Another question for the help desk: VoIP related - Latency values

[Baz]

I recently installed a Magic Jack device for telephone service through my Internet.

Since day 1 - the audio output has been sketchy at best and on some days even non-existent.

It's only a 1 way problem as I can hear audio perfectly - only the outbound audio is the issue.

Using this speed test my values are:

Latency: 41 ms
DL: 28.1 Mbps
UL: 9.45 Mbps
0% Packet loss

The tech people over at Magic Jack are saying my Latency value is too high and that is causing the problem. They say the value should be under 25.

I contacted my ISP and they say there's nothing they can do to lower the latency - it's a byproduct of my computer and configurations.

I've swapped out phones and even replaced the Magic Jack and it didn't help.

I have tried both connection methods - again - no change:





I was almost ready to try a different router but thought I'd run it by the brain trust to get some input, since this issue is way out of my technical skills.

My router is a Netgear model WNDR3400 (N600) and I don't have any wireless devices hooked up - just the Magic Jack for my phone.

TIA for any ideas or advice

[KFC911]

Mebbe someone "still in the game" will offer more than an old dino....but there is a LOT that happens on your device at the NIC, TCP stack, etc. that could be the culprit....something misconfigured at the router/switch....

If none of that makes sense....good....yer not a geek Baz

Wait fer Scott or Steve or ????

My last corporate gig...5k VOIP conversions...I don't play dat no mo'....

T-Rex

[Baz]

Thanks, Keith. We have a good assortment of technical folks here so I'm betting someone will have info that can help.

[stomachmonkey]

I woulda gone google voice through an Obi.

Well, actually I did do that, I meant if'n I were you...

https://www.obitalk.com/info/googlevoice

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I woulda gone google voice through an Obi.

Well, actually I did do that, I meant if'n I were you...

https://www.obitalk.com/info/googlevoice

I was looking at that earlier. I have no problem going to a different system at this point.

I'd still like to know about this latency thing though - and why I have poor or no audio output.

Thanks, Scott.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

I was looking at that earlier. I have no problem going to a different system at this point.

I'd still like to know about this latency thing though - and why I have poor or no audio output.

Thanks, Scott.

Latency is not a static thing.

Who / what server did you ping that got you that result?

Did you try others?

Is your PC wired to the router or wireless?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Latency is not a static thing.

Who / what server did you ping that got you that result?

Did you try others?

Is your PC wired to the router or wireless?

This is where I went for my speed test:

https://sourceforge.net/speedtest/

I did try another and it was similar.

Ethernet cable - no wireless.

[Baz]

Looks like this won't work if I want to keep my old landline number - I just did a check and got this message:

Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support.
For some area codes, Google Voice does not support porting, e.g. Hawaii (808), Alaska (907). If you get this result when you enter your land line number, you will not be able to port you number to Google Voice.

Back to square one.....

[stomachmonkey]

Try speedtest.net, run a couple of times using different servers.

My ping to them is roughly half what it was to sourceforge.

Check your TCP settings. Ethernet should be Full Duplex. If it's not you can' transmit/receive (talk/listen) simultaneously.

Meaning if not Full Duplex and the other end is noisy you'll never be able to be heard because you are stuck on receiving.

Have you tried testing with a service like SKYPE? It's VOIP.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

Looks like this won't work if I want to keep my old landline number - I just did a check and got this message:



Back to square one.....

Is / was this number from your cable provider? Like in part of a Triple Play /pacakge?

Google can't port cable numbers.

The way around that is you get a $10.00 prepaid phone card, slap it in a spare cell phone, port the number to that, wait a couple of days after the transfer is confirmed then port to google.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Is / was this number from your cable provider? Like in part of a Triple Play /pacakge?

Google can't port cable numbers.

The way around that is you get a $10.00 prepaid phone card, slap it in a spare cell phone, port the number to that, wait a couple of days after the transfer is confirmed then port to google.

The number is now in Magic jack's hands, not my cable provider.

According to the webpage - I can't even do the in between T-mobile trick - there is just no service in my area....period.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Try speedtest.net, run a couple of times using different servers.

My ping to them is roughly half what it was to sourceforge.

Check your TCP settings. Ethernet should be Full Duplex. If it's not you can' transmit/receive (talk/listen) simultaneously.

Meaning if not Full Duplex and the other end is noisy you'll never be able to be heard because you are stuck on receiving.

Have you tried testing with a service like SKYPE? It's VOIP.

I will check with speedtest.net but don't know how to do the rest of what you wrote....lol....

I used Skype a long time ago and it was OK. Looking for something else. Be nice to get my Magic Jack issue resolved. I wonder if it's my router.

[Baz]

15 ms on Speedtest.net.....less than half of what sourceforge had me at (41).

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

I will check with speedtest.net but don't know how to do the rest of what you wrote....lol....

I used Skype a long time ago and it was OK. Looking for something else. Be nice to get my Magic Jack issue resolved. I wonder if it's my router.

SKYPE was a question as it's also VOIP, if you had no issues there then it indicates the problem may be with MagicJack.

Turn off Auto Negotiate and set for Full Duplex.

[stomachmonkey]

Is your area code 386?

Because google does distribute that area code.

AFAIK, only Alaska and Hawaii are geographic issues with google voice.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

SKYPE was a question as it's also VOIP, if you had no issues there then it indicates the problem may be with MagicJack.

Turn off Auto Negotiate and set for Full Duplex.

Just changed to Full Duplex and it didn't solve the problem.

The Skype I had was like 10 years and 2 computer systems ago - so not sure if that means anything.

I bought a new Magic Jack and the problem remained so can't be the device unless I have two bad ones in a row.

Weird, huh?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Is your area code 386?

Because google does distribute that area code.

AFAIK, only Alaska and Hawaii are geographic issues with google voice.

Yes 386, but the message I got said it didn't serve my area so just going by the webpage (see 4th paragraph down):

https://www.obitalk.com/info/tutorials/porttutorial

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Baz

Yes 386, but the message I got said it didn't serve my area so just going by the webpage (see 4th paragraph down):

https://www.obitalk.com/info/tutorials/porttutorial

FWIW, I also punched in my cell phone number and got the same message about "no support in this area."

[Baz]

Don't worry about it, Scott - you've done enough. You have better things to do on a Sunday night. One way or another I'll get it figured out. Thanks for all your suggestions and effort! I'll post again if anything new comes up...

[masraum]

MJ is full of sheisse about "25ms" being a requirement for VoIP. Cisco advertises a max of 150ms, and even that's BS. And Latency isn't that big a deal by itself. WHat is a big deal is jitter (how much the latency is bouncing around) and bandwidth in both directions.

You should have plenty of bandwidth in both directions.

Latency is almost completely a function of distance. Latency is mostly (unless the network is heavily congested) a function of the speed of light (in glass which is lower than air) and the distance it has to go.