Magic Jack.

[Sherman]

Has anyone ever tried this device or is presently using it?

It hooks up to one of your computer's USB ports and it allows you to make calls as you please, whenever you please. You plug the phone jack into the device.

Then you call the co to get your account set up with the provider. I'm told that THEY will then automatically call your present telephone service provider and cancel your service with that co first and then sign you up for phone service with the Magic Jack.

I'm very seriously considering getting this device and saying goodbye to Comcast for phone service, but before I do, there are a few questions that I think need to be answered;

1. If you have it, how do you like it?

2. Does it deliver the goods?

3. Is it really only $20. a year, or are their also hidden chages that come with it?

4. Are you offered customer or tech support if there's ever a problem?

5. Do you have to be online to be able to use it, since it plugs into you pc's USB cord?

These things i have to know beforehand, as it will help me make a dicision as to whether I still want it or not.

Otherwise I'll go back with Vonage. But in either case, I'm LEAVING Comcast's phone service for a much cheaper alternative one to save money and help make my budget that much more managable!

Here's a pic of what it looks like. :tiphat: :biggrin:

[FryBoy]

I haven't used it, but I've read good reviews of it in the computer mags/websites.

BTW, I recently read that they have a new version (or soon will) that will allow you to use your cellphone to make calls over the Internet without using your minutes.

[RobsanX]

I haven't used it, but I've read good reviews of it in the computer mags/websites.

+1...

[Wart]

Since it has to be plugged into a computer the comp has to run 24/7. If power goes out so does the phone. Power going out and the phone not working is just how VOIP is. Our voip is through a combination phone and Internet modem (Road Runner). If you want to keep a phone with a power outage you need a UPS, thing is do you want to have to power the computer or just the modem?

Yes, we have cell phones for emergency calls but cell phones don't give a physical address to the call. But they do give GPS, it's a quasi wash.

And I've read/ heard Magic Jack doesn't give the physical address to 911 calls either, however thats one I would have to check out.

There was a pretty good thread in another forum I frequent about the MJ, later I'll see if I can find it. I didn't pay much attention because it was a couple months ago and our land line contract doesn't end till winter/spring of '11.

[CaliforniaCook]

I don't have majic jack, but have wondered about it myself. I've seen the late night ads. Do they have call waiting etc? AT&T is charging me a bundle with their nickle & diming for who knows what.

[Sherman]

So you DO have to at least have the computer on to make or receive calls with it.

But does that also unclude the pc being in the Sleep mode, which puts the machine into a low-power state?

PC Magazine thinks very highly of it and recommends it for people who are looking for a dirt-cheap alternative to phone service.

I'm all for it as long as there are either no problems or very minimal of them.

[Sherman]

I don't have majic jack, but have wondered about it myself. I've seen the late night ads. Do they have call waiting etc? AT&T is charging me a bundle with their nickle & diming for who knows what.



Yes it DOES feature call waiting, I think.

Most of the things that you are now paying extra for, magic jack is offering them for nothing, such as call waiting voice mail and other stuff.

I saw the device advertised on TV One early this morning in an infommercial at 0530, and that got me going. But I DID stop at a Radio Shack store last week and inquired about it there.

But there, sort of IS a drawback with it. If by some remote chance that your pc is out of service or not working or is even out for repairs, and you don't have a replacement pc until it gets back, then you can't make or receive calls with it.

I DO have two, but one of them is out for service waiting for recovery software to be received and installed at a friend's house. :bonk:

[ChowderMan]

I have one - had it for the initial year and then signed up for five years service at $14/yr, as I recall.

has caller ID, voice mail also sends a .wav(?) file to your email, all that good stuff included in the basic price. I've not seen any additional "fees" or "hidden charges" of any kind in 3+ years.

yes your computer must be turned on and you must have a constant broadband connection for it to send/receive calls. goes to voice mail if you're not "up" or don't answer.

their standard offerings continue to increase - and all the "new" bennies automatically apply to "old" accounts - you don't even have to "sign up" for anything. started out as free anywhere in USA, then USA+Canada, then USA+Canada+Mexico (parts, I think, as last check)

it's also highly portable. go on vacation - take it with you - laptop & broadband access & hotel phone RJ-11 jack and you can dial till you drop.

calls made from anywhere in the world to the "free" area are free. did a London jaunt a while back and saved enough to pay it's five year bill in two or three phone calls. I bought one and sent it to my cousin in Australia. free calls from there to here . . . they are very popular with their neighbors.

they also have some really low international rates - which you do have to sign up for any pay the extra pennies per minute of use - but no monthly fee, etc. I called Germany on my land line - at $1.75 per minute - I could get a better rate but I'd have to sign up for an "international package" at $15 a month plus "low per minute rates" which are about 20 times higher. try Magic Jack for $0.02 (I think,,,) per minute - and no other charges.

call quality is almost always exceptional - but it is not 110% - and that actually depends on your ISP/bandwidth/broadband connection, not the gadget itself.

