HNHater
@direcway.com
| "Faster than dialup" ... I don't think so!
I can't even begin to tell you how many hours of productivity I have lost since I had to switch my office to HughesNet. We moved to a new office location, and cannot get DSL or cable here. Our only option other than HughesNet is a T1 line, or cBeyond, both of which are cost prohibitive.
The service is slow at best, and unreliable most of the time. It takes forever to send an email with even a small attachment. Sometimes I can email, but can't browse. Sometimes I can browse, but not email. There are days when we get better service in the middle of a rainstorm than from clear blue skies. There's no difference whether we're plugged directly into the modem, using a router, or wireless. Same thing with Mac vs. PC and different web browsers (Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer). The service sucks no matter what you use.
We are constantly exceeding their 425MB allotment...can't even update software on ONE computer, much less the 9 that are in our office without going over. Our employees have to frequently leave the office and go to coffee houses to use their wireless internet in order to complete the required functions of their jobs.
What really annoys me is their stupid (and completely useless) "measure web responsiveness" tool. It took over 45 seconds for that test to complete, only for it to come back and say that it was completed in 3.5 seconds. It's completely unreliable, and their customer service reps will keep telling you over and over again that "everything is working perfectly." Well, I'm sorry, but where I come from, if a user can't load a page in under 2 minutes, then everything is NOT "working perfectly."
Of course, there's also that wonderful required 2 year contract, and even when that is up, I doubt anything else will be available. That's what these people count on...you wouldn't be with them if you had any other options. And, then, of course, if a new option does arrive for your area, then they get you with an early termination fee. Pitiful. Really pitiful.
If you have absolutely NO OTHER OPTION, then go with HughesNet, but go in knowing that you'll be wishing you hadn't. |
