Help! Hughesnet bandwidth

[speetzen]

After 5 calls to Hughesnet, and the resulting higher blood pressure and desire to break things, I looked at your forum here and you all seem to know what is actually going on, so I pose the following.

At 4:01 PM my hughesnet bandwidth drops from its normal 500-900k to 70-75k. Happens daily at the same time.

At 12:01 AM my connection returns to a normal state.

Between these hours, I have tried 3 different PC's with the same test results. I have also connected a different hughesnet box (from an account with lower bandwidth) to my sat/pc and recieved it's normal bandwidth for that time.

hughesnet's conclustion is... (lower level support) you have a problem. And (upper level support) nah... you don't have a problem it's just normal network usage for those times. After telling him that a site 150 ft away with a lower bandwidth account shows no such bandwidth dropoff his response was... you should downgrade your account. I questioned him if there is a reasonable expectation to get near dial up speeds from a costly system, and he told me that 70k is much higher than you would ever recieve from a modem (well he got me there, I only have a 28.8 USR collecting dust in a closet)

I appreciate any input you could give me on this, I have included some of my log data.

Thanks again

April 4th, 04:01PM - 71/36 kbps
April 4th, 04:00PM - 77/29 kbps
April 4th, 03:52PM - 497/23 kbps
April 4th, 03:50PM - 448/32 kbps
April 4th, 03:35PM - 851/50 kbps
April 4th, 02:21PM - 588/139 kbps
April 4th, 02:15PM - 926/36 kbps
April 4th, 08:31AM - 922/38 kbps
April 4th, 04:01AM - 958/141 kbps
April 4th, 03:46AM - 947/133 kbps
April 4th, 03:14AM - 972/147 kbps
April 4th, 12:23AM - 855/69 kbps
April 4th, 12:02AM - 565/35 kbps
April 4th, 12:00AM - 80/30 kbps
April 3rd, 11:56PM - 81/61 kbps
April 3rd, 11:46PM - 82/38 kbps
April 3rd, 11:16PM - 75/24 kbps
April 3rd, 11:03PM - 74/32 kbps
April 3rd, 10:41PM - 73/26 kbps
April 3rd, 10:14PM - 75/27 kbps
April 3rd, 10:03PM - 76/23 kbps
April 3rd, 09:51PM - 76/21 kbps
April 3rd, 09:41PM - 42/16 kbps
April 3rd, 09:20PM - 77/26 kbps
April 3rd, 09:18PM - 76/23 kbps
April 3rd, 08:26PM - 76/29 kbps
April 3rd, 08:19PM - 78/27 kbps
April 3rd, 08:09PM - 76/24 kbps
April 3rd, 07:26PM - 76/23 kbps
April 3rd, 07:22PM - 20/34 kbps
April 3rd, 07:20PM - 20/18 kbps
April 3rd, 06:56PM - 70/20 kbps
April 3rd, 06:45PM - 70/65 kbps
April 3rd, 06:43PM - 70/23 kbps
April 3rd, 06:29PM - 77/49 kbps
April 3rd, 06:26PM - 73/50 kbps
April 3rd, 06:19PM - 70/46 kbps
April 3rd, 06:06PM - 75/19 kbps
April 3rd, 06:02PM - 75/20 kbps
April 3rd, 05:55PM - 75/19 kbps
April 3rd, 05:53PM - 71/24 kbps
April 3rd, 05:51PM - 22/21 kbps
April 3rd, 05:48PM - 62/24 kbps
April 3rd, 05:33PM - 76/36 kbps
April 3rd, 05:30PM - 77/40 kbps
April 3rd, 05:17PM - 72/55 kbps
April 3rd, 05:08PM - 75/31 kbps
April 3rd, 05:02PM - 75/24 kbps
April 3rd, 04:45PM - 73/32 kbps
April 3rd, 04:42PM - 72/47 kbps
April 3rd, 04:08PM - 81/50 kbps
April 3rd, 04:06PM - 82/60 kbps
April 3rd, 04:03PM - 78/72 kbps
April 3rd, 04:01PM - 78/32 kbps
April 3rd, 03:59PM - 853/36 kbps
April 3rd, 03:57PM - 687/38 kbps
April 3rd, 03:56PM - 726/31 kbps
April 3rd, 12:04AM - 657/75 kbps
April 3rd, 12:02AM - 435/72 kbps
April 3rd, 12:00AM - 81/102 kbps
April 2nd, 11:58PM - 80/46 kbps
April 2nd, 11:53PM - 82/44 kbps
April 2nd, 11:51PM - 48/38 kbps

 

[HCI]

Unfortunately the only thing you may be able to do is pay a tech to come out and change your satellite. It is normal for some peak time slow down but looks like you are on an overcrowded satellite. The good news is Hughes almost has a solution for this.

 

[dirkleearm]

When you say "I have also connected a different hughesnet box (from an account with lower bandwidth) to my sat/pc and recieved it's normal bandwidth for that time", do you mean using his modem at your place or your pc at his place. Wondering if you and him are on the same sat and transponder and what that is.
Are you doing these tests on the hughes site? If so they can see the same results and their answere is BS.

 

[Stargazer]

Is Hughes solution the new KA satellites with higher bandwidth they plan on launching later this year?

 

[sharky5485]

I was having a problem and I have the Pro Plus Plan, after speaking with Hughes executive custermer care and engineers they changed me to a different switching station and it sees to have worked for now, but again I'm not sure how long that will last.

