Tips on How to Improve the Performance of HughesNet Internet
Hughesnet is another type of satellite Internet service that is preferred mostly because cable and DSL Internet services do not offer their service to rural areas. There is also the fact that satellite internet is less fast compared to wired broadband connections. HughesNet plans at present have maximum operational speeds of 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload speed.
However, such speeds might look rather slow from the viewpoint of cable or fiber optics; however, there are certain things you can do to ensure that your HughesNet connection is as fast as it can be given the physical limitations of satellite internet. Below are some tips that may help you increase your speeds for your HughesNet Internet service.
Reduce Latency
Latency is the time taken to transmit data to the satellite and then back to the Earth. This, in a nutshell, is why satellite internet is intrinsically slower than wired internet – the delay. Due to the location of the satellites used by HughesNet, data has to be sent over a distance of around 22,000 miles in space and back, which results in a latency of 600ms and above.
You cannot fight the fundamental laws of physics, but you can complete data flow control over your quality router with a QoS setting that can prioritize delay-sensitive info for instance, online gaming, video or voice calling. This means that such applications will be able to run even if there exists congestion, but they will do so with less interference compared to other traffic.
Upgrade Your Data Plan
All HughesNet plans include monthly data allowances; after that data limits are reached, the speed falls between 1 and 5 Mbps. With each plan is a data allowance, and when this is used up, the user is throttled down to slower speeds for the rest of the billing period; hence, opting for a plan that comes with a higher data allowance means the user can enjoy the high speeds for most of the billing period.
HughesNet also provides packages at 10 GB, 20GB, 30GB, 40 GB, and 50 GB per month. If you are frequently crossing the data usage limit now, then it might be wise to move to the next level to ensure you continue enjoying faster connection speeds. The only thing that needs some consideration is the relatively higher prices of the upgraded subscription plans.
Use a Faster Router
The HughesNet-provided base model router does not have a massive amount of processing power but is otherwise sufficient. A better quality and enhanced version of the router can also assist in providing the desired signal strength from the satellite across your apartment for better Wi-Fi coverage, data transmission rate, and reception.
The selected routers should be enterprise standard with support for MIMO technology and external antennas. Other features, such as band steering and airtime fairness, are also useful to ensure that bandwidth is distributed properly among the devices that are connected. AmpliFi, ASUS, and Netgear Nighthawk have been established as brands that perform well with satellite internet.
HughesNet is a reliable satellite internet service provider that offers a wide range of internet packages to its users The following are the easy steps that you can follow to set up your HughesNet booster:
Gen5 Wi-Fi Booster is an add-on service provided by HughesNet. As a paid-added service, you can request them to set up a second dedicated business-grade router that complements the main router for optimum Wi-Fi connectivity.
The booster unit also functions as a wireless access point, which means that it supports more connected devices without [the bandwidth congestion that hinders speed on other devices]. Having a booster can also be beneficial, especially in situations where there is a big house or many devices that require a stable connection.
Use Ethernet When Possible
In the case of fixed devices such as a desktop PC, smart TV, or a game console, the user should always connect them through Ethernet as opposed to Wi-Fi. An Ethernet cable offers a faster and more reliable connection since it eliminates the problem that may be experienced due to wireless connection interferences. This ensures the efficiency of your device is optimal rather than getting a share from a Wi-Fi connection.
Improve Satellite Positioning
Physical barriers to your satellite dish and the southern sky can also bring about moderate changes in speed. Ensure there are no large structures like trees, buildings, or hills that can obstruct the path of the dish. Sometimes you may need to have the dish remounted or may have to use a higher pole to overcome all barriers.
Once in a while, you want to look at the signal strength that is normally displayed on the modem monitor. If you observe the strength to be diminishing gradually over a few weeks, do not waste much time and get in touch with HughesNet and get your dish repositioned. They can also change the positioning from a distance to enhance signal lock albeit the dish may not have physically moved from its position. A stronger signal means faster internet is an example of the epitome of the relationship between two variables.
Limit Bandwidth-Intensive Activity
HughesNet internet connections may get a little slow at certain times of the day such as evenings when lots of users are likely to be downloading games, making video calls, or streaming movies. Such bandwidth-intensive operations may thereby hinder the network as all members in your region have limited coverage of the satellite bandwidth.
To ensure that the internet speeds remain optimal in the evening, reduce the usage of online gaming and steaming in your household network. The same should also apply to large downloads such as applications, operating systems, etc which should be scheduled to occur at night. Sticking to a usage schedule simply aids in the fact that the speeds remain fast when you require them to be most of the time.
Enable "Fast Pages"
HughesNet’s Gen5 service includes an innovative bandwidth allocation mode known as Fast Pages. When activated, Fast Pages reduces web traffic towards the pages, making them load much faster or within uppermost 10 times quicker according to HughesNet estimates. The flip side is that, as with most optimizations, it comes at the cost of slightly lower-quality images and videos while browsing. Yes, it is impressive as the pages appear noticeably faster but the quality is a little compromised.
Depending on your usage preferences the option to turn on Fast Pages for faster-loading websites and applications may be useful. Just understand that, apart from that, video chat, music and video streaming, and online gaming quality may degrade a bit with the feature on. This is a toggle feature that you can switch on or off depending on the frequency of use.
Conclusion
Satellite internet may lack the speed of the cable or fiber connections but HughesNet customers can still ensure the best connection, find out how to solve connection issues when they occur, and get the best out of available connection. If you want to make sure you get the fastest internet out of your HughesNet service, then following these tips will aid you a lot.
Integration with a high-end router, usage scheduling, upgrades to the data plan, and tweaking satellite positioning provide the best achievable speeds within the paradigm of satellite internet. It won’t give you gigabit internet speeds that are ridiculously fast, but a slight improvement in HughesNet speeds which is much better.
