Hughes Internet Service

The only internet service that I can get here in the US, in the desert, is a Hughes Satellite System. My internet went out Christmas day and I played havoc calling India over and over trying to decipher what they were saying and finally getting a technician out yesterday to fix the system. My Hughes box had locked up and the transmitter on the satellite dish had given up the ghost. I finally got a new box and new transmitter so now I am back on the air.

I read a post where one of the readers of the forums had a Hughes system and had trouble with it. Is it a popular system in the area where they don't have internet service. I've also read the internet service is pretty poor in the Lakeside area. True?

If the internet service is so bad, is Hughes another option? God, I hope I don't have to buy another one down there. What specifically is wrong with the internet service in the Lakeside area? Can you download movies from Netflix, and Hulu, or do you get cut off?

Any info would be appreciated.

Dr. Mike

The real techies will weigh in on this one but this is my opinion...it depends on where you are lakeside. Between Chapala and going to just west of Ajijic, the internet service is exceptionally good. You have two choices...cable or Telmex. At the moment, cable is the fastest BUT you can't buy just cable internet, you must also pay for their minimum TV package whether you use it or not. Telmex has some great plans...we are using the middle package at $599 pesos a month and have no problems with a Vonage phone or downloading shows and movies (about 2mb down). It is NOT fast enough to stream much of anything. The $999 package gives you
around 4 mb down, 200 free local calls and unlimited long distance within Mexico...cell calls are extra. This is the plan we had on the coast and was fabulous!
Cable and Telmex have been competing for years which is good for the customer. If you're used to blinding speeds, then what is available here will be a shock. Adjust your attitude and you will be happy...that high speed plan we had on the coast was in a town that had only ONE telephone in 1999. Mexico is leapfrogging technology at a fairly good pace. Believe!!!

There used to be a guy in Vallarta that would sell and install HughesNet but his website is no longer. Here's a national one
http://www.hughesnet.mx/

Except for individual problems from time to time I think the service is fine on the north side of the lake. I was in Joco for over a year without problems. Had Telmex 1meg and no problem with YouTube or downloading Torrents.

Where I am now there is no Telmex service so I have TelCel which is slow for YouTube but fine for everything else.

I would say forget HughesNet

Just get Telmex when you get here. We pay for 2MB but have always had 5MB speed and it never goes out.

larryc wrote:Just get Telmex when you get here. We pay for 2MB but have always had 5MB speed and it never goes out.

Our Telmex 2MB is 3MB and the upload speed went from .30 to .50 after upgrade a week or so ago. Not everybody on 2MB has 5MB fYI.

Z

In Mirasol all is good.
I had Hugh in Baja was really bad like 15 years ago with sloooow dial up

Zedinmexico wrote:

larryc wrote:Just get Telmex when you get here. We pay for 2MB but have always had 5MB speed and it never goes out.

Our Telmex 2MB is 3MB and the upload speed went from .30 to .50 after upgrade a week or so ago. Not everybody on 2MB has 5MB fYI.

Z

Really Zed, we're paying for 2MB but never get it. Then they have the nerve to call us up and offer 5 MB at almost double the price. I did tell them the day I actually get 2MB I'll consider paying for 5. Where's the truth in advertising?