I'm an ex-computer guy. I thought I was pretty savvy on most things technical, and fairly good at sorting out things I'm not familiar with. Not.
We installed Hughes Net gen4 satellite internet service. The basic package is 10 MbPS download speed, 1 MbPS upload. It's not as fast as cable, but it seems to work fine for our use.
I checked out Magic Jack as a solution to our lack of telephone service. The only requirements on the package are high speed internet and a telephone. Checking their website, they require 128 KbPS upload speeds. Our Hughes Net is seven times that speed. So I bought it.
In the interest of saving you time and me aggravation in repeating the story, Magic Jack does NOT work with any kind of satellite internet service. Cable and DSL internet is a continuous stream of packets of data. There is a latency in the bursts of packets sent to and from satellites that makes VOIP (voice over IP) unusable, creating "static".
While on the Magic Jack tech support chat page, I made sure to vent all my frustrations on the support guy. I think his name was Peggie. I used words like "fraudulent" and "deceptive", and phrases such as "a waste of my time". I asked questions such as "If Magic Jack doesn't work with satellite internet services, why not put this information on the package? And on your website's home page?". I got no groveling response from Peggie, nor an apology.
So Magic Jack goes back to Walmart, and I'll have to contact my local telephone company to see about running a phone line in here. That will be, I'm sure, even more aggravating. At least I have to wait until at least Tuesday because of the holiday. And of course, checking their website, I can't email them for new service. I have to call them. On what?
Memorial Day weekend here in upstate New York is always a gamble. Today, the working folks lost.
We installed Hughes Net gen4 satellite internet service. The basic package is 10 MbPS download speed, 1 MbPS upload. It's not as fast as cable, but it seems to work fine for our use.
I checked out Magic Jack as a solution to our lack of telephone service. The only requirements on the package are high speed internet and a telephone. Checking their website, they require 128 KbPS upload speeds. Our Hughes Net is seven times that speed. So I bought it.
In the interest of saving you time and me aggravation in repeating the story, Magic Jack does NOT work with any kind of satellite internet service. Cable and DSL internet is a continuous stream of packets of data. There is a latency in the bursts of packets sent to and from satellites that makes VOIP (voice over IP) unusable, creating "static".
While on the Magic Jack tech support chat page, I made sure to vent all my frustrations on the support guy. I think his name was Peggie. I used words like "fraudulent" and "deceptive", and phrases such as "a waste of my time". I asked questions such as "If Magic Jack doesn't work with satellite internet services, why not put this information on the package? And on your website's home page?". I got no groveling response from Peggie, nor an apology.
So Magic Jack goes back to Walmart, and I'll have to contact my local telephone company to see about running a phone line in here. That will be, I'm sure, even more aggravating. At least I have to wait until at least Tuesday because of the holiday. And of course, checking their website, I can't email them for new service. I have to call them. On what?
Memorial Day weekend here in upstate New York is always a gamble. Today, the working folks lost.
5-Day Forecast for Bleecker, New York Today: Rain, High: 56 F, Low: 46 F Tomorrow: Rain, High: 49 F, Low: 40 F Sunday: Showers, High: 52 F, Low: 41 F Monday: Partly Cloudy, High: 68 F, Low: 42 F Tuesday: Partly Cloudy, High: 72 F, Low: 51 F
Well good luck with the mountain home. Hope you both enjoy your adventure.
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