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Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member

250 MB daily cap limit (Fraud by HughesNet?)

I was questioning the method they used in tracking 250 MB download cap, today early on the cap was reached, ok, added a token, then about 9 hours later, its hit its limit again. I am thinking, no way since no one here is streaming videos or playing games.

2 people currently on the router, me I am not on the computer but about 7-8 times a day for about 5-10 mins, few mins ago I decided to download a 1 MB program which tracks data transfer on my computer, this was about 30 mins ago, so far have not downloaded more than 2 MBs of data. So you consider rounding up to 2 megs multiplying by 48 (48 times their is 30 min increments within a 24 hour period) = 96 Megs. With 1 laptop and 1 pc running, 96 x 2 = 192.

This is 58 MBs off the 250 MB cap limit.

But this is an average over a 24 hour period, it so happens hughesnet goes unlimited between 2 and 7 am I think it is. So their is this 5 hour gap you can subtract off the 48 thirty minute increments that currently are averaging.

I am really failing to see how cap limits are reached so quickly and sounds like an attempt by hughesnet to force people into buying the $5 tokens very often.

It seems they backed off a good bit by bribing with 3 complimentary tokens upon asking where hughesnet HQ is located in order to make complaints through the BBB.

grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY

grohgreg

Member

1. have you reviewed your hourly usage report? Perhaps it can lend a clue as to how much was being used when.
2. is your home network secure or public? and if secure, how many people have the password?
3. have you turn off all the auto-updates on both computers that (you know) are connected to the modem?
4. have you compared notes with the 2nd (known) person on the router as to how much was downloaded and when?
5. do you understand that downloads must start after 0200 and end before 0700? Any that are (a) started before 0200 then end after 0200 or (b) started before 0700 and end after 0700 are automatically subtracted from your daily allowance.

..greg..

compuguybna
join:2009-06-17
Nashville, TN

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bbbdc@hughes.net
executivecustomercare@hughes.net
william.smouse@hns.com

Its the BBB of Maryland (DC area)
said by Sarentack:

It seems they backed off a good bit by bribing with 3 complimentary tokens upon asking where hughesnet HQ is located in order to make complaints through the BBB.

Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack to grohgreg

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to grohgreg
1. Well on this computer since 10:30 PM last night (its 10:30 am currently) This computer has downloaded 29 MB, about 1 1/2 hour of that 29 me online browsing, the rest is keeping services like yahoo IM active and such.

2. network is secure, need the WEP key to access the connection.

3. auto updates are on on mine, but its set to not install, so I know if some was downloaded. Other laptop is up to date all the way.

4. About to today.

5. Yes, hardly anything activity between those times though, everyone is in bed.

I am just finding it very hard to see a 250 MB cap limit reached as quickly as hughesnet says.
One More Too
join:2010-09-09
Galena, IL

One More Too

Member

said by Sarentack:

3. auto updates are on on mine, but its set to not install, so I know if some was downloaded. Other laptop is up to date all the way.

The only way to make sure that Windows is not downloading updates is to set the updates to inform you when updates are available and to let you manually decide what to download and when.

This week was the major Windows update for the month, and it was a pretty large one. Each of my two Windows 7 machines had over 80 MB worth of updates. If you have your computers set to auto, I'm confident that you had large update downloads on either Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member

might of been Tuesday when i got mine.

I never started really looking into the cap limits until last night.

grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY

1 edit

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So I guess your answer to #1 is no. If you're unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, you have to log into your HughesNet account online to review the current and most recent 24 hour periods.

And your answer to #3 is not reassuring. Hell, a single service pack can eat up your 250MB daily allowance in a single bite. I had VISTA updates totaling nearly 100MB one day last week, and one single HP update on this Win7 machine yesterday of 152MB. If your computer is anything like most others in the world, there can be literally dozens of individual auto-updates to address on any given machine. And the advice given is sound; set them to only notify you before the fact. At that point you can pre-determine if a large update could put you into FAP status.

