Does MagicJack Work With HughesNet?

Internet connections fall into two rough categories. Dial-up access, popularized for public use in the 1990s, requires a phone line. Since then, technological evolutions have brought high-speed Internet connections now advertised as "up to 100 times faster" than dial-up, including DSL, cable, satellite and fiber optics.

MagicJack allows you to use an Internet connection in lieu of traditional phone service that relies on telephone wires. After plugging the magicJack into your computer and plugging your phone into the device, you can use your Internet signal to make and receive calls on your land-line phone. Such calls use significant bandwidth, however. At minimum, you need 512 kbps of bandwidth to use VoIP technology, but HughesNet only offers speeds up to 300 kbps.

HughestNet is a satellite Internet service provider typically used by people who don't have access to high-speed connections such as cable or DSL, including those who live in rural areas. While satellite Internet is technically regarded as a high-speed Internet -- because it's significantly faster than dial-up -- it's not nearly as fast as other mediums.

While many high-speed Internet connections work with magicJack and other VoIP devices, HughesNet -- just like any other satellite service provider -- can't keep a phone conversation running smoothly. If no other Internet service type is available in your area, magicJack isn't an option for you. Its official website's Frequently Asked Questions page specifically recommends against attempting to use magicJack in such situations, citing a "delay with satellite Internet service" as a factor.