Is HughesNet Gen5 Good for Streaming Netflix?

Streaming TV is fast becoming an integral part of American homes in one way or the other, and so is Netflix. There is hardly another streaming service which comes close to the popularity Netflix enjoys, not just in the U.S. rather worldwide. But what do you do when you choose to trade in urban amenities for the calm and quite of rural America? If a wireline network does not reach you, or all you have is a slow DSL connection, how do you stream your Netflix favorites?

Well, if you haven’t yet considered HughesNet Gen5 Internet for your rural home, perhaps this is where it can save the day for you. Because HughesNet delivers a broadband service which covers the U.S. from coast to coast. You can be anywhere under the clear southern sky, and connect to the World Wide Web via high-speed internet.

But with all that we know about satellite internet in general, isn’t it logical to wonder how good HughesNet Internet service is for streaming Netflix. You may ask. And, the question is indeed valid. Which is why our today’s article takes a look at different aspects of streaming Netflix with HughesNet Gen5 Internet. So read on…

What is HughesNet Gen5 Internet?

HughesNet Gen5 Internet connects you to the World Wide Web via a next-gen satellite communications architecture. The EchoStar XIX Satellite and JUPITER System technology sit at its core. EchoStar XIX, the world’s highest capacity broadband satellite, is able to connect a greater number of households and businesses across the mainland U.S. as well as in Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, with fast satellite speeds. This way, America’s top-rated satellite internet service provider keeps you connected even in areas where no terrestrial infrastructure is able to stretch its limits.   

HughesNet Gen5 delivers 25 Mbps downloads and 3 Mbps uploads with all its plans. Plans are categorized not on the basis of speed, as we usually see with wired internet offers, rather data. You get 4 options, and depending on your usage you can go for 10 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB or 50 GB. Plus HughesNet gives all subscribers 50 GB Bonus Zone data which accounts for all activity during off peak hours i.e. between 2 am and 8 am. You can use the bonus allowance for scheduled heavy downloads, system updates etc.

While there is a data cap, HughesNet does not charge you an overage fee for exceeding the limit. You stay connected at slower speeds until the next billing cycle starts. And if you want you can also purchase Data Token for those off and on instances of heavy usage.

The integrated satellite modem comes with built-in advanced WiFi router function, and connects multiple devices. The device features the latest standards of WiFi technology, is dual band, and delivers a fast and secure connection for all your devices throughout the home.

Is HughesNet Internet fast enough for streaming Netflix?

Now that you know HughesNet Gen 5 delivers 25/3 Mbps downloads/uploads, let us see what speed is recommended by Netflix for streaming its video content.

Netflix Video Quality	Recommended Speed
For Standard Definition Video (SD)	3 Mbps
For High Definition Video (HD)	5 Mbps
For 4K Ultra HD (UHD)	25 Mbps

 

As you can see, the speed HughesNet delivers is good for streaming Netflix in any picture format really. Albeit, if you have more devices connected to the network, you’ll have to restrict yourself to a lower picture format, so as to keep everyone in the family connected.

Here it is worth noting, while the average user download speed is around 30 Mbps, HughesNet Gen5 delivered speeds vary with your location. For instance, if you are in Germantown, Maryland, you may as well experience speeds as high as 136 Mbps. But in Louisville, Kentucky downloads may not be any faster than 26 Mbps. Meaning, where you are located can play a big role in getting better than advertised download speeds.

For this reason, once you are subscribed, do run a speed test to see what exactly is the HughesNet delivered speed at your address. This will give you a fairly accurate idea of how many devices can connect simultaneously alongside streaming Netflix. As a side note, keep in mind the Netflix app allows you to choose the Auto setting so that the highest possible quality can be delivered based on your current speed. And, chances are you won’t face issues when only a couple other users or devices are connected to the same network.

How does HughesNet Internet data work for streaming Netflix?

We have said earlier, HughesNet plans are categorized by the data allowance you get with each. Now, let’s see how much data does streaming Netflix consume. Note that Netflix offers the following data usage settings. Plus there is the Auto setting we’ve just talked about. 

Netflix Data Usage Setting	Max. Amount of Data Used
Low (Basic video quality)	0.3 GB/hr.
Medium (Standard video quality)	0.7 GB/hr.
High (Best video quality)?Standard-Definition	1 GB/hr.
High (Best video quality)?High-Definition	3 GB/hr.
High (Best video quality)?Ultra-High Definition	7 GB/hr.

 

Next let us take a look at the estimated number of hours each HughesNet plan will allow you every month with its specified data allowance. Of course, you are not going to use all your data on Netflix when you’ve a rather stringent limit. But the little math here can give you a good idea of what you’ll be looking at when you must also take into account other household usage that needs to run parallel to streaming. 

HughesNet Internet Plan	10 GB Monthly Data	20 GB Monthly Data	30 GB Monthly Data	50 GB Monthly Data
Low (Basic video quality)	Approx. 33 hrs.	Approx. 66 hrs.	Approx. 99 hrs.	Approx. 166 hrs.
Medium (Standard video quality)	Approx. 14 hrs.	Approx. 28 hrs.	Approx. 42 hrs.	Approx. 70 hrs.
High (Best video quality)?SD	10 hrs.	20 hrs.	30 hrs.	50 hrs.
High (Best video quality)?HD	Approx. 3 hrs.	Approx. 6 hrs.	Approx. 9 hrs.	Approx. 15 hrs.

