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 Review by dmp 
UPDATED: 146 days ago
member for 4.7 years, 444 visits, last login: 8 days ago
 Emmetsburg,Palo Alto,IA
 Contract price not specified.
 "None after my upgrade to the 7000 modem"
 "As slow as dial-up much of the day."
 "Hughes is a big ripoff. I am editing my 2003 review."
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Mail,DNS,News:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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This is what I had to write in 2008 after "upgrading" to the new modem. Hughes is not a good option if you have anything else, even dialup.
Explanation
I have been with hughesnet since 2003 as I have no other option other than using satellite service for broadband where I live. After many marketing emails from hughesnet, I "upgraded" to the hughesnet PRO plan and to their HN7000S modem in early December of 2007. The new plan is $10 more a month than the old plan that worked most of the time. For one month, (they advertise that a person can cancel the upgrade within a month), the service seemed to work all right. So, today, I am paying $69.99 a month for internet service that is often slower than dialup during most of the day and I was forced to commit to a 15 month contract to get the this new and "improved" modem. I have speed tests that confirm that the service is very slow and am on internet forums that others have complained about the same issues with this company. I am unable to upload even small files via my email now unless I do so after midnight. If you do call in to complain, you will go to sites out of the USA and you will spend hours on the phone attempting to make things work and when you are done you will get a case number and the service still does not work.
This is my old review below from 2003. It certainly no longer applies:
I have friends (in the country) who do have access to slow DSL and who get their 256 download speeds while I normally get close to 1000. They pay less, and almost all would switch except for the high cost of satellite.
In my case, I did try and try to get something faster than dial-up internet. Spent over a year having 5 different companies come out to my location and do their site surveys, testing, etc. to see if their wireless, DSL, or whatever would work. Nope, nothing worked and I basically just gave up on the idea. Too far out for DSL, for wireless in my local town, I was down in a hole, for wireless in other cities, they couldn't reach me. Figured that eventually a wireless tower or whatever would finally reach my location, and just forgot for a time about getting faster internet.
Finally heard about Direcway and gave a dealer a call. The dealer was super and helpful. Sounded good but it sure was expensive. After paying only $19.95/mo for dial-up for many years, the $59.99 charge monthly plus start up costs of $599 were steep, but I was sick of the slow speeds.
Gave a supplier a call and they arranged someone to come out to install. It was a COLD Saturday on the 13th of December with snow and wind and all, and someone from 120 miles distant drove in. The install went well, I assisted and we had a couple of problems to re-align the disk and get a good signal, but it basically went well.
I am really pleased with the new system. Direcway rocks in my mind. Other than a couple of very minor probs, this has been an excellent investment. I have to admit that I have not had to deal with tech support, etc. yet. Perhaps, that makes for a lot better review? I did contact tech support (email) right after the install and got a prompt response from them.
My wife and daughter are both networked on their respective computers to the Direcway, too. I'm a hero to them after getting this service. Doesn't get too much better than that.
Followup comments:  BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI | Rating If it's so crappy(and they are) then why the high rating? | |
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