I use it extensively / near exclusively for outgoing calls. obviously your savings depends on your habits/calling patterns but I probably save it's annual fee every month - vs. $0.07 / min + taxes.

in my area code, even calls within the area code get billed at rates higher than $0.07. I can call Kansas or California for seven cents/ min - but across the river runs about 23 cents/min. go figger. deregulation did not actually live up to the promises.

the one glitch I've encountered - I have to unplug the MajicJack if I want to burn a CD/DVD. there's apparently an interrupt conflict - which might be curable - I've simply not put the effort into doing anything about it.

it is not a "perfect solution" - see: "plugged in and online all the time" - but for the $15<whatever> a year, it's a very difficult trick to beat. and for some folks - like snowbirds - it's an ideal fit. low budget cell phone and MagicJack can be dollar wise quite attractive.

[Keltin]

Check this thread:

http://www.netcookingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1923&highlight=magic+jack (http://www.netcookingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1923&highlight=magic+jack)


It’s 39.95 or more to buy it up front, but that comes with a year of service as well. After that, it really is only 19.95 a year. No hidden fees.

Customer Support is almost non-existent. I never could find a phone number to call them. All they offer is Online Tech Chat via their website.

To get it to work when you plug it into a USB, you must have auto-run enabled on your PC. That is the first thing I always disable on a new PC, so I ran into problems and had to manually start MJ every time I rebooted.

The soft phone (the program that runs magic jack) is always on. You can’t ever turn it or your PC off if you wish to use magic jack. Whenever you get a call, the soft phone software pops up and over any other program you had running. Kind of annoying.

When I used Magic Jack (last year), it was very buggy and prone to failure. Very often you cold hear voice coming in on a call but they couldn’t hear you. Or vice versa. The quality was often poor with lots of static, popping, and dropped voice segments. And sometimes, it wouldn’t work at all and required a reboot.

Depending on your area, you may not be able to get a “local” phone number. This means that if your neighbor wants to call you, it is long distance for them. It’s free for you of course, but it’s something to consider if your friends and family have to pay LD charges.

Personally, I got rid of Magic Jack for Vonage, and I’m very pleased that I did.

[Sherman]

That page is denying me access into it.

[Keltin]

That page is denying me access into it.

Weird. C-n-P then...........

If you have a broadband internet connection such as cable or DSL, you can take advantage of fairly cheap and sometimes free phone service. All you need do is connect the appropriate hardware to your Broadband Modem or PC, hook up a phone, and you’re ready to go.

I’ve tried 2, but there are more out there, so if you know of others, then please post.

MagicJack (http://www.magicjack.com/7/index.asp)

You may be seeing the commercials for this one by now. You pay a set fee, 39.99 to buy the device, then you get phone service free for 1 whole year. Sounds like a great deal. You get free local and long distance to all of the continental US and Canada. International plans cost extra. One neat feature is that you can take MagicJack with you wherever you go meaning free calls via a Laptop when you’re in a net capable Motel room. Kind of neat. The S/W also acts as a “softphone” so that you can use your PC speakers and a microphone to have a conversation over the PC instead of through a regular phone.

But there are some problems.

1. You have to have this device hooked up to a PC/Laptop that is always on and running. The software needed to run this has to be running or your phone doesn’t work.

2. It’s still a fairly new device and full of bugs. Often, you try to call out and you get no voice on your end, yet the far end can hear you. Or, if you do connect, it is “jumpy” and drops every 1/2 second of voice making for a very stuttery call. Worse case, and I’ve seen about all of them, is it flat out will not make an outgoing call nor receive an incoming call.

3. Limited availability of “Local” numbers. Even though all of your calls will be free (local and long distance) you may be assigned a number (like what happened to us) that is out of your area. When we signed up at first, the only area close to us was Tennessee meaning we got a 931 area code number even though we are in Northern Alabama. This means that all local calls coming in to us were long distance for the person calling. Not a problem for you, but a real pain for anyone that wants to call you.

