FAQ


1. How fast are HughesNet Business services?
2. What connection speeds will I typically get with HughesNet?
3. How fast are HughesNet Business services compared to other high-speed services?
4. Which HughesNet service is right for my business?
5. What is the difference between HughesNet business service plans and the consumer service plans?
6. Can I run a small local area network with HughesNet?
7. Why is there a requirement that the HughesNet system be professionally installed?
8. What is transmission latency?
9. Can I run a VPN using HughesNet for business?
10. Why does the service slow down when used in conjunction with a VPN?
11. Can I put this system on a boat or in an RV?




1. How fast are HughesNet Business services? (back to top)
FAST—a world apart from your dial-up connection! HughesNet offers two service plans for business. HughesNet Business Internet provides maximum download speeds of 2 Mbps, and maximum upload speeds of 500 Kbps. HughesNet Small Office service plan provides maximum download speeds of 1.5 Mbps, and maximum upload speeds of 300 Kbps. You’ll download files in seconds, access email instantly, and share information easier and faster with customers, partners, and suppliers.


2. What connection speeds will I typically get with HughesNet? (back to top)
With the HughesNet Small Office service plan, you may enjoy maximum download speeds of 1.5 Mbps, with typical speeds of about 800 Kbps during peak times. Upload speeds, which are capable of reaching 300Kbps, are typically about 185 Kbps during peak hours.

With the HughesNet Business Internet plan, connect your office to the Internet with maximum download speeds of 2.0 Mbps, with typical speeds about 1.2 Mbps during peak times. Upload speeds, which are capable of reaching 500 Kbps, are typically 300 Kbps during peak hours.


3. How fast are HughesNet Business services compared to other high-speed services? (back to top)
HughesNet provides download speed performance similar to other broadband services. The user experience is excellent when downloading Web pages, emails, or large data files. At the same time, satellite "upload" speeds (for sending data) are more appropriate for general Internet use, such as browsing the Internet, email, online ordering, etc. and not appropriate for higher speed demands of Website hosting, as an example.


4. Which HughesNet service is right for my business? (back to top)
HughesNet delivers a wide range of innovative and scalable network solutions to enterprises and small-to-medium businesses, and allows consumers and teleworkers everywhere to enjoy the excitement and convenience of high-speed Internet from home.

For small home offices, HughesNet Professional service is generally recommended.
For small businesses looking for connectivity at a commercial location, HughesNet offers two service plans:
- HughesNet Small Office
- HughesNet Business Internet


5. What is the difference between HughesNet business service plans and the consumer service plans? (back to top)
SPEED! HughesNet Small Office and HughesNet Business Internet service plans provide larger transmission resources than the Home and Professional plans. As such, they provide a higher level of overall performance for a multi-user, small business environment. Some of the other key differences include: commercial installation of a slightly larger antenna for faster upload and download speeds and higher reliability; the ability to download larger files more frequently; a greater number of open TCP sessions; and additional static IP addresses.


6. Can I run a small local area network with HughesNet? (back to top)
Yes, you can connect multiple computers and laptops to a single HughesNet Internet connection, so your staff can enjoy fast downloading and instant access to the Internet. HughesNet Small Office is optimized to accommodate up to 5 concurrent users, while HughesNet Business Internet is optimized for up to 10 concurrent users. Additional networking equipment, not included in your HughesNet system, may be required. For network setup, support, and configuration contact your network hardware manufacturer and/or operating system software developer. HUGHES® is not responsible for network configuration or management.

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.


7. Why is there a requirement that the HughesNet system be professionally installed? (back to top)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that trained professionals install any two-way satellite system.


8. What is transmission latency? (back to top)
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 a second delay to the total time your computer takes to communicate with a website or host server. Most back-office applications, e-commerce transactions, and common business applications work very well over HughesNet. Business applications that require response times in fractions-of-a-second (such as web hosting, VoIP, and video conferencing) are not recommended over satellite.


9. Can I run a VPN using HughesNet for business? (back to top)
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.
Note: HughesNet technical support does not provide help with configuring or troubleshooting problems associated with VPN clients.

*** HughesNet does offer an end-to-end VPN accelerator solution for large corporations and government agencies. This accelerator delivers higher connection speeds over VPN. Go to vpn.HughesNet.com for more information.


10. Why does the service slow down when used in conjunction with a VPN? (back to top)
HughesNet 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 HughesNet network. The encrypted data cannot be processed by HughesNet's acceleration techniques, therefore resulting in slower performance.


11. Can I put this system on a boat or in an RV? (back to top)
HughesNet Home and Professional service is available for non-mobile (fixed) locations. To receive mobile high-speed Internet service, please visit the MotoSAT section of our website.