Tips for Maximizing Your HughesNet Internet Speed

In this article, we’ll go over some tips to help maximize your HughesNet internet speeds. Whether you are experiencing slower than expected speeds or just want to optimize your connectivity, these tips can help you get the most out of your HughesNet service. We’ll cover checking your data cap, using the internet during off-peak hours, disconnecting unused devices, closing bandwidth-hungry apps, restarting your modem, checking for interference, contacting customer support, considering an upgraded plan, and more. Follow these tips to enjoy faster speeds and a better internet experience.

Check Your Data Cap

HughesNet internet plans come with monthly data caps, ranging from 10GB on the low end to 50GB on the high end. Going over your designated data cap can significantly slow your internet speeds, as HughesNet will throttle speeds once the cap is exceeded. This is done to help ensure all customers get fair access to bandwidth.

To avoid reduced speeds, it’s important to monitor your monthly data usage and stay under your plan’s cap. You can check your usage by logging into your HughesNet account. If you frequently exceed the cap, you may want to consider upgrading to a plan with a higher data allowance. While this will increase your monthly cost, it can help maintain faster speeds throughout the billing period. Setting data cap warnings and limiting large downloads to off-peak hours can also help you avoid overages.

Also, Read : HughesNet vs. Traditional Cable Internet: Which is Right for You?

Use During Off-Peak Hours

HughesNet internet speeds are faster during off-peak hours when there is less network congestion. Off-peak hours are generally late at night and early morning from 2 am – 8 am.

To maximize your speeds, try to schedule large downloads, system updates, and streaming activities during off-peak hours when possible. Downloading files, updating games, streaming movies, and video chatting will go much quicker compared to peak usage times.

Even if you are a night owl, take advantage of the faster speeds by automating large downloads to start automatically during off-peak hours. For example, you can schedule Windows updates to install overnight so they finish quicker.

Streaming will be higher quality with less buffering if you watch shows and movies later at night versus right after work when everyone is online. Off-peak streaming may allow you to view HD quality versus lower quality during busy evenings.

Overall, being aware of peak versus off-peak times is key to optimizing your HughesNet speeds. By shifting data-intensive tasks to off-peak hours, you can maximize your available bandwidth when speeds are blazing fast.

Disconnect Unused Devices

Having multiple devices connected to your HughesNet service can slow down your internet speeds. Each device that’s connected is using up some of your available bandwidth, even if it’s not actively in use. Disconnecting unused devices is an easy way to maximize your speeds.

When you’re not using devices like tablets, e-readers, gaming consoles, smart home gadgets, and more, make sure to disconnect them from your HughesNet WiFi network. Turn off the WiFi connection on the device completely so it’s not able to access the internet. This frees up bandwidth that your other devices can take advantage of.

You can also turn off the WiFi on your router or modem when it’s not needed to disconnect all wireless devices at once. For example, turn it off overnight while you sleep. Just make sure to turn it back on when you need it! Having fewer devices connected makes more bandwidth available to distribute across your active devices.

Close Unnecessary Apps

Closing out apps and browser tabs that you aren’t actively using can help free up bandwidth and speed for the tasks you care about. Many apps continue running processes and accessing data in the background even when you aren’t directly interacting with them.

For example, having multiple tabs open in your browser can slow down page loading speeds across all tabs. Streaming music in the background while browsing the web or playing games can also eat into your available bandwidth.

Regularly closing unused browser tabs, quitting inactive apps entirely, and disabling background processes for apps you aren’t currently using can all help maximize the bandwidth available for your priority internet uses. Being diligent about only keeping open the apps you need at any given moment will reduce the strain on your internet connection.

Some tips:

• Close browser tabs you aren’t reading or plan to read soon.
• Quit apps fully when you’re done using them rather than just minimizing them.
• Disable background app refreshes and notifications if you don’t need them.
• Browser extensions can help manage open tabs and CPU/memory usage.
• Check what’s running in the background via Task Manager if your internet seems slow.

Keeping tight control over what’s actively running and using bandwidth can significantly improve speeds on satellite internet like HughesNet. Be ruthless in closing anything not immediately needed.

Restart Your Modem

To keep your HughesNet connection running fast, it’s a good idea to restart your modem regularly. Modems maintain a cache to help load websites and apps faster, but over time this cache can get bogged down and end up slowing your connection instead.

