WARNING BF PURCHASE: MJ does NOT work w/ SATELLITE INTERNET!

[aquariagirl1976]

Ok, so I buy a magic jack right from the website. I get it...it doesn't work. I have satellite internet. After 3 months of going from site to site, changing everything but my freaking wallpaper on my computer trying to get this "thing" working...I finally go to magic jack themselves via the chat feature. After more changes to my computer, speedtests, etc and 2 hours more of my time wasted, they tell me that magic jack doesn't work with "dial-up or satellite internet". Well, nowhere on their site does it say that....NO WHERE. They beg to differ. I consider my internet satellite high speed since it is 256 kpbs u/l and 1 gig d/l...so why doesn't it work? Magic Jack needs to be up front and tell their customers it does not work on ALL METHODS OF HIGH SPEED....meaning Satellite Internet. And oh, of course, because I have put 3 months into trying to get this working, I don't get my $70.00 CDN back for the 2 years of service I paid for. TOTAL RIP OFF!!!!! So beware satellite internet users...it DOESN'T WORK!!!!

[sabresfan]

Try looking at http://www.magicjack.com/4/faq/ type in can i use satellite internet.

[bitstopjoe]

A good rule of thumb before you buy ANYTHING sabresfan, do research online first. Google IS your friend..
I found this forum close to a year BEFORE I bought my MJ in Aug 2008. I learned A LOT ( including it wont work on Dail up OR satellite)
There is a delay when using satellite ( on U/L I believe) which is why the MJ wont work correctly with it..


Joe Sica

[lcompton]

Good evening, aquariagirl1976.

Ok, so I buy a magic jack right from the website. I get it...it doesn't work. I have satellite internet. After 3 months of going from site to site, changing everything but my freaking wallpaper on my computer trying to get this "thing" working...I finally go to magic jack themselves via the chat feature. After more changes to my computer, speedtests, etc and 2 hours more of my time wasted, they tell me that magic jack doesn't work with "dial-up or satellite internet". Well, nowhere on their site does it say that....NO WHERE. They beg to differ. I consider my internet satellite high speed since it is 256 kpbs u/l and 1 gig d/l...so why doesn't it work? Magic Jack needs to be up front and tell their customers it does not work on ALL METHODS OF HIGH SPEED....meaning Satellite Internet. And oh, of course, because I have put 3 months into trying to get this working, I don't get my $70.00 CDN back for the 2 years of service I paid for. TOTAL RIP OFF!!!!! So beware satellite internet users...it DOESN'T WORK!!!!

Well, I certainly understand your frustration. However, you didn't complete enough due diligence before making the purchase.

Here is the direct link to magicJack's answer on using satellite broadband:

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http://service.liveperson.net/hc/s-61732089/cmd/kbresource/kb-686999331872324806/view_question!PAGETYPE?sq=can%2bi%2buse%2bsatellite%2binternet&sf=101113&sg=1&st=789442&documentid=345408&action=view

You'll need to copy and paste that link into your web browser's address bar. I tried to add it as a clickable link in this post, but as you can see [URL=http://service.liveperson.net/hc/s-6173 ... ction=view] it doesn't function. Apparently, the URL tag doesn't like the exclamation mark in the URL.

I'm sorry that you didn't complete your due diligence before making your purchase. Perhaps, you can look upon this as a CDN70.00 learning experience. The alternative is to remain unhappy about the whole affair for some indefinite period of time. Isn't life too short for that?

As for why satellite broadband doesn't function so well with VoIP, that's a bit more complicated. The 22,000 mile trip (each way) from Earth to geosynchronous orbiting satellites adds about 0.118 seconds (or 118 milliseconds, abbreviated mS) of delay to the data packet trip. The 118mS number is calculated by dividing the speed of light, which is 186,282.397 miles-per-second, into the oribital distance above sea level required for a satellite to be in geosynchronous orbit (stationary orbit over a fixed point on Earth), which is 22,000 miles. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the data packets have to travel back down to Earth from the satellite, which adds another 118mS. If that wasn't bad enough, the return packets (coming from the host with which your client P.C. is communicating) have to make the same journey, which adds yet another 2 x 118mS. So, the whole satellite communications platform adds a minimum of 472mS or 0.472 seconds, which is nearly a whole half of one second. Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there.

Satellite communications are subject to queueing delays because there is far less bandwidth available through satellite communication links than there is through terrestrial communication cables. Complicating the satellite bandwidth limitation is the competition for bandwidth resources through many users queuing up data for transmission through a small piece of bandwidth on the satellite data link. The queuing delays add some additional and variable amount of delay to the packet exchange through satellite broadband.

After all of the extended signal travel distances and queuing delays, you finally end up encountering the same typical terrestrial delays that most cable, DSL and FiOS broadband users enjoy, which are typically below 100mS.

The sum total of the packet delays for all of these different reasons conspire to yield an unpleasant VoIP experience.

Someday, someone is going to invent subspace radio, which is a transceiver capable of instantaneous communication over vast distances in space using micro-wormholes. When subspace radio becomes widely available, satellite broadband will even be faster than terrestrial broadband. Unfortunately, subspace modems will likely be very expensive for many years.

Do have a lovely day.

[sabresfan]

I found out on the MJ site. Just go to the MJ faq and type in can i use satellite internet. It's the first answer that comes up.

[maine-iac]

It should be noted that it isn't only magicJack that suffers from satellite, but all VOIP services. It's just the nature of the beast.

[Matt9876]

Geo-sync orbit is 22,300 miles away.

Every packet sent or received by Sat. makes four hops.


22,300miles+22,300miles+22,300miles+22,300miles=Bad VoIP connection.


Even if VoIP works you will have a three second delay to battle with.

[enjoythemusic]

Long time agio is a house far far away i had Sat Net. HORRIBLE for things like games and VOIP. It is not mj, it is the latency and other issues with sat net.

[aquariagirl1976]

Try looking at http://www.magicjack.com/4/faq/ type in can i use satellite internet.

I don't need to sabresfan...I obviously NOW know the answer from pure experience. I am not saying that I was wrong in not looking into it further before purchasing...that was my mistake...what I am saying is that MAGIC JACK needs to be more specific in their ads as to what type of connections it does or does not work with. Period. So now they get my $70 because they weren't upfront with me as a consumer. And yeah I am gonna be upset for awhile about it. I have that right as a human being. I posted initially to warn OTHER SATELLITE USERS. So give me that at least. Thank you.

[maine-iac]

Buyer beware.

[jak796]

Don’t buy magic jack Canadian number I did pay 126.00$ and I get number (416) 800-9292 and if you dial this number it give you busy signal it did work for the first month only and no support, they don’t answer your email or phone call so you will lose your money for nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!