.  When I look at the plans available to me under Gen5, the closest to that is $130/mo for 15Mbs DL and a 20Gb cap.  That is paying 30% more for 60% less data.  Neither has a minimum performance guarantee...and that speed is a moving target based on our 20 years of experience - it has neverreally come close to the target.  

It is a hard transition when we come live here - coming from the land of high speed fiber and coax.  It is a real adjustment on the lifestyle, maybe for the better....who knows.

[maratsade]

" When I look at the plans available to me under Gen5, the closest to that is $130/mo for 15Mbs DL and a 20Gb cap."

All Gen 5 plans are 25Mbps down and 3 Mbps up, unless they've changed this. 

[GabeU]

@spydermike 

$130 for the 20GB plan?  Wow.  Are you in Alaska, by chance?   

BTW, with regard to the 15Mbps, are you speaking of the common industry threshold of 60% of the advertised speed?

[spydermike]

When I go the the "shop/upgrade" page on teh HughesNet website that Liz referred me to I see this as their Max plan:

Download Speeds up to 15 Mbps

Upload Speeds up to 2 Mbps

Service Plan Data 20 GB

Bonus Zone (2am - 8am local time) 50 GB

$129.99 PER MONTH

I am in Southern Oregon.  Maybe this is the best they can do using the Echo 17 routing through Missoula MT?