*Updated, Fall 2010 Dashboard. *Update Xbox Live on 3G here!
I never thought that in today’s day of age that there were people out there that didn’t have broadband. I was pretty much always plugged in playing on Xbox Live or World of Warcraft at all hours of the day and night. Then I got married and moved out into the woods. So the long and short of it, is that I went from some pretty kick-butt broadband to dial-up. Then I bought a USB modem from Verizon, but being too far from the tower meant frequent drops in the data stream. Then I got Hughesnet, and that is what I am going to focus on here.
Does Hughesnet work on Xbox Live?
Yes and no. If you have done any kind of research on this subject, then you know that they say pretty specifically that “twitch gaming” isn’t supported by Hughesnet, and I can verify that. I can’t play any kind of multiplayer on satellite internet. No Modern Warfare 2, no Halo:Reach. Bummer ‘eh? Before you get all mad, keep in mind that there are things that are possible on Xbox Live that you might not realize.
Things that you can’t do on Xbox Live via Satellite Internet:
- Mulitplayer
- Chat *I have used voice chat on the new dashboard!
Things that you can do on Xbox Live via Satellite Internet:
- Title updates (The update that you get when you first play a game when connected to Live.)
- Sign In to your gamer profile
- Rate games
- Read your messages and compose voice and text messages to your friends
- Twitter and Facebook work fine
- Download demos, add-ons and themes*
- Stream movies on Netflix*
Now keep in mind that I have the plan that allows 450 MB of data. *Using Netflix and downloading demos eats up your allowance pretty freaking fast, so I recommend that you do these things at 2-7 AM EST, during the ‘free’ part of the night. My wife and I watched a couple of episodes of Lost on Netflix and I had to use our free monthly token to reset our usage. So, it is something that isn’t really practical but it’s good to know that you can use it.
***************** Update 2-6-2012
Hughesnet seems to have updated the control panel that is used to toggle Turbopage:
Use this link now: http://www.systemcontrolcenter.com/stlui/fs/advanced/advanced.html. Click the Turbopage link on the left, and get it to look like the photo above.
******
Now, there are some technical things that I have discovered about the service. Navigating to http://www.systemcontrolcenter.com/ has become some sort of obsession of mine. This allows you to see all sorts of things about your modem, and your service.
Now when I first fired up the internet, the first thing that I did was see if Xbox Live worked on my brand-new 360 Slim. It picked up the wireless just fine and signed in to Live. This made me so happy. I was schlepping my 360 to work and getting updates and demos there. I did notice however that there were things that didn’t work. Just getting around wasn’t working. I couldn’t browse anything on Live. I was signed into Live, but opening the demos page returned an error. At this point, I was navigating to Xbox.com and putting items in my download queue. Then I found this: http://www.systemcontrolcenter.com/stlui/fs/advanced/turbo_page_config_frame.html
Turbo Page is a pre-fetching service that is on my default. It seems to make pages load faster by having the servers take some of the load off the modem. What this does is totally fruck up Live. Once I turned this option off, Live came alive. However, for some strange reason, title updates didn’t work. It is very easy to navigate to the link above and enable the turbo page option and download the updates that you need.
Overall, it is kinda nice being able to go online. After years of being offline it is nice to have some functionality on Live. While you can’t play multi-player MW2, you can keep up to date with things like ‘This Week in Xbox’ and game videos. Seeing your friend’s gamerscore and played games is nice too. It’s not perfect, but it is better than nothing.
Hope this helps. Leave me a comment if you have a specific question that isn’t covered!
Your entry is a godsend! I just bought a used 360 and have been struggling to get it working on HughesNet. It has been capable of adding friends and downloading updates to games such as Bioshock from the start, but Marketplace would never work. After turning off Turbo Page, however, I can now get in!
ReplyDeleteBut now I have a different problem. I was able to purchase Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, about 800 MB in size. I tried downloading it, though, and it just wouldn't do it. The dodwnload starts at 1%, but no progress is made and the download eventually quits. I don't see what the big difference is between downloading that and snagging a smaller update. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have.
I am so glad that it helped! It is rewarding to hear that I helped SOMEONE!
ReplyDeleteI have found that while turbopage is great for streaming Netflix and navigating around Live, it messes up title updates and downloads. What you are experiencing sounds like your turbopage is disabled while your download is working. Try enabling it and see if that helps!
IF I PLAY A GAME ON LINE WILL THAT EAT UP MY TIME REALLY FAST OR WILL IT
ReplyDeleteI might be posting late in the game, but I guess, who cares.
