HughesNet as an offshore internet option?

[jsc7]

If I am cruising 5-10 miles offshore I will be out of range most shore-based wifi and things like that.

Is HughesNet a viable option for internet in that situation? It is a satellite network aimed at rural users.

My concern is that the antenna might need to be pointed at the satellite and that will be difficult if the boat is on the move.

[StuM]

Needs a carefully aimed, fixed, directional satellite dish. Won't work on a boat.

[dennismckim]

http://www.omniaccess.com/broadbeam/

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by StuM

Needs a carefully aimed, fixed, directional satellite dish. Won't work on a boat.

+1. Used to have Hughes Net ashore...very touchy about alignment...even the slightest shift will screw it up. Mounted pole for dish in concrete.

[Mr Saturn]

Hughes Net is crappy service for anyone, anywhere. But all personal feelings aside the ground station cannot move more than 1 or 2 miles then the receiver has to be reprogrammed by tech support. Yes it's a satellite but imagine the transmission is like a spotlight, it only transmits to your dish on a small area of the Earths surface.

[toddster8]

I had Hughesnet, before DSL was available in my area. And I had the "service codes" to change satellites and locations. As others point out, its fixed-installation only and very slow. The latency is very high and breaks many internet services.

A cell phone hot spot with LTE service is much, much faster and more reliable. You can get that 5-10 miles off shore, in many places.

[Thorne]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn

Hughes Net is crappy service for anyone, anywhere. But all personal feelings aside the ground station cannot move more than 1 or 2 miles then the receiver has to be reprogrammed by tech support. Yes it's a satellite but imagine the transmission is like a spotlight, it only transmits to your dish on a small area of the Earths surface.

Uh, actually you can pretty much move it anywhere in "North" America without any requirement to do anything other than re-aim it. However this is a mute point.

In a word Hughes Net is horrible.

I experienced the following.
1. Routinely they slowed my baud rate over time till I complained and then it was, No problem here..... Then my service went back to normal.
2. If your dish gets even the least bit out of alignment you are unable to access the internet. This makes it a no go any offshore usage.
3. Their "Satellite" modem puts out 2 wireless signals, one for the regular user and one hidden one for service people that has to be strong enough to reach outside a house. All the time. That is way more than I want in close quarters on my boat.

I dumped Hughes net in lew of Verison and or ATT unlimited running through cell phones with signal boosters up the mast and of course wireless with a booster.

[Stillwater1]

all of the above AND stay away from HUGHESdotNET at all costs. Horrible customer service, and not very good in all other ways.

[Stumble]

If you are going to be that close to shore a cellular booster at the top of the mast will very easily reach out 20nm. Its a much better option than a sattelite internet if at all possible.