 

[damjr]

One small bit of info that is missing is how much downloading or surfing are you doing?

Could be FAP. Just one guess.

 

[dirkleearm]

One small bit of info that is missing is how much downloading or surfing are you doing?

Could be FAP. Just one guess.

I thought that too, but dying at a consistent time every day that much is very strange. That's why I asked for more info.

 

[damjr]

I thought that too, but dying at a consistent time every day that much is very strange. That's why I asked for more info.

Agreed. If he's a day trader or just loading tons of video every day that could explain why it shuts down at those times and why it picks back up around midnight. His bucket his starting to empty by then.

 

[sharky5485]

I thought that too, but dying at a consistent time every day that much is very strange. That's why I asked for more info.

My speeds were dying at the same time everyday also, I live on the west coast so the times where between 4:30 till about 9pm PST.

 

[micbur]

Hey there...I am having the same problem and it is not relarted to the FAP. I have had HughesNet for a month now and I went over my limit one time. They reduce your connection rate for 24hr period based on the timeyou go over. I went over at 4pm (I had not known that my daughter had been on earlier) My speed was reduced until 4pm the next day. I am having the same problem as Speetzen with the speed drop off. I did not know the time at which it did drop off but like him...every night at 12:01 boom!! my speed is back. I have the ProPlus so at 12:01 I get 1200kbps/192kps but when it slows down I get roughly 80kps/35kps. Paying $80 bucks a month I think that this sucks as the only times I use it is mainly at night after I get home unless I want to stay up till after midnight!!! I am going to go Sharky's route and asked to be changed to a different switching station and see if this works. Will let you guys know...

 

[docpadds]

Almost exactly the same thing here, i am finally fed up with it. I have had DirecPc setup for 9 years or so as it was my only choice (cable company would need to run cable 2 miles to get to me and they are still not even digital at the end of the road so no hope therE). Its just been unusable for me in early afternoon/evening and i am trying to use it to work. Using the EDGE/3G on my laptop was far better half the time.

I am lucky however, a friend loaned me his EVDO Sprint card..... even though the tower is 6 miles away i get at WORST 400 down and 180 up, and a normal 130-200ms ping time.... as of this evening i now have my own EVDO card and a Cradlepoint router to go with it... and its $30/month cheaper then the satellite.... yeah time for the dish to come off the roof.

-Jonathan

 

[dirkleearm]

You all should really look at getting the HN9000 system. Its opening nationwide the 12 of May. Have not heard any reports of speed problems... sounds promising (fingers crossed).

 

[Stargazer]

If you can see someone line of site that lives those few miles from you that can get broadband on cable or DSL then you can get a pair of radios to get the service to your house.

 

[damjr]

You all should really look at getting the HN9000 system. Its opening nationwide the 12 of May. Have not heard any reports of speed problems... sounds promising (fingers crossed).

Sorry, you won't see any speed difference to begin. If there are reports of it being a lot faster there will be a flood of calls hitting Hughes asking to get switched.

Seen it at work and there isn't much difference. The big advantage for Spaceway is that it can hold a ton more customers on the bird.

 

[HCI]

Sorry, you won't see any speed difference to begin. If there are reports of it being a lot faster there will be a flood of calls hitting Hughes asking to get switched.

Seen it at work and there isn't much difference. The big advantage for Spaceway is that it can hold a ton more customers on the bird.

The "speed difference" is that the speed is more stable throughout the day. All of the feedback that I have heard from current 9000 customers say their speeds are the same all day no matter what time. A couple have even sent me speed results they have ran for a week or so and at different times of the day. BUT we also have to remember that there are maybe a few thousand people on the bird right now.

 

[Stargazer]

Sounds like more of a benefit to HughesNet than to the consumers.

 

[HCI]

Sounds like more of a benefit to HughesNet than to the consumers.

The whole reason for Hughes launching Spaceway was so they could stop leasing bandwidth from other peoples satellites.

 

[crazy cannuck]

What Bird and Freq are you on?
I have had customers that had really wierd bandwidth problems on certain transponders.
Once I moved them al the "glitches" went away.
You may have to pay someone to move you to a better transponder/frequency.

 

[pacuff]

Updated Bandwidth Question

I was having a problem and I have the Pro Plus Plan, after speaking with Hughes executive custermer care and engineers they changed me to a different switching station and it sees to have worked for now, but again I'm not sure how long that will last.

I hope it's not too late to get into this discussion and ask this question. At the time of these posts, I was sitting fat, dumb and happy, however since May, my speeds have been horrible. I have the business internet plan (used to have the Pro Plus, but ran into FAP too often -- not downloading streaming video or music -- but setting up PC's and gettting updates for both Windows XP, Vista and Linux Fedora Core).

On Business Internet plan I was getting 1700/480 on average, but never saw 2000/600 theoretical. Then a failure in the radio occurred and I got 280/29 at worst and 1280/187. This week they came and replaced my 2w. radio, and the speeds are at best 1300/287 average. I know, if you are on a lower cost plan, these speeds seem good, but I'm paying a fortune to HN, and I feel like I could get better bandwidth.

Question: What do you say to get the switching station changed to get on a less crowded TP or freq.? When the tech quy finished the repair, he didn't even ask me to sign off on the repair order, since it was obvious I didn't receive any improvement. Any advice appreciated in advance. I have already spent 5 hours on the phone with tech support to no avail.

 

[Stargazer]

From all the reading I have done, I gather that there is so much that they can even do without buying more bandwidth to support their growing subscriber base.