Restarting your modem clears the cache and resets the connection. This refresh can remove glitches and free up speed. It’s recommended to restart your modem at least once a month.

Follow these steps to restart your HughesNet modem:

1. Locate the power button on your modem.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10-15 seconds until the lights on the modem go dark.
3. Wait about 30 seconds as the modem resets itself.
4. The lights will start blinking again once the reboot process is complete.

After restarting your modem, run a speed test to see if your speeds have improved. Regular reboots keep the cache cleared and prevent slowdowns over time. Consider adding a monthly reminder to reboot for consistent fast speeds.

Check for Interference

Physical obstructions like trees or tall buildings can interfere with your HughesNet signal if they block the line of sight between your modem and the orbiting satellite. Try to keep a clear view between your modem’s antenna and the southern sky, where the satellite is located. Avoid putting the modem in a room or location surrounded by dense trees, or on the side of your house facing large structures that could cause interference.

You may be able to improve your connection by installing an external antenna on the roof or the highest point of your home, pointed towards the southern sky. Contact HughesNet support if you think physical obstructions are interfering with your satellite signal, as they may be able to help identify the source of interference. With some adjustments to your setup, you can minimize obstructions and keep your signal clear.

Also, Read : Why Become a HughesNet Reseller?

Contact Support

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting tips but are still not getting the speed you expect, it’s time to contact HughesNet customer support.

HughesNet has 24/7 technical support available to help diagnose and resolve any internet speed issues you may be experiencing. When you call, a support representative can walk you through testing your connection speed and identifying potential problems.

Some things the support team may help with include:

• Checking for problems with your modem, router settings, or cable connections
• Assessing interference from obstacles, weather, or other devices
• Switching you to a different satellite beam with less congestion
• Sending a technician if necessary to inspect your equipment

The support team can also look at your data usage and see if switching to a higher data plan could help improve speeds. Occasionally, HughesNet offers promos to existing customers for faster speed plans, so ask the representative if any deals are available.

Getting personalized help from HughesNet’s technical experts is the best way to pinpoint the cause of speed issues. The support team can suggest solutions you may not have considered and ensure you’re getting the performance you expect. Contact them sooner rather than later so you can start enjoying faster satellite internet speeds.

Consider Upgrading

If you find that you’re still not getting the speeds you need, it may be time to upgrade your HughesNet plan. Newer HughesNet plans offer significantly faster download and upload speeds than older legacy plans.

For example, the latest HughesNet Gen5 plans offer download speeds of 25Mbps and above. Upgrading from an older plan with download speeds of just 10-15Mbps to a Gen5 plan can potentially double or even triple your speeds.

Even upgrading from one Gen5 plan to the next fastest Gen5 plan can provide a noticeable boost in speed. Upgrading from the 25Mbps plan to the 35Mbps or 50Mbps plan increases your download speeds by 40% or 100% respectively.

The fastest residential HughesNet plan available offers download speeds of up to 50 Mbps, which is over 5 times faster than the base 10Mbps plan. So upgrading can certainly make a huge difference when it comes to improving speeds.

Keep in mind that in addition to faster speeds, newer plans also offer more data. So upgrading provides the benefit of extra speed as well as extra data to use each month before hitting your priority data threshold.

If your current HughesNet plan just isn’t fast enough for your needs, look into upgrading. The improvement in speed and data can be well worth the slightly higher monthly cost.

Conclusion

Getting the most out of your HughesNet satellite internet connection is important, especially if you live in a rural area without access to cable or fiber optic internet. By following the tips in this article, you can optimize your internet speeds and get the most out of your limited data allowance.

The key takeaways are to be aware of your data usage, avoid peak hours when the network is congested, reduce unused connections and interference, restart your equipment regularly, and consider upgrading your plan if needed. Even small tweaks like closing unused browser tabs can add up to meaningful improvements.

Satellite internet has some inherent limitations compared to wired connections. But you can still have a good online experience by fine-tuning your setup. Monitoring your data usage and times of use allows you to maximize your allotted bandwidth. Reducing interference and optimizing your modem helps ensure you get the advertised speeds.

With some minor adjustments and diligent monitoring, HughesNet and other satellite internet providers can deliver decent broadband access even in remote areas. The tips in this guide will help you optimize your satellite speeds for smooth video calls, quick web browsing, and reliable streaming with your limited monthly data.