ReplyDeleteI bought the newest "borderlands" game of the year edition. With the knowledge that x box 360 live with a HN7000S sat connection was not a very doable option. I found out real quick the the extra "add on's" are tokens. (Meaning you have to join x-box live to download them to x-box 360.) Every other "Game of the year" edition had all the add on's already on the DVD.
Need less to say, I was screwed, and I pulled out a old wireless router, set it up, and started a x-box live account. After two days, I finally realized to ignore the icmp "error" message. And logged on the first time. And found out, I couldn't "load up" the game marketplace. The only place where I wanted to go. :( (I did figure out how to download token items, like the borderland add on's. :))
Since then I loaded up my old window live account, and noted the x-box website Has this.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/FAQ.htm
This allows sat connected people to browse the x-box marketplace via the internet, purchase a item exp borderland add-on. and download it next time they connect with the x-box live. (preferably between 0200-0700)
Its backwards, but it works.
Playing online doesn't seem to use up your 'time' too fast. It is the downloading that really eats up your 'time.'
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I should have put in the article that you can navigate to xbox.com and use the marketplace to put anything in your queue.
ReplyDeleteI have satellite internet (not hughesnet). if i got a linksys router, will i be able to play online at ALL??? please answer!
ReplyDeleteim fixing to try the link u posted can i try it from my computer or do i have to have xbox live up and running. im not trying to by a busy body but how fast does the 450mbps run is it the 2.0 or higher mine is 400mbps and runs 1.6mbps
ReplyDeletei tried before to stream movies from netflix and the connection was to slow will this help to for netflix?
ReplyDeleteIf your computer is using Hughesnet you can use the link. If you have a smart phone, or a ipod Touch, you can use that to access the link. I think that pulling out a iTouch is easier than going to the computer.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are crazy trying to stream Netflix, but as far as the speeds go, you should try and use both settings.
I didn't list it, but the fall update seems to have eliminated the need to switch the turbo-page at all.
As far as your speeds go, it seems like your mileage varies depending on where you are in the country and how many people are using the satellite. This is a worse-case situation that I am in right now: it is 8 PM local, and the rain is coming down in buckets.
[URL=http://www.speedtest.net][IMG]http://www.speedtest.net/result/1090032228.png[/IMG][/URL]
Last night, during my "Free" period, I was up feeding the baby and ran a speedtest:
[IMG]http://www.speedtest.net/result/1089036078.png[/img]
You do know that using that link above, towards the bottom of the page is a link that tells you pretty accurately how much usage you have left, and when it resets.
So, as you can see, upgrading doesn't seem to help much.
I bought my son Xbox live for Christmas....so if I am hearing correctly you can not play other people from a different location because of Hughsnet? Thanks
ReplyDeleteThat is correct. The latency is too high for people on hughesnet to play games against (matchmaking) other people.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the connection was too slow? Streaming any kind of video can put you over your useage fast. Like 10-15 minutes of video can put you over your FAP. I only suggest using netflix from 2 am to 7 am eastern time.
ReplyDeleteI tried to stream Netflix through Wii and online once, myself, and it didn't work well for me, either. I should try again with "Turbo Page" off to see if that makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteWe moved to a new home and are stuck with Hughesnet Satellite. I had Verizon but with no coverage, switched over to (AT&T). I get coverage in my home in some areas. Before I pull my hair out and give my son hope, has anyone experienced the same? And, is there an additional router that I can get from AT&T that I can link the Xbox to omitting Hughes. As much as I'd love to complain about my Hughes service, it's all I've got and foresee no change. Unless the 19 acres we live on flatten from 4000' to 0 and that won't be good. Thx
ReplyDeleteHello, I am going to get Hughesnet really soon! This really helps me out. Is it able to run WoW okay? I can't wait to get on live and download content! It's better than nothing! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWoW runs with 2000 ms lag sometimes, and it really was the driving force behind my main being a BM hunter. I need to post a Hughesnet WoW article. Look for it soon.
ReplyDeleteare you getting 3G service from AT&T? If not, don't bother. I have used my Droid X on Verizon to game with a 3G signal, and it really is awesome.
ReplyDeleteOkay, well it's better than WoW on Dial up! I would rather do the 1-2 Second delay on it than not be able to do raids and stuff. I tried doing a 20-25 man raid on my main on dial up (23.3 kb/s) and disconnected as soon as the action started. I used to play Everquest 2 and WoW on Wildblue, and it ran good. Do you play WoW on Hughesnet as well? Thanks! (P.S. I play a Rogue)
ReplyDeleteYes, I play WoW on Hughesnet and I am the editor for www.rawrcast.com. How was your latency on Wildblue? Do you remember exactly how much it was?
