I signed up for HughesNet Gen5 internet in March 2017. At installation, and for the entire first month of having the service, I was consistently seeing download speeds of 40+ Mbps. In May, we went over our data limit (50G), so the speed was throttled down to about 9-12Mbps. We expected this, so we were not surprised. In June, the same thing happened, we went over our data limit before the end of the month. However, this time when the speed was throttled, it went down to 1-3Mbps - way too slow to be useful, so we immediately noticed. I made my first call to technical support on 6/21 reporting the slow speeds, but they blew it off as me being over my data limit, weather, or some other nonsense. I decided to wait for the data to renew in July and try again. The data renewed, but the speeds NEVER did. In July, I called technical support again regarding the slow download speeds. After several hours of arguing with them on the phone, they agreed to send out a new router. That didn't fix the problem. I called back. After several more hours of arguing with them, they finally agreed to send out a technician. He showed up at 5:30PM on a Tuesday when he was scheduled to arrive between 11AM and 2PM. He was at my home until 8:30PM. He replaced the router for a second time, replaced the dish, replaced the wiring - he replaced EVERY piece of equipment that could possibly be replaced and could not get the download speed to come in any better than the 1-3Mbps consistently. Basically, we'd get one decent test (usually in the 10-15Mbps range) for every 5 dismal tests (in my normal 1-3Mbps range). He left that night stating that he would go home and research to see if there were any firmware updates or other options we could try and that he would return the following day at 3PM. He never showed up! I called HughesNet technical support, the dispatcher, and the technician's cell phone. The dispatcher finally called me to say that he didn't have a clue what else to try and that there was nothing he or his technician could do to help me any further. I called HughesNet SEVEN MORE TIMES in July and August and STILL have no resolution!! In August, I used up 75% of my 50GB on the phone with technical support running speed tests to prove that I have an issue! I finally got my account escalated to the Tier 3 support, and was told that the issue was likely due to the fact that HughesNet oversold the satellite for Gen5 users that I am currently on and that I needed to be moved to a different satellite and all would be well again. The Tier 3 support technician that called back said that wasn't the case at all - that it was likely due to "network" issues. I'm not sure what "network" issues could possibly be, if they aren't related to an overcrowded satellite, but he said the Engineering department would be looking into it and call me back. Today is the day for my callback, and the first thing I'm told is that I'm having speed issues because I'm over my data limit!!! This is RIDICULOUS!! I purchased the highest package available - over $100 a month, and that is what I've been paying every month for service that I haven't been able to actually use (other than to run speed tests to prove that I can't use it) for 3 months now! What kind of service is this?? I was guaranteed a minimum download speed of 25Mbps, and I'm getting 1 to 3 Mbps! I'm being completed ripped off, and I see no end to this in sight. I am completely at my wit's end here. I am an IT professional who needs to be able to work from home from time to time, but that is impossible with speeds this slow!
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