Hughesnet Troubleshooting: How to Fix Hughesnet Problems and Connection Issues

If your Hughesnet internet isn’t working, you first need to power cycle your modem and router. To do that, unplug the modem and router (or a modem/router combo, sometimes called a gateway) for at least five minutes. Then, replug the devices and wait two minutes while the network resets. This should clear up the most common Hughesnet problems.

But if that doesn’t work, never fear. We’ve got a short list of Hughesnet troubleshooting items you can try yourself before resorting to Hughesnet customer service.

Jumplinks

• Upgrade your internet plan
• Quick Hughesnet internet fixes
• How to speed up Hughesnet
• Hughesnet FAQ

If you keep running out of Hughesnet data, and then your internet speeds can't deliver, it may be time to consider upgrading your plan or switching satellite providers entirely. Hughesnet caps out at 200GB per billing period, while Viasat offers unlimited high-speed data, albeit with a soft cap of 850GB.

1. Reset your modem
2. Check your data allotment
3. Test your devices
4. Check your satellite dish
5. Double-check your last Hughesnet bill payment
6. Run a modem diagnostic test
7. Check if there’s bad weather
8. Test the power
9. Report an outage

We mentioned this above, but power cycling, rebooting, or hard resetting (they all mean the same thing) your modem/router should always be your first-stop when troubleshooting slow Hughesnet internet—or any internet service provider issues, really.

Resetting your modem is easy:

1. Unplug your Hughesnet modem/router
2. Wait 2–5 minutes
3. Plug the modem/router back in
4. Test the connection

We recommend using our Hughesnet speed test after your hard reset to see how your connection’s working. If your internet speed is still too slow, or the connection is poor, check out our other ways to solve Hughesnet problems below.

Many routers can run hot and will automatically power down if they overheat, so be sure you put yours in a well-ventilated spot in your home and keep it clear of dust. 

Keep in mind that a hard reset can also fix problems with your TV, gaming consoles, or other WiFi-enabled devices if they’re having trouble connecting online.

If you’re experiencing drastically slow download speeds, you’ll first want to check your Hughesnet data usage.

Although Hughesnet advertises unlimited data, it doesn't provide unlimited high-speed, priority data. Once you’ve used up your monthly priority data allotment (100GB or 200GB), you’ll get significantly slower speeds. Your speeds will be throttled down to 1–3Mbps, which could explain things if you’re experiencing slow download speeds.

Check how you’re doing on Hughesnet data, sign into your Hughesnet app or log in to your account online. You get only a certain amount of high-speed priority data per month, depending on your plan.

If you can’t connect to your home Wi-Fi network on your desired device, check to see if you can connect to another. If you can, then it isn't your internet provider that’s the problem—it's the device you’re using.

Once you’ve determined your device is the problem, what do you do? We suggest first restarting it. Sometimes your computer or phone just needs a quick break and reconnect, just like wireless routers do.

To make a restart of your computer even more effective, we suggest clearing your cache first. That’ll give your browser a fresh start with the internet and help get rid of any of the baggage it’s picked up along the way.

If your internet signal is unsteady, it could be your satellite dish. First, go out and check on it. There could be snow, ice, tree branches, and other debris like animal nests building up on your satellite dish.

Clear debris to get your signal back, but be careful not to knock the dish out of position. This is also a good time to check your satellite dish’s screw and mounting equipment just to make sure it’s all holding steady.

If your Hughesnet satellite has already been knocked out of place or looks obviously damaged, call Hughesnet to get a technician to repair or reposition the dish.

Hughesnet, like all other internet service providers, will eventually shut off your internet connection if you don’t pay your bill. So if you can’t seem to connect to your service at all, check your last payment again and make sure it went through.

For example, if you’ve set up your Hughesnet bill with autopay and your credit card expired or your account was overdrawn, the payment might not have gone through.

Reach out to the following if something’s gone wrong with your bill payment:

• Hughesnet’s customer service
• Call a customer representative at 866-482-1777

Your modem is what translates Hughesnet’s signal into an internet connection you can use. So if something’s gone wrong with your modem, you could experience a Hughesnet internet outage.

To fix this, you’ll want to log in to your Hughesnet app and use its tool to run a diagnostic test. To do that, follow these steps:

• Log in to the Hughesnet System Control Center
• Go to diagnostic utilities
• Select "Connectivity test"
• Hit "Problem troubleshooting"

This diagnostic test should check both Hughesnet’s signal and your modem’s software for any issues. If there are, you’ll get a notification informing you that Hughesnet is on the case. If there aren’t, it’s time to check the rest of our troubleshooting to-do list.

Satellite internet is heavily affected by weather, much like satellite TV providers. Bad weather like heavy cloud cover, rain, thunderstorms, or snow could weaken your satellite dish’s signal. Check out our guide on how weather affects internet service for more.