Again; log into your HughesNet account, and see just how much was actually downloaded, and when. Then perhaps you'll realize that you may have pulled the trigger on your fraud accusation just a tad early.

//greg//
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member

Can the hughesnet site to check that really be accurate and not some inflated number?

grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY

grohgreg

Member

I've had a Hughes connection since before they even started tracking that kind of stuff. Haven't once had cause to take issue with their accounting in all that time. To the best of my understanding, the online usage report is compiled from data provided by your modem. If data wasn't recorded as having been processed by the modem, it doesn't go on the usage report.

That said, I did experience one otherwise unexplainable FAP. Neither I nor tech support could figure out how it happened. And a small number of customers have (rarely) reported usage accumulation when were allegedly powered down. I say allegedly, because some folks don't understand that the modem still talks to the gateway - even if the computer that's attached to it is shut down. Anyway, that opens up the possibility that the usage data within the modem may on rare occasions experience corruption (due to cable short, static electricity, power problems, et cetera) .

//greg//
marsh_0x
join:2006-04-25
Tomahawk, WI

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said by Sarentack:

Can the hughesnet site to check that really be accurate and not some inflated number?

Hi Sarentack
If you don't trust, I use the free »www.softperfect.com/prod ··· networx/ sits in my system tray for immediate results.

»www.softperfect.com/prod ··· networx/
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This is the data from the program running since 10:30 PM last night.

62 MB total download since then with a 78 MB total transfer.

Nimblewill
join:2007-08-17
Dahlonega, GA

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You might want to check your computers for malware.
The last time I hit the FAP, one PC on the network was infected with malware and downloading 100's of MB a day.
I recommend Malwarebytes Free and Superantispware Free.
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member

mine is at peek performance, checking other persons laptop and all though.
One More Too
join:2010-09-09
Galena, IL

One More Too

Member

Over the last few years on this board, I can recall a number of people who have complained about their bandwidth draining faster than it should.

Frequently, the cause has been some form of malware. Often, the cause has been Windows or other software update downloads that the user was not aware of. I can also recall a couple of instances where the cause was some sort of denial of service attack on a Hughes gateway.

On the other hand, I don't recall any confirmed instance of some sort of "accounting" error by Hughes denying people of the bandwidth that they deserved.

In your case, I'd guess that the culprit is the large Windows updates this week. When you check Windows update logs, you can only determine when the updates were actually installed. You cannot determine when the downloads actually took place. Even when you schedule Windows updates for a particular time, you are only scheduling the installation time for the updates. Windows will still download the updates at a time of their convenience. Again, the only way to control when Windows update downloads occur is to manually download the updates.

Also, even if you think your computer is clean, I would suggest, as did Nimblewill, that you run scans with the free versions of Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware. They are each capable of finding things that other scans, including anti-virus scans won't find. For example, a couple of years ago, one of my computers had been infected with a rather insidious downloader Trojan that was constantly draining bandwidth at a rate as high as 75-80 MB per hour. A number of AV and malware scans could not find it, and only SuperAntiSpyware was able to find it.

Tweakbl
join:2008-09-25
Rosedale, WV

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Consider this....they never had tokens till about a year ago.

It is not a thing Hughesnet implemented lightly.Do they make money off them?I am sure they do,is it supposed to hurt a little when buying them?I am sure they have the Refill figured to the cent of how much it costs them to refill the bucket(Especially since there are those that will go all willy nilly with it).

Check all the things Greg has suggested (Especially the second user) then make sure Adobe is not downloading to.

Anti Virus is usually not a huge updater by the way.Although if you do it on several machines at once I could see it hitting the 250 MB a tad hard.That is why you need a bit of a backup storage flash drive for apps to share between PC's (Networks work good to for this)
Tweakbl

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I do not update Windows till a Service Pack rolls out.
However I do not recommend this to Joe User.
Its just not safe and can bite you on the rear if not careful.

