HughesNet Frequently Asked Questions are Answered Here

HughesNet is the fast high-speed satellite Internet solution that’s available to everyone in the Continental US with a clear view of the southern sky. Hughes uses satellite technology, not your phone line, to give you a super-fast, always-on high speed satellite Internet connection. Hughes Net gets you online instantly, lets you surf and open pages faster and download files in a fraction of the time it takes on a dial-up modem. Businesses benefit from having instant access to the business-critical information they need.

F-A-S-T! HughesNet satellite Internet service is up to many times faster than any dial up connection. HughesNet offers plans for home or business users. The HughesNet Elite service plan provides download speeds up to 5 Mbps and upload speeds up to 300 Kbps.

You'll download files in seconds, access email instantly, and share information easier and faster with customers, partners and suppliers. All Internet technologies (satellite or land-based) share available network bandwidth in one way or another, therefore actual speeds may vary.

Click Here to See How Fast Hughes is Compared to Dial-Up.

*Stated speeds are not guaranteed. Actual upload speed will likely be lower than speed indicated during peak hours. Download speeds may also be temporarily slowed in cases when patterns of system usage exceed the download threshold for an extended period of time. See the HughesNet Fair Access Policy for more information. If you choose to run VPN over satellite, your data speeds may be reduced by as much as 50-75%. Despite the high speeds available through HughesNet, time-sensitive applications, such as multi-player twitch games, are also not recommended over HughesNet.

With the HughesNet Home Satellite Internet plan, you may enjoy download speeds up to 1.0 Mbps and upload speeds of 128 Kpbs.

With the HughesNet Pro Satellite Internet plan, connect multiple computers to the Internet with up to 1.2 Mbps download speed and upload speeds of 200 Kbps.

With the HughesNet ProPlus Satellite Internet plan, connect multiple computers to the Internet with up to 1.6 Mbps download speed and upload speeds of 250 Kbps.

With the HughesNet Elite Satellite Internet plans, connect your office or home office to the Internet with download speeds between 2.2 and 5.0 Mbps, and upload speeds of 300 Kbps.

HughesNet business satellite service provides download speed and performance similar to other broadband services like cable or DSL.

Compare HughesNet vs. WildBlue

For small home offices, HughesNet Elite service is generally recommended. For small businesses looking for connectivity at a commercial location for 5 to 10 concurrent users, HughesNet offers three service plans in the Elite Suites.

SPEED! The HughesNet Elite Suites provide faster download and upload speeds than the Home and Professional plans. And, they provide a higher level of overall performance for a multi-user, small business environment.

You can order online from this site or you can speak with a HughesNet Satellite Internet Specialist at 888-822-0290.

Click here to request a consultation.

Hughes works with virtually any computer and is simple to use. You can connect your computer to the Internet whether you are running a Windows or Macintosh operating system. In order to ensure you get the most out of your Internet experience, your computer should have the following minimum properties: Windows 98SE or higher or Mac OS 10.1 or higher and Network capability (10/100 Ethernet pre-equipped).

Yes, HughesNet high speed satellite Internet is compatible with Mac OS 10.1 or higher. 10/100 Ethernet connectivity is also required.

Yes, you can connect multiple computers and laptops to a single HughesNet satellite Internet connection. Additional networking equipment, not included in your HughesNet satellite Internet system, may be required. Acme Satellite and HughesNet are not responsible for network configuration or management. Please understand that all computers on this network will be sharing a single connection. Simultaneous use of high-bandwidth applications by multiple users may result in lower speeds. Please understand that all computers on this network will be sharing a single connection. Simultaneous use of high-bandwidth applications by multiple users may result in degradation of speed and is subject to the HughesNet Fair Access Policy.

If you’d like, you can inquire if this option is available through your installer when you set your installation appointment. However, home networks are not included or supported by HNS technical support. Multiple simultaneous users may slow down your service.

Please click here to see what is included with your installation.

Many computers can be upgraded with a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC). If you are comfortable with opening your computer and installing hardware, most Ethernet NICs can be self-installed. Also, if you have an available USB port on your computer, you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter. This may be easier to install than a PCI card in your computer. For a laptop, you can purchase a standard PCMCIA card that provides an Ethernet connection, or you can purchase a USB Ethernet adapter as well. We recommend that you upgrade your computer to meet all of the requirements listed above to get the most out of your Internet experience.

Yes. All you need to connect your computer to the HughesNet modem is either a 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card or a PCMCIA adapter with an Ethernet connector. The HughesNet system includes an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to the HughesNet modem.

No. Hughes delivers high-speed Internet access via satellite, so you have instant access without dialing-in. You do not need a phone line or dial-up data modem to access the Internet when you use your HughesNet service.

Yes. The Hughes satellite Internet system requires a unique dish and transmitter antenna in order to send and receive information via satellite. DIRECTV receivers and dishes can only receive Satellite Television transmissions and cannot send or receive a Satellite Internet transmission.

HughesNet and DIRECTV have a partnership through their marketing efforts but operate as separate companies each providing a different type of satellite service to their customers.

No, you will not be able to receive both services on the same bill. Hughes Network Systems, which delivers HughesNet satellite Internet services, is affiliated with The DIRECTV Group for marketing purposes only, and is operated as an independent company. There are no discounts for selecting both services. If you choose to receive both services, you will be billed separately for each.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that trained professionals install any satellite system that both sends and receives signals.

Please click here to learn more about HughesNet Installation.

On average, most customers are installed within 1 week of their order. When you place your order today, your name will be provided to a certified HughesNet installer, who will contact you within 24 hours. You and the installer will then work out a mutually agreeable date and time for your installation.

Latency refers to the amount of time it takes a packet of data to travel across a network. With satellite service, that data must travel up to the satellite and back (about 45,000 miles). This round trip adds about a half-second delay to the total time your computer takes to communicate with a Website or host server. Therefore, time-sensitive applications that require fractions-of-a-second user inputs (such as multi-player "twitch" games or real-time equities trading) are not recommended with Hughes services.

Yes, but running a VPN client over satellite is not an ideal configuration. If you choose to run VPN over satellite, your data speeds may be reduced by as much as 50-75%. You can restore your connection to full speed by simply disabling your VPN client when your session is over. HughesNet Elite Suite plans are best suited for VPN. SSL-based VPN products have proven to work more efficiently over satellite than IPSEC-Based VPN products. For questions or recommendations on a VPN product that will work more effectively with your system, please contact one of our Satellite Internet Specialists at 1-888-822-0290 or online here.

Note: Technical Support does not provide help with configuring or troubleshooting problems associated with VPN clients. For questions about your VPN product, please contact the manufacturer’s tech support.

Hughes uses sophisticated acceleration techniques to enable high-speed performance over satellite. These acceleration techniques require access to data packet header information, which is blocked when IPSec-based VPNs are used. These VPNs encrypt the data and create a secure tunnel through the fastHughesNet network. The encrypted data cannot be processed by HughesNet’s acceleration techniques, therefore resulting in slower performance.

Hughes Net satellite Internet service, provided by ACME Satellite is available for non-mobile (fixed) locations. To receive mobile high-speed Internet service, please contact a Value Added Service provider that installs Mobile Satellite Internet Systems. Please contact one of our Satellite Internet Specialists at 1-888-822-0290 or online here for questions about specific applications.

For Technical Support or Customer Service, please log on to www.myHughesNet.com where you can chat with technical support staff, check your usage, test your satellite speed, or browse our online help files. The friendly satellite specialists will gladly answer any HughesNet questions. This site will also enable you to view your account status, online invoices, and activity history.