Hughesnet is the leading satellite internet service provider that is well known for providing high-speed internet to residents who are located in rural areas where cable or fiber optic internet connection is unavailable. Using their satellite technology, Hughesnet is capable of offering internet connection to any interested member of the society. However, satellite internet is not as fast as wired connections since it uses space as one of its connection paths. One of the many questions that users ask is the number of devices that can access Hughesnet satellite internet. Below is a breakdown of Hughesnet’s limitations based on the type of device:
From where Hughesnet started, this article will explain the fundamentals of its internet plans.
Hughesnet has a few types of internet plans that are available and each of them has a different speed and amount of data transfer. For their basic plans, they offer a download speed of 25 MBPS and an uploading speed of 3 MBPS. As for these plans, the data allowance varies and can go from 10GB to 50 GB per month. Estimating further, the plans in the higher tiers come with a maximum speed of 25/3 Mbps and at least 50GB of data allowance.
Hughesnet is used with a variable number of devices depending on the internet package that one subscribes to. The other implication of the packages available in the market is that the greater bandwidths can support more connected devices. However other aspects such as the types of activities conducted online also affect this device's capacity.
Here is how Hughesnet’s Data allowance works
Hughesnet data plans are based on a download data allowance that is allowed for each month. After you use up the data allowance for the specific plan, you can’t go online at a faster rate until the end of the billing cycle. As soon as you are done with your billing cycle, your usage meter resets.
Bear in mind that data allowance plays a key role in figuring out the number of devices that a Hughesnet plan can support. However, this is not the same as having enough bandwidth speeds to accommodate 8-10 devices, as your monthly data can run out way faster than that. TV and radio broadcasts, video and music, games, and OS updates consume a significant amount of satellite data and can be exhausted very quickly.
Hughesnet Packages for Minimal Use
Because the Hughesnet basic plans offer lower data allowances from 10GB to 30GB, they are ideal for a user who does not use much data each month Each connected device takes up some amount of MB through updates, browsing the internet, emails, and small amounts of audio/video streaming.
This makes them quite viable with Hughesnet’s 10GB data plan where the user can just barely manage 2-3 devices for simple internet surfing. The 20GB plan can support about 3-5 devices since it is within its limit as it provides enough space for the devices to run without any congestion. This brings us to the 30GB data allowance, which could support up to 5-8 devices when usage is measured.
Such numbers of connected devices are possible but they would need to be strict in their use of data. Essentially, one can say that, once the limit of the plan is reached, all the internet speeds drop to a minimum. Therefore, the proposed device numbers per data allowance would entail limitations in streaming and video calling.
Hughesnet Offers Middle Tier Packages
The Hughesnet plan is the 50GB, 60GB, and 100GB plans, which can be appropriate for a household that uses the internet moderately. As more individuals and gadgets connect to the Internet, more content is being streamed in the form of videos and music, browsing through web pages, gaming, and even multitasking by running several other programs in the background.
Considering the data allowance available in the 50GB Hughesnet plan, it can be estimated that it would be very much sufficient to meet the requirements of roughly 8 to 10 connected devices. They would have to occasionally monitor usage and avoid streaming bandwidth-hogging tasks on the internet. It may be possible to use 10-15 devices with some conscious effort towards how long streams last under the 60GB plan. While it may be estimated that about 20 devices may suffice in Hughesnet’s 100GB package or plan lowering video and music streaming quality settings to moderate or even low.
These are reasonable figures but households might prefer to go a little further and get an even higher amount of data to ensure that nothing slows down or exceeds the cap as early as in the subsequent billing cycles.
Hughesnet Packages for Usage
For households with many devices and high download and upload traffic, the best Hughesnet plans would be in the higher packages. It is possible to find that such plans as 50GB, 100GB, and 150GB will provide the needed bandwidth speeds for up to 25 devices when combined with enough monthly traffic.
However, even the highest 150GB Hughesnet plan may run out faster with multiple devices actively using the internet simultaneously. Online video streaming of high bandwidth 4k videos, large OS and app updates, and other such heavy utilisations will take their toll. To have an unregulated number of devices with no concern for data usage and limitations, the real unlimited Hughesnet plan is the only way to go.
Unlimited Data Hughesnet Plans
Hughesnet’s entire focus as a satellite internet provider is on high-speed internet that comes with no data caps. As for the broadband internet service, the provider offers a 50Mbps connection with unlimited usage for about $150 per month. If the customer has an almost infinite amount of bandwidth available each month at guaranteed download speeds, then this plan can connect an unlimited number of devices in fact.
It is expected that with 50+ internet-connected devices ranging from telephones, laptops, tablets, television sets, gaming consoles, etc in a property, the unlimited data allotment should not hinder the speed. Under this plan, users enjoy unlimited video and music streaming, online gaming, and endless video calls, among other activities, without considering the impact of home automation data on their allowance.
The Hughesnet unlimited plan with 100Mbps capability takes the advantage up another notch at roughly $300 per month. This aspect suggests that double the max speeds is possible in this offering and the network can handle over 100 devices without congesting the connection. Of course, that many connected devices would be unlikely in a home setting, however, the main idea is that the number of connected devices will grow rapidly. However, the tenfold growth of the data threshold means that fundamentally, there are almost no constraints on the devices.
In real life, Hughesnet’s unlimited plans mean that the number of connections a home can have is limited only by the number of devices desired. Anything beyond that mainly depends on how much data 50Mbps+ connections can deliver, and as previously mentioned, both of these can handle any number of Wi-Fi devices in practice, whether it’s 25 or 100.
Here are some important points to remember regarding Hughesnet device limits:
Just how many devices Hughesnet can support at the precise moment is dictated by three main factors namely the internet plan speed, the amount of data allowance in a month, and the overall usage of the devices in the household. Increased bandwidth and data in a plan are inclined towards availing more devices. However, real usage behavior also contributes a great deal towards making this a reality.
This means that a 10GB plan can comfortably take 2-3 devices if the internet usage is reduced. Moderate usage for multiple devices may mean 50 GB up to 100 GB. And virtually unlimited devices are possible if the carrier puts no data cap in place.
To get a precise estimate of the cost of subscribing to Hughesnet, you’ll need to total all the home internet devices and usage behavior. A 25Mbps unlimited Hughesnet plan can easily accommodate any reasonable number of devices connected since the plan does not impose any limit on the amount of data that can be used. Enabling the users to stream, game, chat, automate, and surf through all gadgets for as long as it is needed without having to slow down or restrict.