 

Don’t forget, 50 GB Bonus Zone data is there to help you stream your Netflix favorites during off-peak hours. Maybe a bit uncomfortable if you are an early bird. But, this may just save the day for you.  

To sum it up you are likely to find yourself restricted with streaming Netflix on a HughesNet plan, especially when other usage is also involved. But if you don’t have another viable high-speed internet option, a HughesNet Internet plan that fits your regular family usage as well as Netflix streaming needs, can be the answer. Just make sure you also have a fair estimate of the data demands of all other routine online activities when you pick a plan.

How does latency affect streaming Netflix via HughesNet Gen5?

You must have already heard about the high latency factor with satellite internet. Latency measures the lag or delay that occurs when digital info travels from your machine to a server. And, ping time tells you about how long it takes for digital data to make a round trip, i.e. from your machine to the server, and back to you.

Now with the HughesNet satellite communications infrastructure, digital data needs to travel about 22,000 miles out in the space, to the satellite in its geosynchronous orbit around earth. The satellite contacts the HughesNet Network Operations Center on earth, and your connection to the internet is established. The information is beamed back to you via the same route. Albeit the signal travels a very long distance to complete its journey, the delay it translates into is about a half a second.  

Elon Musk has achieved to bring the max value down to 88 ms, and is working to reduce it further down to below 20 ms, for SpaceX Starlink Internet (still in its Beta Testing phase). But, the latency issue is inherent to satellite internet with how the technology currently works. It averages at around 600 milliseconds (ms) for the widely available satellite internet options in the U.S.

Now, high latency does limit you to play Strategy and Turn-based online games, and is not right for any game that requires a rapid response. But, as for streaming on demand content via Netflix, that isn’t  affected. Do keep in mind, when streaming live on YouTube or Twitch you will note a delay between your actions on camera and the video feed.

Stream more via HughesNet Internet with these tips 

• Restrict HD streaming?HD video consumes 3 times the data relative to SD. You can restrict the video quality to SD for streaming routine shows, and keep High-Def reserved for special visual treats such as the Lord of the Rings, Hobbit or Avatar.
• Shut down unnecessary apps?make sure a DVR or a gaming console, a file sharing or an auto backup program etc. are not running on any of the connected devices while you stream.
• Look for bandwidth leaks?make a it a habit to close all remote connections, and not let VPN keep running when unused. Auto video clips and ads that start playing when a web page is loaded also consume the bandwidth. Switch from Auto to Click to Play via your browser settings.
• Restrict Online Backup?online backups eat on a lot of bandwidth, so be selective in your choice of backup files. If there is a lot you wish to backup, consider using a local solution like the Apple Time Machine.
• Keep track of viewing habits?on a connection that is more limiting for streaming Netflix, you can align things better if you keep a track of your viewing and data usage. Keep in mind how many hours your data plan allows you to stream in a month, and how much would be used by other activities. You can then discipline yourself to as many hours of streaming as possible.
• Monitor your data usage?HughesNet gets you easy ways to monitor your data usage, and you can set up alerts to notify when you cross a specific data threshold. Like this it maybe easier to balance Netflix streaming with other home usage.
• Switch to a wired connection?if you switch to a wired connection on your PC or laptop, you are likely to experience much better internet performance.
• Use the HughesNet data saver feature?HughesNet Gen5 automatically adjusts data rates for video streaming so as to deliver good picture quality while consuming less data. If you wish to watch in HD you can put the data saver on snooze for 4 hours, and switch to HD anytime.

Which HughesNet plan is ideal for streaming Netflix?

All in all when it comes to HughesNet Internet service, the speeds you get with all its plans is sufficient for SD and HD video streaming. Albeit if you wish to stream 4K, data restrictions come into play big time.

As we said before, bandwidth distribution among all connected devices is a major consideration. So when picking the right HughesNet plan you must have a fair idea of the internet consumption in your household. And, the data plan you choose must be able to cover regular usage as well as Netflix streaming.

So while for a single individual who loves to stream Netflix, a 10 GB plan maybe adequate, more users and devices added to the equation will necessitate a bigger data allowance. Plus the advertised speed maxes out at 25 Mbps download, so you may have to manage simultaneously connected devices, when streaming Netflix.

Concluding Words

HughesNet Internet is sure slower than Cable and Fiber, as well as high-speed DSL internet that is widely available in urban and suburban regions. However, where you don’t have access to a wireline service, or all you get is a real slow DSL connection, HughesNet is a feasible choice. Its download/upload speeds match the FCC broadband benchmark, and the service available from coast to coast. Plus the speed and data you get with HughesNet Gen5 may not allow you thoughtless usage, but can certainly support a seamless Netflix stream as well as standard usage in your home.

For more information, speak to a HughesNet Customer Service representative at 1-855-349-9309. They can help you at picking a good fit for your needs, and also take you through the subscription process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the download/upload speed offered by HughesNet Internet?

The HughesNet Internet service offers a download speed of 25 Mbps and 3 Mbps uploads with every plan. For more information, speak to a HughesNet Customer Service representative at 1-855-349-9309.

Can I stream Netflix with HughesNet internet?

HughesNet gives you 25/3 Mbps fast internet and data plans which offer 10, 20, 30 and 50 GB data every month. All plans deliver the same speed, which is sufficient for streaming Netflix, alongside other usage. You may also have to keep an eye on your data consumption. And manage simultaneously connected devices when streaming. But you can certainly stream Netflix with HughesNet Gen5.