HughesNet is one of the widely used satellite internet service providers, especially in those regions where cable and DSL do not reach. However, people have found satellite internet to be a disadvantage because it has a slow connection speed compared to other connections. Are there ways through which users of this internet service provider can make their internet speed increase? Here are some tips:
It is therefore important to know why HughesNet is slow to be able to address this issue.
HughesNet internet can be described as passing through a series of a home, a satellite in orbit, an earth station, and finally, the global internet. This distance and multiple hops do take their toll and lead to slight latency and slower speeds than if they were ground-based Internet services. Other factors that may also cause interference with signals between the home and the satellite include weather. However, like all the internet service providers, HughesNet also slows down its speeds during the high traffic hours to deal with the bandwidth usage by its customers. Another reason will be if the rural area is far from the Earth gateway station assigned to it, speeds may be reduced. However, satellite internet can never be as fast as fiber optic; although there are some ways which, if pursued, can improve the speed you receive.
Check Your Data Usage
HughesNet plans are still metered, meaning that once you reach your given data allowance your speeds will be reduced at times, sometimes substantially during some periods of the day. It would be helpful to monitor the account dashboard to observe the data consumption about the necessary speed reductions to avoid exceeding the limit. If this is the case, it might be more economical to opt for an additional gigabyte package that would cater to the extra usage. In terms of data, be mindful of which application or service uses more background data so they can be curbed during such periods.
Only Use When Necessary
In particular, HughesNet slows down the connection throughout the day, particularly at night when more people are likely online, to guarantee that any user stays connected. Do not use the internet for streaming videos or downloading huge files during the period of slowdown instead use your time to navigate from one website to another. If your requirements are summarized by the flexibility in scheduling data, and intensive tasks such as OS and app updates try to do them early in the morning or late at night.
Enable Data Compression
HughesNet Gen5 offers plans that include standard internal compression which enhances bandwidth usage. Be certain to have this option turned on under account management settings. When applied to files, data compression reduces their size to be transmitted through the network, thus improving the transfer rate. As with any method of video compression, you should know that this can influence picture quality.
Wired networking is achieved through the use of an Ethernet cable.
If you are looking to get the most accurate speeds and network connection, it is recommended to plug directly into your computer or a router using a CAT5e or CAT6 Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port of your HughesNet modem. A wired connection interferes with the signals and dilutes the usable connection speeds. With direct wired connections it is possible to attain the speed potential that is offered to your home.
Use a Quality Router
Having your modem allows you to get a Hughesnet-supplied modem and router, although getting a better consumer or prosumer-grade router can be beneficial for achieving the highest speeds. Quality routers possess better wireless radios and bandwidth management capabilities than the average routers, hence offering improved WiFi connectivity. plug your new router into the HughesNet modem but turn off the WiFi of the modem to avoid signal clash. Try to place the router in the middle of the house and if possible, mount it on a wall or a tall shelf to help the signal spread through the space.
HughesNet is one of the most popular satellite internet providers in the United States, and to get the best out of it, you need to set up a HughesNet booster.
To achieve even better speeds across a larger coverage area within a home, one or more Hughesnet WiFi boosters can be purchased. These connect with normal electric outlets to produce a mesh-type system. The booster coordinates with another booster and relays the WiFi signals from one room to another through the most established connections. This creates a powerful expanded wireless network with few if any black spots that send the signal back to the main router.
Limit Obstacles and Interference
The location at which you mount your dish and modem can affect the internet speeds. HughesNet Gen5 satellite is located in the south direction, so you need to have clear visibility of the southern sky. It is advised to avoid siting the unit close to constructions, trees, or any other construction that may act as a signal-blocking object. Inside the house, you should place the modem in the central area of the house, but at least 3 feet away from appliances like microwaves, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices as these emit some electromagnetic interference in the 2,4 and 5GHZ Wi-Fi bands.
Disable bandwidth-intensive apps
Applications such as Netflix and Spotify are usually used to stream data and these can take a large portion of the monthly data allowance. It is recommended that for some time, you consider turning off or limiting some of these on your devices since that would free up more bandwidth for better results in terms of speed for other operations. Also, disable auto-update features of operating systems, games, and programs when it is not very important. Better perform these during the night time only as it takes quite some time to complete.
Contact HughesNet Support
If you continue to get slow speed, then the best thing to do is to speak to HughesNet technical support. Be sure to capture in the measurements, periods of increased congestion as opposed to those when tests reveal greater bandwidth utilization. This aids in establishing whether the problem is congestion, environmental factors including the routers, or other characteristics of your vicinity that may be changed. In addition, find out if there are any existing or plans to extend cell coverage area in your area, that are capable of supporting higher speed.
Although satellite internet connection cannot offer speeds as fast as fiber or cable internet connections, by observing the aforementioned tips, HughesNet users should be able to maximize their overall internet connection and get the best out of the subscribed plan. As an educated user – keeping an eye on usage patterns, controlling the consumption, and setting up the devices to run at their full capacity, one can reduce throttling to a maximum. These above best practices, in combination, offer the most optimal means of achieving the highest speeds out of the Gen5 satellite service offered by HughesNet.
