HughesNet Speed Test

You may wonder what your internet speed is, especially if it seems to be lagging or particularly slow. You can run a test for your internet to find out how it’s performing. HughesNet has two tests customers can use to determine their internet speed.

Check the Web Response Test

You can run the Web Response Test to tell you how fast a website is loaded into your web browser. You can find out from this HughesNet satellite speed test if your system has slow browsing capabilities. To access the test, you’ll need to go to a site through HughesNet. The site provides both the Web Response Test and the Speed Test for you to check your internet performance.

How Can I Test My HughesNet Speed?

You can perform the HughesNet speed test to find out how fast the system is downloading and uploading data. Visit the HughesNet Performance Test website where you’ll run your HughesNet Gen4 Speed Test or HughesNet Speed Test Gen5.

To run either test, you should close out of all applications and browsers except for the page where the test will be performed. Any open pages can slow down your system and provide false results for the HughesNet internet speed test.

Perform each connection speed test for HughesNet at least five times to ensure you get accurate results. Don’t rely on just the first result for your information.

How to Get Faster Internet

If you have issues with slow internet service after running your speed test for HughesNet, you can try a few things to see if it improves the speed. First, make sure your modem is in a central location. Put it in a room where it will provide service to other areas of the house.

Clean out your satellite dish. Get rid of leaves and debris. Clean snow or ice off the dish so that it can transmit the signal without interruption. Also, look for any screws that might be loose, allowing the dish to turn just enough to lose the transmission.

If you have trouble with your internet service after seeing the HughesNet speed test results, you can contact HughesNet for assistance.
If you are located in a remote area and need reliable internet service, you should explore satellite internet through HughesNet.

HughesNet Download Speeds vs. Upload Speeds

Unless you regularly upload files to a website, you will want to pay more attention to HughesNet download speeds than upload speeds. The reason is simple—download speed determines how satisfactory your experience will be when you are browsing the web or streaming video. Download speeds are typically several times higher than upload speeds with all internet service providers, including HughesNet satellite internet.

When you do your HughesNet speed test, note the average latency—your ISP response time. HughesNet satellite internet latency is typically higher than it is for cable connections because the signal must travel to the HughesNet satellite in outer space and back again. The good news, this small about of lag time won’t be an issue for anyone other than those play high-intensity action video games!

HughesNet Internet Speed

Use our link at the top of this page to test your connection. HughesNet internet speed options vary by the plans available in your area. It’s a good idea to conduct a HughestNet Internet Speed test. After results process you will see your upload Speed and your download Speed in Mbps. Mbps stands for megabits per second as the standard measure of broadband speed. It refers to the speed with which information packets are downloaded from the internet or uploaded to the internet.

Download Speeds for Different Activities

Knowing how much download speed is required for your activities will help you evaluate HughesNet Internet speed options. For example, general surfing and email requires at least 1 Mbps of download Speed. Social media use requires 1 Mbps. VoIP calls require less than 0.5 Mpbs while a Skype video conference call requires 1 Mbps. High Definition HD Video teleconferencing require 6 Mbps minimum. Working from home or schooling from home each require 5-25 Mbps of download speed. Steaming standard video requires 3-4 Mbps. HD streaming requires 5-8 Mbps. Ultra HD 4K video streaming requires 25 Mbps minimum download speed.

Certain activities that call for split-second user inputs are not going to be compatible with satellite internet. After running a HughesNet Internet Speed test you may see adequate megabits per second for these activities but the latency inherent in satellite communication make it unworkable for multiple-player gaming, split-second auction bidding, and last-possible-minute stock trades.

The HughesNet Internet speed you get will be influenced by your location and by having a properly installed dish with a clear view of the southern sky.

HughesNet Speed Tests

If you’re wondering what kinds of internet speeds you’re getting through your HughesNet connection, there are easy ways to test it. Whether you’ve been experiencing slower speeds or are just curious, you can make your way to the HughesNet website to test your internet connection’s performance. Once there, you will see two different tests that will determine your internet speed.

The first test you will see is called a Web Response Test. This test will measure the speed at which your browser is able to load a web page. This will give you a better idea of whether or not your internet connection and browser are performing slowly. The second test can be found in the same location. It is like most internet speed tests and will measure your average download and upload speeds.

