Satellite VOIP

mikeo1313

New member
Nov 22, 2005
33
0
0
Anyone ever give a Net2phone Voip over Direcway service a try?

Particularly Satellite internet has too much latency to function for typical VOIP services.

However, there was a certain article I read the other day that stated an agreement between Net2phone and Direcway to allow satellite internet customers enjoy an acceptable QOS over a satellite connection.

I do doubt the claim very much, not to mentioned haven't heard anything overwhelmingly positive of satellite internet in general not to mention Direcway specific complaints of horrible support in the states.

I can understand that particularly the ideal candidate not hover over this post but definitely I understand that I may not be the only one interested in VOIP in DR in a remote area where satellite convinience may be the only option, namely countrysides.

Over the last couple years VOIP with vonage and PCphone have worked very acceptably over DSL in DR jik anyone can probably can find that comment of use.

Ciao.
 

gamana

New member
Apr 24, 2006
225
2
0
Voip

Voip with Direcway (now Hughes network) does work as long as your plan allows for sufficient upload speed. The individual and basic business plans are not sufficient. you will need a medium level business plan.

The latency is inherent and there is nothing you can do about it. You just have to let you interlocutor know that they need to wait few seconds to get an answer.

Skype works fine as well as Ichat for mac users.

also, make sure that your antenna has a 2watt receiver and not a 1watt (older version) as it will also help...
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
Hughes network services in our area of footprint is not a reliable system given that the suppliers are not focused on the Caribbean and Central America as a lucrative area of business whatsoever. The support is not acceptable for our area of the world. We've had occasions where the spotbeam of transponders was moved overnight and users woke up the next morning without connectivity. The Caribbean is not a Hughes network service priority. The available satellite capacity from those satellites that we can see from our area, have been oversubscribed for at least two years with contention ratios heading to 1 to 300. In addition, anyone with a voracious appetite for connectivity, will very soon exhaust the amount of throughput allowed in the less than adequate Fair Access Policies.

The original Vsat technology used was developed for mass deployment and a shorter distance from the actual satellites. Currently, there are better technologies available for our area and the Caribbean, with much improved latency roundtrips and crystal clear voip. (Most suppliers are agressively moving into the VOIP market and setting up proprietary systems, on their equipment only). We have stopped selling Hughes network services in the Caribbean and Central America about three years ago to work with newer and much improved technologies.

Generally we deal with iDirect and Unasat as well as a few higher level offerings. As with everything, you get what you pay for. 3 Watt and 4 Watt bucs are common these days. Also see this response to an enquiry that happened to come up recently. http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/56813-self-employed-dr.html
 

jackieboo

On Vaction without a return ticket!
Mar 18, 2006
362
0
0
Unasat

Generally we deal with iDirect and Unasat as well as a few higher level offerings. As with everything, you get what you pay for. 3 Watt and 4 Watt bucs are common these days. Also see this response to an enquiry that happened to come up recently. http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/56813-self-employed-dr.html

I currently use the 4 Watt Unasat connection and I can report that the service from Unasat is deplorable. The start up costs associated with the Unasat service are close to $5000.00USD and the monthly charges are right at $230.00USD a month. I telecommute to my office in the U.S. from the DR and all of my research indicated that with a 4 watt system and a 256/1500 connection I could run a VOIP, a VPN and surf the net without any issues.

I can report that when the system is working properly the 'normal' use of the internet is very good. 'Normal' includes surfing the net, downloads, uploads and connection to a VPN.

Unfortunately the VOIP is almost unusable. I've tried them all, VONAGE, SKYPE, Net2phone....... they all suck because of the latancy. You can always here the other party 'crystal clear' but your voice sounds like you're calling from the dark side of the moon.

The other issue with Unasat is down times. Over the past 4 months I can report that the network goes down at minimum 4 times a day. Sometimes for just a few seconds and other times for 10 - 15 minutes. The really crappy thing is that when the network bombs I have to reboot my entire system.

I'm now switching over to iDirect (for even more money) with the hope that the VOIP will at least be usable. I can deal with latancy as long as the receiver can hear what I'm saying.

If I can offer any advise to those of you considering a satellite system. Do your research and truely understand how the systems work. Especially understand their limitations. The cost is enormous and just because some peoples results are decent it doesn't mean that they necissarily use their system the same way that you may use yours.

I can recommend Chris and Richard for the installation and support. Poor Richard has been through hell and back with me on finding solutions to my satellite problems and has done as much as I could possibly ask him to do.

Jack
 

Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
Often the problem is a more or less good dish alignemt.
They install more or less and less , less than more.
P.
 

DunHill

New member
Aug 29, 2003
351
0
0
www.dunhill.ws
Often the problem is a more or less good dish alignemt.
They install more or less and less , less than more.
P.

Alignment and more/less is not a thing you can put on Richard.
He knows the drill and he knows what he does and he has the proper equipment to do so.

VOIP over DW/HN is still not possible due to the hugh LAGtimes and the overcrowded transponders, that N2P works is just the quality of the used codecs, and both net2phone and yahoo use the very best (same system)

We for ourselves have a PAP2 with a level3 contract, sometimes we can create an acceptable conversation over DW/HN (1 out of 1000), but it is in CB style, on the other hand on UnaSat we have almost no problems (peak-hours will kill everything), and iDirect gives the best result.

The worst performence in VOIP we get with Vonage, it is something with the settings in their system
 

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
7,951
28
0
www.caribbetech.com
Thanks Dunhill, I wanted to do an update to this thread, as well as this one .. Self-Employed in the DR

The initial serious teething problems we had with Unasat in the DR is over and done with. We are on our own shared transponder (big stuff this!) and our customers on Unasat are reporting good service. Unasat still remains one of the best medium cost solutions out there. I cannot tell you that we did not have serious problems with the initial installations, but I can tell you that the problems have been solved.

Unasat has a proprietary VOIP solution. As this is perfectly tuned for their own system, it works very well in terms of voice quality and response times.

For those technically inclined, the Unasat VOIP solution maintains a level of CIR (committed information rate), which ensures consistency of data rates, very necessary for voip over satellite.
 

DunHill

New member
Aug 29, 2003
351
0
0
www.dunhill.ws
Just a view of our use of the unasat system

WiFi network in and around Juan Dolio (35 hotspots), with about 15-25 users online
Several WiFi users with net2phone, skype etc etc
and our own hardware PAP2 voip
If nobody is doing big/heavy downloads it works all smoothly on a 1500/256 UnaSat connection
During "primetime" hickups are normal, it is like the trafficjamin the morning and evening, outside those hours the systems works better than we ever expected
 

mountainfrog

On Vacation!
Dec 8, 2003
3,146
0
0
www.domrep-info.com
Call Me to Find Out

I have been using internet access via satellite for about three years and VoIP with Skype and the Yahoo-Messenger.
I am not very picky and demanding and I think it's a great way of communicating at low cost.

m'frog
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
2,239
168
63
I recomend Starband, as many friends I know use it here, and I skype them often totally clearly. However, I wish to comment that I have been to various DirecWay users, and Skype/Yahoo VOIP works just fine...

I am wondering why DunHill is saying that he can't get any normal conversations... I used it myself while I was at those person's house (I have 2 examples in my mind)...

Anyway, I would go for Starband (PM me if you are interested)...