When it does work, it actually does a pretty good job. On a good day, the call quality was acceptable, and it comes with free voicemail. It also supports other popular features, but caller ID never really worked well. You’d get the number but no name, or you’d get “Unknown”.

Another annoyance is that the S/W has to run on a PC. This means that your PC must always be on to have phone service. Not really a problem, but if you are working on the PC and someone picks up the phone or a call comes in, the MagicJack S/W becomes the active window and can hose you up if you were working on something else. It’s a real pain to be in a Word doc and have that damn box pop up.

Since it must run on a PC, you need to consider your PC specs and all programs you have installed. The older and slower your PC, the more problems you may have.

All in all, I give MagicJack a thumbs down and got rid of it. I used it for 5 months and 90% of the time it was problematic, I’ d often have to reset my cordless phone, the MJ dongle, or even the PC just to get it working. A real pain. And when it did work, it was often unacceptable quality. Mileage may vary based on your PC, how old it is, and what you have installed. For now, I’d say steer clear of it as it is not a mature device yet.

Vonage Phone Service (http://www.vonage.com/call_plans.php?lid=nav_call_plans&refer_id=WEBSR0706010001W1)

I dropped MagicJack for Vonage.

It comes with a very nice, slim, and sophisticated stand-alone box. No PC required. It plugs directly into your Broadband Modem or router, and also has an extra router port on it for connecting another net device.

As a stand alone device, you do not have to have a PC running constantly (although I never turn mine off anyway). This means it will not interfere with any PC work you are doing and will not hog PC resources.

However, it does require a monthly bill. Unlike MagicJack, you have to pay each month instead of each year. Vonage starts at 17.99 for 500 “anywhere” minutes. The next and most popular plan (which we use) is 24.99 for unlimited local and long distance to continental US, Canada, Mexico, and 5 select areas in Europe. Additional International rates can be purchased.

We’ve had Vonage for 2 months. The little box is SLICK. It is wall mountable (which I did), has built in caller ID and several other diagnostic and service features. It offers an additional router port which is nice, and it will auto-update itself with new software.

Vonage does suffer from limited numbers though. However, it’s not nearly as bad as the situation with MagicJack. We had to pick a prefix for a town that is 20 miles away, but it is still “local” to everyone that calls us. So no real big deal there.

Call quality is outstanding. It works perfectly, and we’ve not had a single problem with it. We bought it online and got all of the net instant rebates as well as 2 months free, so we only paid 20.01 with Free Shipping to get Vonage. Not bad at all.

Overall, I’m very impressed with Vonage. It works every time as it should, and it works very well.

MagicJack was a sweet sounding deal, but in the end, as they say, you get what you pay for. Maybe in a few years they will work the bugs out, but for now, stay away from MagicJack and go for Vonage instead.

One final note – 911 service works differently with IP based phones. The 911 dispatch can not track you based on an IP call. Instead, the IP phone provider has you enter your address manually into your account. Then when you call, the address you entered is what is transmitted to the dispatcher. You have to be careful to enter your address correctly, and keep it updated if you move. But really, it is a simple matter, and dispatch will often ask and verify your address anyway. But…..it does stand to reason that some unscrupulous users could enter false addresses and perform “drop calls” to 911 to cause someone a problem. Haven’t heard of this really, but it seems a possibility. Shouldn’t be a problem for the average user, but it does seem to be a hole a prankster could exploit. Granted, if it gets bad, an IP trace will find the user and nail them.

[Keltin]

Oh, I was running XP and have no idea how this will work on Vista.

I did discover one thing though, the more stuff you have installed on your computer, the worse that Magic Jack runs. I mean stuff in general (registry entries, installed programs, etc) and not stuff that is running.

I did a clean install of XP on a friends' PC and put almost nothing on it except Avast. A very clean install.

I then gave him my Magic Jack, and it worked great. Better than it ever did for me.

After a month, he had installed new programs for music editing, photo editing, and other simple tools. Nothing major, just the basic stuff that most people use. Then the problems started. He started seeing the same poor performance I had seen.

A month later, the performance was so bad, he just quit using it.

So, be mindful of the PC you use this on. The more you install on it, the more MJ is likely to have problems. Ideally, it would be great to have a small dedicated Laptop sitting in a corner that is used for nothing but MJ.

[Doc]

Interesting. Maybe get an old PC off of ebay and dedicate it to magic jack.