You should have a option (Win XP did) to turn them off but notify you when they hit.
Tweakbl

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Cool that is ReadErrors Meter that I believe he never updated for Win Vista/7.He either sold it or marketed it himself or possibly had it stolen by a bigger software company.

»www.metal-machine.de/readerror/

If that is Readerrors version you are running.....It is not confirmed 100% on Vista and 7.
Tweakbl

Tweakbl

Member

Sarentack may I please have the name of the meter you use?

I remember once downloading a paid meter that looked EXACTLY as readerrors.

grohgreg
Dunno. Ask The Chief
join:2001-07-05
Dawson Springs, KY

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said by Tweakbl:

Anti Virus is usually not a huge updater by the way.

Unless it's something like a Norton version update that is. I got one of those a couple weeks ago. Don't remember the file size, but it was not insignificant especially since I have Norton on multiple computers.

As an example of just downloading an update once, my default download folder location is on a networked attached storage device. With that single copy, I then manually update the PCs over the home network.

//greg//
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack to Tweakbl

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to Tweakbl
Meter I use is netmeter.

Tweakbl
join:2008-09-25
Rosedale, WV

Tweakbl

Member

I am in the Netmeter forums looking around.
I remember once,been years ago,when I found Netmeter.About the time I got Hughesnet installed and before the Hughesnet Meter was up and running and also in that time that HNFapmon was not working on the 9000s.
I got it and then I found another meter that looked just like it.Readerror released the Source code on it so any Tom Dick or Hairy could have picked it up and Modified it by now.But There was someone out there that was selling copies on it as Trial Ware.

Anyway.Greg,thats why back when I first started coming around this Forum I dove into IPCop was its ability to handle and cache updates for things like Anti Virus and stuff.
I have since moved on,IPCop is a bit of a Pain for simple easy networking for a home.Although it is fun to learn with it.
Tweakbl

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I found the people who "Borrowed" the stuff from Readerror.
They have new versions out but I save everything and found a Old version of the App.And yes they want you to pay for "Their" work.

I feel rather sure that Readerrors app which is coded in Delphi,was stolen and messed with by the people at DUMeter.»www.hageltech.com/dumete ··· eenshots

I have the old app which shows a very different user interface then the one in the pics at the above link....also they never even change the freakin Icons in the old version....I mean Pixal by Pixal match ups to the Icons in Readerrors app.

This guy...Readerror...he made this app while in college and he could have probably made a nice income off the proceeds that DUMeter stole from him. (Unless I am absurdly wrong about the theft and he actually approved it or some such.)

motoracer
join:2003-09-15
united state

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WEP is not a secure method of encryption - it can be cracked in minutes. Use WPA/WPA2 only.

Just Rachel
occasional optimist
Premium Member
join:2003-07-10

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Check every program you have on your machine for the ability to disable auto updating. I know that iTunes always has huge updates, for one. Nothing but your AV and other security programs should auto update.
marsh_0x
join:2006-04-25
Tomahawk, WI

marsh_0x

Member

Hi for what it's worth
Win updates have been always been the 2nd Tuesday of the month was the 14th.
Since the O/P posted on the 15th might help explain why.

250MB and using tokens any consideration to going to a higher package if using tokens a lot ?

Otherwise turn off Updates to not download and plan 13 March for next month, granted they might have a mid month but will be a small one.
Sarentack
join:2008-02-07
Lumberton, MS

Sarentack

Member

Well heres an update on all of this, removed what tracking cookies and spyware their was on the laptop. Kept it out.

last 2 days a token has had to be used as early as 10 in the morning, including this morning, as I type this, this is the first time I been on the internet this morning and my DL meter for the night is 18.1 MB DL since mid night, between 2-6 its unlimited.

So something is going on somewhere, that laptop did not download an entire 250 MB since midnight and outside the unlimited period.

This has been 2 days straight.