Fortunately, the weather problem resolves itself eventually. Your connection will return to normal once the weather clears—or once you brush snow out of your satellite dish. If your issue requires the latter, just remember to prioritize your safety over the dish while doing so, especially if it’s set up on your roof.

If the power goes out in your neighborhood, your Hughesnet equipment won’t have any electricity to run on, leading to an internet outage to boot.

If you need internet access during emergencies, you can get a portable power backup or a generator. We suggest these, especially for people living in rural areas far out from cities, as rural areas can be the last to receive electricity repairs in emergencies.

Sometimes internet service outages occur that are completely out of your control, and there’s nothing to do about them but wait. With a satellite internet provider like Hughesnet, outages usually come from damage or power outages at a ground station, major weather issues, or other unexpected satellite problems.

You can find out if there’s a Hughesnet internet outage in your area by calling Hughesnet customer service (866-482-1777) or by checking DownDetector (using your cell phone data, if you have it).

Usually, Hughesnet internet outages are resolved quickly, but in the case of major natural disasters, you may be out of connection for a while.

So you’ve found the reason why your Hughesnet internet speed has been causing problems. Great, but you still feel like you’re not getting the download speeds you should. There are a couple of ways you can squeeze out some extra speed and latency without breaking your contract and jumping ship.

Wi-Fi is always slightly less reliable than a hard-wired connection. If you’re really in need of a faster, more reliable version of your connection, grab yourself an ethernet cable and plug your device into your modem/router directly.

You can check how the direct connection affects your download speed using our Hughesnet speed test.

Keep in mind that an ethernet cable won’t improve your Hughesnet satellite speeds. So it won’t magically increase your speed past 25 Mbps. You’ll just get access to more of the speed you do have than you might over Wi-Fi connections.

If you’ve eaten up your data allowance for the month and are now experiencing crawling speeds because of it, there’s a simple way back to full broadband speeds: buying Hughesnet Data Tokens.

Sure, we don’t like having to buy extra data either. But if you’re in a temporary tight spot and need your internet connection back to full strength immediately, then Hughesnet’s data tokens are the way to go.

Fortunately, if you don’t end up using the whole amount you buy, Hughesnet’s data tokens don’t expire (unlike Viasat’s extra purchased data). You can keep your remaining data and let it roll over until you need it again. If you have to buy data, rollover data is the way to go, so points to Hughesnet on that.

If you need more than a temporary fix for your slowed speeds, it might be time to upgrade to a Hughesnet plan with more data so you don’t chew through the premium stuff so quickly.

If none of these data plans seem enough for your needs, and you’re ready to face the daunting sight of early termination fees, then it may be time to switch to a different provider entirely.

Starlink offers truly unlimited satellite internet, unlike Hughesnet and Viasat, but it’s the least available so you might not be able to get it. Viasat, meanwhile, has bigger data caps than Hughesnet at least, but it’s also nearly twice as expensive. Weigh up what matters most to you and check out internet providers in your area before making a decision.

The quick and dirty way to get a better Hughesnet signal is to reset your modem/router. If that doesn’t work, look into Wi-Fi boosters or read our Best Satellite Internet Providers comparison to see if your needs require a different provider altogether.

To reset your Hughesnet Wi-Fi internet connection, turn your router/modem off and on again. This is also called recycling. If that doesn’t work, contact Hughesnet customer service and ask a representative to refresh your connection.

If you’re trying to stream TV with Hughesnet service and you keep running into the loading circle of death, it’s probably a combination of one of three things:

1. Satellite internet has higher latency, which means it’s not the most optimal service for streaming. But with enough data and at the right time of day, you’ll generally be fine.
2. Hughesnet gets congested at peak times. So if you’re trying to stream Netflix—at the same time most people in your area are doing the same thing—then you’re likely to encounter more buffering.
3. It’s possible you’ve run out of premium data for the month, causing your speeds to slow.

If you're frustrated with buffering, then try downloading your movies or shows, instead of streaming them.

Hughesnet Wi-Fi is its slowest when you’ve exceeded your monthly data cap, run into , or you’ve run into bad weather nearby that’s interfering with your satellite’s signal.

There’s nothing you can do to make Hughesnet Wi-Fi faster than the maximum 100Mbps download speed offered in the top package. But if you’ve found your Wi-Fi signal is dropping in certain parts of your house, try a Wi-Fi booster to extend your internet signal where you need it.

A Wi-Fi booster won’t make your Hughesnet service any faster, but it can extend your satellite internet signal to areas it currently can’t reach. Places like basements, garages, or even nearby barns get a lot of good use out of Wi-Fi boosters.

Your Hughesnet modem should update its firmware automatically. But if you want to check on your modem or run diagnostics, check out our modem diagnostic test instructions above.

Our SatelliteInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on research, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. We dig deep to get hard-to-find information on internet plans, fees, and upcoming brand developments. We make this information easy for you to find in one place via our in-depth reviews, and we use our satellite internet industry expertise to analyze the options to help you make the most informed decision for your household.