ReplyDeleteI don't really exactly remember how much it was as it has been a long time. But I think it was anywhere from 700-1000 or something like that. By the way, can you do raids and stuff?
ReplyDeleteInteresting-your latency is actually manageable on Wildblue. I do raid. I don't actually contribute. My DPS is 15% higher when I raid/5 Man on proper internet. Anything requiring timing is insanely difficult on satellite internet.
ReplyDeleteRight on, can you heal? and stuff?
ReplyDeleteThis is really good.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-11/29/broadband-satellite-gets-funding
ReplyDeleteMy buddy has hughsnet, and can NOT play online, but i have syban.net. And it's low latency (21ms) and very solid. (they advertise 1.5mbps, but you get 3mbps most of the time) I'm RIGHT next to the tower, so that may be why i have no latency, but i can game online with people all over the world. The only thing i can't to is Torrent. And for those big files, you usually get DL of about 256kbps. So, just leave it overnight. VOIP works, Gaming works, netflix works (not HD though), youtube works.) Your NAT type will always appear to be moderate though. Do to the Bandwidth Shaping, (alberta, canada)
ReplyDeleteHealing is kinda like tanking. You might be ok for awhile, but when the shit hits the fan you need that split second reaction.
ReplyDeleteNot recommended.
Interesting, but the thing is, most of the people that are using Hughesnet have NO OTHER OPTION. Otherwise we would never pay this much money for such cruddy service.
ReplyDeleteBeing trapped with Hughesnet, what is the excitement of XBOX live if you cannot play games? We haven't attempted to run it for the very reason of not being able to play. What is the point of gaming without the game or am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteWell, you really have a point, but there is something really awesome about the 360 when it connects to the internet. I keep my xbox live as a gold subscription because I am not above taking my console to work, and hooking up with some Halo:Reach slayer after hours.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest draw for is game add-ons, demos and XBL arcade games, communicating with my family, and there are some games like Need For Speed: Most Wanted that use your data online to compare to friends' times. This asynchronous gameplay is highly addicting, sometimes I spend an hour trying to beat a friend's time in a race, knowing that he will get a nice message when he logs in stating that I beat his time. Also, there are challenges in Halo:Reach that you can do while online that give you points.
Overall, you are right, Hughesnet really screws us out of the biggest draw of Xbox Live, pounding other players in matchmaking, or even playing in the new poker game, Full House Poker. However, keep in mind that there are a myriad of things that you missing out on if you stay offline, most importantly, title updates that patch issues in games that were not fixed before release.
So go ahead, and slip that ethernet cable in to the 360. You won't be disappointed.
if anyone can i would like to try something with our satalight internet. add me on xbox live YZ250F TilWeDie. when me and my friends would all play on my internet it would work fine playing against each other and stuff so i want to see if it works with other people around so maybe if we can, we all can play against each other on our hughes net just us not the other internets but just hughes net. plz help me start our hughes net xbox live. i belive it will work.
ReplyDeletemy story is identical to yours. I lived in an area where broadband was plentiful and companies to chose from. I didnt experience online gaming until I visited a friends house and he was playing Halo 2 on the XBOX. I was a strong supporter of the Gamecube at the time but when I got my first taste of online gaming, I quickly changed sides and loved every minute of it. The last game I got to play online was Halo 3 but shortly afterwards I got married and I moved in with her.
ReplyDeleteAfter that, I called several internet providers in the surrounding area and only two offered broadband via satellite, the rest were dial-up. I was very discouraged as XBOX Live was one way to keep in contact with my best buds as we fired up Halo 3 after work. I was missing out on several great online games during this time, like GTA 4, Gears 1 and 2, etc. My wife got a AT&T adapter for her laptop, curious I tried plugging it up to the 360 and believe me, I had hoped it would work, nope. I visited the AT&T store and inquired about broadband internet but got the usual, "Currently it's not available in your area, maybe next year." The crazy thing is that this AT&T store is only 4 miles away from my home. Bummer.
But after 2 years of living in no broadband land, I decided to look into the satellite broadband compatibility with Live and after watching a Youtube video of a kid connecting to Live with Hughesnet, I was like a girl in a Beiber concert. I arranged for a Hughesnet installer shortly afterwards. I was warned that Hughesnet will not help with any online gaming technical issues but I didnt care. I missed XBOX Live, I wanted more out of my beloved machine.
