Ok, tech folks at Hughesnet - here’s an odd one. It’s two problems that may be related. I’ve got 40 years of satellite background and 30 years internet experience, but no spectrum analyzer or test equipment anymore - retired - but maybe you can sort it out. I’ve had Hughesnet for a year or so. It works well most of the time. But - here’s where it gets odd. My kid is enrolled in online school due to the covid this year. Things were fine until last October. Out of the blue, her HP chromebook was dumped off the wifi and has never been able to log back in on the 2ghz feed. It tries and delivers an error message that the wifi signal is too weak. Switched to the 5ghz wifi channel and - no problem. Well, I needed to replace it anyway so, I did. It worked fine - for about 24 hours. Then - exactly the same problem happened again and remains a problem. She’s ok on the 5ghz wifi - I just switched the wireless printer to the 5gig signal so she can print as required. Our other devices (the printer, an old HP desktop, two smartphones of different brands) work fine on the 2ghz wifi. My guess is that google updated the chrome operating system / drivers in October, since both the old machine and brand new one failed identically. (The new one probably updated after taking it out of the box and turning it on. Google does that without saying anything about it.). That update probably has a bug. Second guess is that Hughesnet updated something in the satellite IDU modem. I’ve looked in the admin config and it won’t let me change the wifi channel anymore - if it ever did. Google specifically lists a couple of channels to avoid / channel 6 specifically. I can’t tell what channel the Hughesnet wifi is on - it just says “automatic” under channel selection. That would explain the “low signal” (it isn’t low) - if there’s some issue with chrome on some channels. (It actually presents like interference - I’ve seen people place a 2.4ghz cordless phone on top of or next to a wifi modem and suddenly get similar errors on Mac product.) Anyway - that’s one issue. The other is totally random day and night Hughesnet wifi resets that shut down the wifi entirely - both 2 and 5 ghz channels / for a minute. It then comes back up. It seems to be something Hughesnet can “see” remotely / I have posted about this once before and “Liz” at Hughesnet sent a new IDU / modem without my even asking. But - if didn’t solve the issue. We have noticed that the Hughesnet IDU modem wifi resets SEEM to correlate with the proximity of the HP chromebook(s) to the Hughesnet IDU. If they’re operating on the same floor of the house, the wifi resets happen - and more often. Remember, they’re on the 5G channels - but if within 15’ or so the wifi resets far more often than when the chromes ard on the lower floor and laterally 25’ away from the IDU. SOOOO - I suspect these two problems - the chromebooks not being able to use the 2g wifi at all and the Hughesnet resets - are related. I’m guessing it has to do with the chrome / google issues with channel 6 on the 2g service. But without test gear I’m stuck. Can Hughesnet change the 2G wifi frequency to some other channel - if it’s on 6 or 11, maybe to the furthest channel away? I’ve got Hughesnet telephone service so you have my number. You can also email. Thanks! Bill
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