Originally published on Wednesday, May 7, 2014.
I should probably mention that all of the equipment discussed is Ku-band satellite equipment. Ku-band services have huge coverage areas, which is why you can move the equipment around (be mobile) and still get online. The newer Ka-band services were not be discussed when this blog was originally published, since they are spot-beamed and the equipment couldn’t be moved. However, very recently an authorized HughesNet Gen 5 mobile satellite Internet service was released and you can now move from beam to beam! More about this later.
Early StarBand Equipment
Last StarBand Equipment
Early HughesNet Equipment
Current HughesNet Equipment
HughesNet Gen 1 to Gen 5
Let’s do a quck review of what Hughes considers their different generations of satellite equipment and services:
- Gen 1 – DirecPC: If you remember from earlier, this was a one-way satellite service that used a phone line for the uplink (called dial return). The maximum download speed was 400 Kbps and, of course, we know how slow the uplink was (56 Kbps).
- Gen 2 – Direcway: Hughes calls everything from the DW4000 to the HN7000S to be Generation 2. It was all 2-way Ku-band services. At best, it provided a maximum of 1 1/2 Mbps down and 256 Kbps up.
- Gen 3 – Spaceway 3: Hughes considers this their 3rd generation. It provided the first HughesNet Ka-band services and provided up to 5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up.
![]() Spaceway 3 Outdoor Equipment |
![]() Spaceway HN9000 Modem |
- Gen 4 – HughesNet Gen 4 services on the Jupiter 1 satellite (Echostar XVII) were sold until about a month ago. Maximum download speeds were 15 Mbps, with 3 Mbps up. There was an HT1000 and an HT1100 Modem.
- Gen 5 – Hughes launched Echostar XIX in December 2016 and The HughesNet Jupiter 2 Gen 5 services went live nationwide in March 2017 and the first authorized tripod-based satellite program was released through the VAR channel in April 2017!Jupiter 2 uses the same antenna, though there is a new smaller radio, which looks like the one used with Jupiter 1 services. Jupiter 1 will continue to provide Gen 4 services during the transition, but eventually will support Gen 5 services in it’s coverage area. The new modem is the HT2000W, with the “W” for the built-in wireless router! Speeds are up to 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up! But, initially, speeds are even faster!
![]() Jupiter 1 & 2 Outdoor Equipment |
![]() HT1100 modem |
![]() HT2000W modem |