After coming home from doing errands, I fired up Halo 3 to show my wife what the fuss about that game was all about. Once in the matchmaking lobby, I sat and sat there, it found several games but would not drop me into any of them. Yeah I felt disgusted and that I wasted about $250 on getting Hughesnet. I have the same issue with Gears 2 and Bioshock 2. However I can play (somewhat) Bad Company 1 & 2, Timeshift, Far Cry: Instincts, Pure, to name a few.
Overtime, I have gradually accepted this online issue. I can still update and download add-ons, though most of time I have to download add-ons and arcade games through the Marketplace website as I get error messages while visiting the Marketplace through the 360. I have gottened bummed out by repeated request from friends of join their party because it wont allow me to.
But all in all, it beats being without XBOX Live.
Just sent you a friend request, hope you get it.
ReplyDeleteI also sent sent BROADWAYBLUES a friend request, hope to see you guys on Live soon.
ReplyDeletelol i do to
ReplyDeletelol i do to
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR THE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD INFO
ReplyDeleteok say you reserved a game at gamestop and you get a speicial outfit can you download dthat with hughsnet??
ReplyDeleteHughes net completely sucks i really wish some amazing internet service just for gaming, i.e xbox, ps3, and pc online gaming, would come out. If it was a fast connection and covered a REALLY large area it would be hella popular :P. But I can see that happening..... The great outdoors does have its misadvantages -.-
ReplyDelete[...] of Warcraft (WoW) and so to say that I spent a fair amount of time online is an understatement. In an earlier post I went over the heartache I felt when I realized that getting married meant giving up broadband, [...]
ReplyDeleteso can you use those WiFi laptop Verizon flash drives, by hooking it into the USB port on the back of the Xbox?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5633
ReplyDeletecould you use this?
yup yup yup!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sir:)
ReplyDeleteok so can we play wow with hughsnet or not yes or no
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteSent from my LTE Thunderbolt
Yes, I have done this with games such as Sonic Generations. It Works fine.
ReplyDeletejust found this forum... and all I can say is Hughes Net Sucks..... I am an avid gamer and have wanted to play xbox live at home for years... after spending hundreds on hughes net.. and being rejected from parties and any multi-player games... I have given up..... I cancelled hughes net and currently use my phone thru Verizon 3g to check email and pay bills.... other than that good luck.... anybody who says they can play games thru verizon... please contact me back....i have had no luck and am trying desperately to play at home..... currently in my area they have come out with a line of sight technology that works great... but my property is to low... and my neighbor is a dick.... once again...... pooched........
ReplyDeleteok....so no replies...... but i am super stoked to report I can play xbox live on my verizon 3g service..... I have a HTC thunderboldt with 3g at my house due to a phone booster with a antenna in a tree...i had little faith in verizon....and have spent hundreds on hughes net......finally i can say..Verizon is awesome.....i can play online first person shooters... i just got done playing splitscreen call of duty modern warfare 3 with my buddy.....thanks broadway blues..... im on....and superstoked... to anyone living in the country like me........and wishes they could play online..........look into verizon...........
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about gaming, but want to buy a xbox 360 for my kids for Christmas. I don't know whether to buy the cheap 4GB version, or the 250GB, because I doubt our Hughesnet will support anything fancy (or I'm not smart enough to figure it out...lol..). We tried connecting with our Wii to get Netflix before, and didn't get anywhere.
ReplyDeleteDoubt the kids will need to download much or play with their buddies who are out there in cyberland. They just want to play games with each other, sitting on the couch (like Madden 12, Mx vs ATV, etc.). What should I do? Realistically, I don't see myself getting up in the middle of the night to download anything. I need my sleep =)
It is actually a great and helpful piece of information. I'm happy that you just shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY 100% agree with that~Satellite internet SUCKS~It's expensive but our only other choices are dial-up (which isn't even a choice) or other satellite internet companies which also suck! There is no way I would have Hughesnet if I had an actual choice!
ReplyDeleteCan you use your droid as a hotspot to play MW3 or games such as that?
ReplyDeleteDo you play MW3?
ReplyDeleteBattlefield 3 doesn't discriminate against sattelite internet. it's alright maybe not the best but i still be killen'em enough to get MVP a couple times but i'm just a noob so far. play battlefield cause it seems that's the only game so far until i get a land line this spring...have fun
ReplyDelete