The NEW myHughesNet.com Portal!

With more features, content, and easier navigation, the NEW myHughesNet.com site delivers a robust portal experience to HughesNet^® subscribers. Beginning September 11, 2008 new and existing customers will be provided with a feature-rich portal designed to deliver a state-of-the-art online experience.

The new features include:

• Branded content offerings from CNN, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, Reuters, CelebTV.com, and Tribune Media Services.
• Fully customizable screen. HughesNet subscribers can personalize their portal to meet their needs and interests, by dragging and dropping content widgets, accessing local content that is Zip Code based, or setting up quick links to favorite site with embedded password access.
• Easy to navigate. It is all right there... top stories and relevant information the minute you hit the Web page. No fumbling around to find out what's happening.
• Integrated mail feature. One-click mail authentication and summary mail display right on portal.
• Controls and Management Tools. Permission-based access tools give the head of household the tools to control surfing activity of family members.

Check out the new Website on September 11 and be sure to set your homepage to www.myHughesNet.com

Can I use HughesNet to run a small network?

Yes, you can connect multiple computers and laptops to a single HughesNet Internet connection. 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 satosphere.com and HughesNet are not responsible for network configuration or management.

Please understand that 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.

Satellite Internet-HughesNet Offering Faster Upgrades

HughesNet Satellite Internet has made major upgrades in it's high-speed anywhere service. Marketing primarily to under served areas that are out of reach from DSL, Cable and fiber-to-premises (FTP) such as Verizon FIOS.

Most prominently, a larger download speed capacity on virtually all plans available for homes and businesses. Noticeably, the Elite Service Plan which has download speeds increased to 5.0 Mbps at 90 times faster than dial-up.

Price-wise, HughesNet remains on a competitive edge and has ramped up the "$0" upfront cost on it's Promotional Plan as demand for broadband internet is escalating within the 48 contiguous states.

Another change is the elimination of the .98 cm dish for applications to higher bandwidth demand. With the launch of a new satellite, the .74 cm dish is quite adequate for all service and less obtrusive on rooftops.

http://www.satosphere.com

How Fast Is HughesNet Compared To Others?

Another great question our way recently, "How fast are HughesNet Business services compared to other high-speed services?"

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, for example.

Comparatively, Dish or DirecTV satellite services offer only a fast download speed, not two-way up and down. These services still rely on dial-up upload speeds.

How fast is HughesNet connections?

FAST — a world apart from your dial-up connection! HughesNet offers two service plans for home users. The HughesNet Professional service plan provides download speeds up to 1 Mbps and upload speeds up to 200 Kbps. The HughesNet Home service plan delivers download speeds up to 700 Kbps and upload speeds up to 128 Kbps.

The HughesNet Business Internet service plan provides maximum download speeds of 2.0Mbps, and maximum upload speeds of 500Kbps. HughesNet Small Office service plan provides maximum download speeds of 1.5Mbps, and maximum upload speeds of 300Kbps. You’ll download files in seconds, access email instantly, and share information easier and faster with customers, partners and suppliers.

All Internet technologies (satellite or land-based) share available network bandwidth in one way or another; therefore, actual speeds may vary.

Stated speeds are not guaranteed. Actual upload speed will likely be lower than speed indicated during peak hours. Download speeds may also be temporarily slowed in cases when patterns of system usage exceed the download threshold for an extended period of time. See the HughesNet Fair Access Policy for more information. If you choose to run VPN over satellite, your data speeds may be reduced by as much as 50-75%. Despite the high speeds available through HughesNet, time-sensitive applications, such as multi-player twitch games, are also not recommended over HughesNet.

HughesNet and VPN

A question was asked whether or not you can run a VPN over HughesNet service.

Yes, but running a VPN (Virtual Private Network) 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. HughesNet Small Office and HughesNet Business Internet service plans are best suited for VPN.

SSL-based VPN products have proven to work more efficiently over satellite than IPSEC-Based VPN products. For questions or recommendations on a VPN product that will work more effectively with your HughesNet system, please contact one of our Satellite Internet Specialists by calling our toll-free number.

Note: HughesNet Technical Support does not provide help with configuring or troubleshooting problems associated with VPN clients. For questions about your VPN product, please contact the manufacturer's tech support.

See also: http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Configure-VPN-Connection-Windows-XP.html

Echo Hill Media Extends A Hand To Extend High-Speed

New media services company, Echo Hill Media, LLC has announced that it will partner with Germantown, MD based ISP, HughesNet, to market it's high-speed satellite internet service throughout the U.S. by way of it's newly created website, satosphere.com.

With approximately 80 million households having internet access; one-third of those subscribers are already immersed with high-speed internet. However, there remains a market of 13 to 15 million, particularly in rural or beyond extended DSL and cable areas, that have been waiting to almost no avail for faster broadband access.

“It wasn't hard to see the consumer demand, as well as the growth potential that satellite internet has to offer”, said EHM CEO Bryan Thompson. “Today's and tomorrow's connections rely on not only faster speeds, but enabling capacity for larger file downloads and transfers.”

There are approximately 3.4 million small businesses that are under-served, left with dial-up, or WI-FI in extended service areas. An environment that can be costly in a short period of time.

“This paves the way not only for the convenience of optimum service but provides a boost for small and home-based businesses, another explosive trend”, Thompson added.

HughesNet, traces it's beginning to 1971, as Hughes Network Systems and became a part of Hughes Electronics a subsidiary of General Motors, which also owned DirecTV. The internet service was marketed as Direcway. As Hughes Electronics was sold to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, HNS was spun off seperately from DirecTV. Today it is recognized as a leader in satellite high speed internet service. Utilizing a direct two-way communication link from satellite dishes, the upload and download speed times are fast with no need for phone lines.

Specializing in new media services, Echo Hill Media currently operates internet radio station and website GUS.FM and Echo Hill Productions, primarily an audio broadcast production service for TV, radio and audio/visual presentations.