Should I rent a wireless router, modem, or gateway from HughesNet… or buy it myself?
We explain under which circumstances you might consider personal ownership and what to do if HughesNet tries to put up a fight.
HughesNet gives you a satellite dish, and a Wi-Fi Gateway which serves as a modem and router combination (which they charge for—see below). This means you don’t need a separate router and a modem to complete your home network if you’re using the device HughesNet sends you.
Yes you need both a router and a modem in order to have a home network. If by chance the only item in your home that you want to connect to the Internet is your computer and you want to do it using an ethernet cable, then you can get by using just a modem but there is no situation where you can rely exclusively on a router. You will always at the very least need a modem but in just about every case you will need both.
The modem is responsible for connecting your home to the internet. The router connects different devices to your home network. A gateway (sometimes called a “combo”) combines these two functions in one.
You can rent your router and modem from your internet provider. In fact, they will automatically send you one when you sign up for a new service. (If you don’t want it, you’ll have to figure out how to opt out or send it back).
If you choose to rent this equipment then when you close out your account, they expect you to send it back.
HughesNet charges $14.99 per month for the rental cost.
The terms and conditions for HughesNet breaks down the cost of the replacement equipment as follows: $100 for the modem and the power supply and another $200 for the transmitter.
Given the fact that HughesNet works with a satellite dish, it’s usually a good deal to rent from the company because you’re going to have to pay the fee for equipment whether or not you use a personal router and modem given that you use the satellite dish.
Even though your company might make it difficult and strongly encourage you to use their equipment, almost making it seem as though you have to, you are able to purchase your own modem and router and in almost all cases avoid that monthly rental fee going forward.
For example, a simple, basic modem that works for almost all internet providers is the Arris surfboard, something that costs about $70. Even a more advanced Netgear model costs only $110.
However, you should note that HughesNet internet uses a satellite dish and it’s very unlikely that you will provide your own satellite dish or connection cables in which case you will still have to pay the rental fee even if you use your own router and modem.Still, you do save yourself the potential hassle of being charged $100 for the modem and router equipment fee when you close your account if you only use your modem and router.
You need to make sure firstly that the modem you buy is compatible with HughesNet. This extends to the upload and download speeds you get with your internet plan. You don’t want to pay for a fast internet plan and then pay for a cheap modem that can’t keep up. You also want to consider that if you move you may not be able to bring that Modem with you depending on the new internet provider you have.
Customer service may not be able or willing to help you find information on equipment you can use yourself and after you install your modem and router, you won’t get any technical support from the HughesNet team. You will have to troubleshoot everything on your own.
If you decide that you want to invest in personal equipment, or you are getting new internet from a new provider, read different reviews on modems and routers and combinations to find one that fits with your internet speed and your provider.
If you are on the receiving end of equipment return issues, the first place you want to reach out is customer service. If that doesn’t resolve your issue or the company is still trying to charge you bogus equipment return fees because they conveniently lost your equipment, we can help.
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