Does anyone here use Hughes Net for internet only, no TV? I’ve been with them for many years, but the service has deteriorated to the point that I’m considering going back to dial up. Anyone else having similar experiences? I suspect that they have oversold their bandwidth.
I have no other options, no cable, no DSL.
I don’t use them, but I’ve heard only bad things about them. If you have cell phone coverage where you live you can get internet access through that.
We have basic cell phone out here, but the high speed internet access rates, 3G, 4G haven’t made it yet. The available data rates for cell phone out here are about the same as dial up, but cost a lot more.
My son has a iPhone. The data is pretty useless unless he goes into the city.
Hi Keith what system are you using? 6000 ,7000 or the 9000? I have it. I also install it. If you don’t have the 9000 I would upgrade to that. I would also check your computer for virus and such. Also your transmitter maybe going bad. Ck all connections to make sure there tight. I would undo them and look at them. Check for corrosion.
I have no problems with just surfing and watching videos. Its slower than cable about the same as DSL way better than dial up. If I can be of more help just ask
Do you have TV with yours (dish network or Direct)? I’ve had this system for many years. When I got it, it was earthlink. They subcontracted the service through either Dish or Direct, can’t remember which, but at the time, they relegated me to the old weststar satellite because I was internet only.
It was OK then but it has deteriorated ever since. Right now it seems to be OK, but there are times when downloads are very slow, not because the download speed is slow, but that it only works for a second or two every couple of minutes. That is I will get a burst of data at near 200 KB/sec for a second, then nothing for a minute, then another burst for a second. Its like time division multiplexing with a million channels on one frequency. Sometimes the time between the bursts is so long that the connection times out and I am dropped.
I don’t know whether I have 6000, 7000, or 9000. The so called tech at Hughes net keeps telling me that my dish needs to be re-aimed, which they will do for $125+tax. I would do that if the tech can absolutely guarantee that it will solve the problem, but I don’t really think that is the issue. My signal strength is on the low side, but it was at the time of installation too, it was the strongest signal the installer could get off this satellite at the time.
The modem was upgraded about three years ago, mandatory to match the new equipment, but the antenna was not changed. How much will an upgrade to a system 9000 cost? If I have them come out, I might as well go whole hog and do it right.
Ok I now know your problem. The system you have is the old tv add on system. You need to upgrade to the 9000. If you can put the new system in someone else’s name you can get it cheaper. Hughes took some money from the gov. and new 9000 systems installs can get it cheaper thru this program. The 9000 system is worth the money if you cant get good dsl or cable. Here is tip if your installer is local to you. Get his name and PH#. Ask him if he will do service for you for cash. I did this for my local customers. Saves them some money and I can make a few bucks to.
Thank you. Actually this system is in my sons name, so I guess I can get the new one in my name. Do I start by calling tech support or the Hughes number on their ads? How can I get the name of a local installer?
Have your son cancel your internet service. Then have a new install with the 9000 Hughes system…get rid of of all the old stuff…Hughes offers several service levels depending on how much bandwidth you want…
As oldbodyman said, if you can connect with a local installer, all sorts of creative deals can be worked out that may benefit you…He may have a used 9000 system available.
I share a friends system (via a wireless access point) and it handles us both and is pretty reliable. If you intend to do heavy downloading (like movies) you can run into FAP problems where they shut you down for 24 hours for hogging too much bandwidth…
Does the system 9000 block SSL? Our current system does.
What’s “SSL”?
Yes you can block it.
The only SSL I know if is “Secure Sockets Layer”…in other words, the HTTPS websites. Which means, if it’s blocked, you can’t (or at the very least shouldn’t) do any shopping on-line.
Can block, or blocks by default? I don’t think I’d use any service that blocks this traffic. Unless, of course, there’s a different SSL I don’t know about.
The problem with the Satellite systems is you have to have clear access to the Satellite. I live in a fairly wooded area with 80’ pines all around me. Access to a Satellite is difficult if not impossible.
The real drawback of satellite internet service is the speed/cost ratio is not very favorable…But it sure is better than dial-up…If two or three nearby neighbors connect via an 802.11 wireless network and share the cost it’s not too bad…but you need to upgrade from basic service to get enough bandwidth to do that…If you want to download something big, you must do it between midnight and 6am to avoid being FAPed out…During the wee hours, there are no bandwidth limits…
I can get to secure sites, https sites. My son is telling me that the satellite system we have blocks SSL. This not us blocking it but the satellite. I’m not into the security stuff, so I’m not sure if 128 bit encryption and SSL are the same thing. A lot of https sites use 128 bit encryption.
I just got off the phone with my son and I think I have a better understanding now. The satellite doesn’t block all encrypted connections, just some. He says there are two types of blocks, the black list for encrypted connections not allowed, such as the TOR network, whatever that is, probably illegal or something, and the white list which only allows encrypted connections to approved sites.
The deal seems to be with Apple. You can do the security updates and buy tunes from the iTunes store through the encrypted connection, but if you upgrade to Lion OS, which is only available online, it will not download through the satellite as apparently the server that does this download has not been registered on the white list yet. He bought Lion OS but could not download it here, he had to go to his uncles house and download it through cable.
So it seems that the satellite is doing a white list block and not a black list block.
I don’t see WHY anyone would BLOCK SSL…nor do I know of an easy way TO block it. I work as a manager in the Telecom industry and we design this stuff all day…
Most people use SSL as part of their VPN to connect up to work so they can work from home. If a satellite system somehow was able to block SSL…it would mean that if you worked at home you couldn’t use the Satellite system as your connection to www.
Mike, I used to work in the telecom industry teaching programming of PBX, voicemail and UPCS systems, but that was a while ago and things change so fast in that field. I don’t know how it would be done either. You address a packet and I can see how certain addresses could be blocked, but I don’t know how you could determine whether or not the data inside the packet is encrypted or not.
Since the https comes up, maybe the encrypted packets are identified in the address now?
Blocking SSL is easy. It’s on TCP port 443. Blocking specific sites is easy, too. Those are called access lists. VPN’s can run on any port, not just 443, and normally they specifically stay away from 443.
Blocking sites that are listed as “bad” by the CERT isn’t a bad idea. As long as you can get to the legitimate sites, there’s no reason NOT to keep your customers protected and block the bad ones.
Mike, I have tall pine trees that my dish has to shoot through too. They don’t seem to be much of a problem unless its raining.
. You address a packet and I can see how certain addresses could be blocked
SSL is NOT an address. Yes you can block addresses…that’s easy.
It’s on TCP port 443.
Yea port 443 handles ALL secure communication…NOT just SSL. So if you block port 443 you’re blocking ALL secure communication. Yes SSL is probably the primary user…there are others.
They don’t seem to be much of a problem unless its raining.
Well we tried and my neighbors tried a few years ago…Too many trees to go through…Any type of moisture on the trees effects it.