How to Run the Tests

Once you find the HughesNet Performance Test website, you will start by entering your SAN or Site ID. This will bring you to the page where you can test the speed of your Gen4 or Gen5 HughesNet connection.

Before running either test, it’s important to close out all applications, browsers, and tabs except for the one running the test. Anything else that is open on your computer may be using up some of the bandwidth and give slower than accurate results.

It is also a good idea to run each test a few times and at different times during the day. Internet speeds fluctuate, especially as network traffic ebbs and flows throughout the day, so repeated tests and testing at different times of day can give a better sense of overall performance.

How to Make Your Internet Faster

If you’ve run the speed tests and aren’t satisfied with the results, there are some things you can do to make your internet pick up the pace.

The most common cause of slow internet is surpassing your data limit. If you log into your HughesNet account, you can check your monthly data usage. If you’ve used up all your data, your speeds are going to be throttled down to 1 to 3 Mbps. You can fix this by purchasing extra data or by upgrading to a higher data plan.

If this isn’t the issue, the first thing you can try is to move your Wi-Fi router. If your computer and other devices connect primarily through a wireless connection and not an ethernet cord, moving your Wi-Fi router might be the best way to optimize this connection. You want the router to be in a central location so that all parts of the house are getting a strong signal. Putting it next to an exterior wall or in a basement hinders the signal from reaching every part of the house.

The next step is to go outside and check your satellite dish. The first thing you’ll be looking for is debris, or anything that might be blocking the connection. Carefully clear off any leaves, ice, or snow so that the signal can reach the satellite without interruption. You’ll also want to check for loose screws. If a loose screw has caused the satellite dish to turn even a little, it may have lost a strong connection to the satellite. If this is the case, you will have to call HughesNet to send a technician to realign the dish. This should restore the connection to the satellite and give you the connection speeds you need.

If none of these troubleshooting tips fix your internet speeds, call customer service and describe your problem. They’ll be happy to help you find a solution.

HughesNet Download Speeds vs. Upload Speeds

It is pretty common for internet of all types to have higher download speeds than upload speeds. This is true of satellite internet as well. This is by design, since most internet users are receiving more information over the internet than they are sending. By prioritizing bandwidth for downloading, your videos stream clearer, your web sites load sooner, and your files download faster. HughesNet Gen5 plans provide up to 25 Mbps download speeds but only 3 Mbps upload speeds.

With a Gen5 plan and with all your connections optimized (as mentioned in the section above), you should expect to see most of that 25 Mbps in a speed test. Mbps stands for Megabits per second and is the standard measurement for internet speeds. It measures the amount of data that can be transferred to or from a computer every second. If you use a HughesNet plan that is not from the Gen5 line, you can expect your internet speed test to come back with lower results.

You should also pay attention to the latency shown in your HughesNet speed test. This is sometimes also called ISP response time. Satellite internet services usually have much higher latency because of the distance travelled by each signal. When you request data from a website, the signal must first travel 22,000 miles into space to reach the satellite, another 22,000 miles back to the HughesNet ground office, and only then can it go out to the server that stores the web site’s information. To get back to you, the response must travel through the same line of communication as when it was sent. It’s amazing that all this can happen in less than a second, but that’s still more than most internet service types. Fortunately, you won’t ever notice this small time difference unless you’re playing fast-paced multiplayer games online.

Speed Required for Different Activities

It’s important to know what kind of download speed is required by different online activities. This will give you an idea of what your HughesNet internet service is capable of. Opening web sites, checking emails, and browsing social media all require approximately 1 Mbps of download speeds. Of course, if you open a website that wants to play audio or show a video, these requirements will go up. If you want to use your internet connection for VoIP, you will only need 0.5 Mbps. For a Skype video call, you will only need 1 Mbps, but for high definition video conferencing, you should have at least 6 Mbps. If you want to use the internet to work or study from home, we recommend at least 5 Mbps download speeds, but going even higher will make your experience much more seamless and efficient. For video streaming, it largely depends on the quality of the video you are watching. Standard definition requires 3-4 Mbps, HD requires 5-8 Mbps, and 4K Ultra HD requires at least 25 Mbps.

HughesNet download speeds should be plenty for any of these activities, but can also be affected by your location and the installation of your equipment. Contact HughesNet customer service today to discuss what plans are available in your area and sign up for satellite internet.

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