I have Voipo. I dropped Verison last fall. Voipo runs 8.25 per month vs Vonage 24.95 per month. Just like Vonage Voipo gives you caller ID, call waiting, voice mail etc. at no extra charge. You have to pay one year at time to get that price, and with taxes it comes out to 11 bucks per month ($133 per year). Free long distance for most of North America and 6 or so European countries. Works just like Vonage, but less than half the price.
I've never used Magic Jack so I can't compare that to Voipo.
http://www.voipo.com/
Please say I referred you if you sign up with Voipo. I get a free month when I renew next year. :D

[Sherman]

I had Vonage before, but even THAT was problematic as well.

When I tried to dial any 800-number in the Ynited States, a blasted recording was always cutting in, telling me that INTERNATIONAL calls were blocked, when I wasn't even trying to call internationally at all!

Vonage had NEVER FIXED IT AT ALL.

Even today, Comcast is problematic as well!

I used to be able to call a friend's home number with no problems at all. But since I had my number changed, trying to call him on his old line, which STILL works BTW, a friggen recording cuts in that says; "Your call to this number is not allowed because the user has it block to stop calls from private callers."!

The friend does not even have the number blocked!! Called Comcast about the problem and they blamed it on the friend, saying that something was wrong with HIS line, when there isn't.

Comcast just refuses to be told when it is wrong! They were supposed to be fixing the problem, but they NEVER did!! They offer digital phone service to calble subscribers and then they want to croak them because of their ridiculously high prices. They seem to be treating NEW customers much better than the ones who are loyal to them and have had their services longer!!

I want to cancel their phone service and go with something cheaper. But I might try magic Jack, and if there are any problems or I don't like it, I can always get a refund for the cost of the unit.

[Sherman]

Interesting. Maybe get an old PC off of ebay and dedicate it to magic jack.

I have Voipo. I dropped Verison last fall. Voipo runs 8.25 per month vs Vonage 24.95 per month. Just like Vonage Voipo gives you caller ID, call waiting, voice mail etc. at no extra charge. You have to pay one year at time to get that price, and with taxes it comes out to 11 bucks per month ($133 per year). Free long distance for most of North America and 6 or so European countries. Works just like Vonage, but less than half the price.
I've never used Magic Jack so I can't compare that to Voipo.
http://www.voipo.com/
Please say I referred you if you sign up with Voipo. I get a free month when I renew next year. :D



I had Verizon's phone several years ago, along with their DSL service.

The phone service worked ok, but their DSL service back then, and from what I'm hearing today, is STILL even problematic!

I was on the phone with them for hours and hours on end, day and night, trying to get their Internet service to work properly. They woould come up with more frivelous excuse than Carter has liver pills has to why their crappy service wouldn't work.

It was a lowdown dirty shame! They would promise to send out a modem and it would end up going to my FORMER address! How stupid and sad is that?! Long story short, I just didn't like their DSL service at all, and from what I found out, their FIOS service is no better.

Called to try to get it in February, '08 and they told me that it isn't availible for this area!! I'm done with them. :ohmy:

[Keltin]

Interesting. Maybe get an old PC off of ebay and dedicate it to magic jack.

I have Voipo. I dropped Verison last fall. Voipo runs 8.25 per month vs Vonage 24.95 per month. Just like Vonage Voipo gives you caller ID, call waiting, voice mail etc. at no extra charge. You have to pay one year at time to get that price, and with taxes it comes out to 11 bucks per month ($133 per year). Free long distance for most of North America and 6 or so European countries. Works just like Vonage, but less than half the price.
I've never used Magic Jack so I can't compare that to Voipo.
http://www.voipo.com/
Please say I referred you if you sign up with Voipo. I get a free month when I renew next year. :D

Wow. Never heard of Voipo. I may do that. What is your username on Voipo so I can say you referred me.

[Sherman]

I think they were the other alternative to Vonage, offering the same type of service.

[Doc]

I think they were the other alternative to Vonage, offering the same type of service.
There are quite a few of them now. I think Voipo is the best bang for the buck IMHO.

[Keltin]

Hmph.....looks like I may be in a 1 year contract to Vonage which means I won't be switching to VoipO any time soon. :ohmy::bonk:

[Doc]

Darn contracts.
Vonage tried to tell me I was locked into a contract and I told them I asked that question up front and was told no, I could cancel anytime. If I remember right the fee for canceling was 39 dollars, but I got that waved as I really did ask the question and was told wrong information. I had already been with them for one year, and they claimed I had a two year contract.
Long way of saying it might be worth your while to see how much it costs you to buy your way out of the contract. You still might save a considerable amount in the end.

NOTE: If you want to keep your current number be sure you have signed up with your new carrier before you cancel your current one. I canceled Vonage and then signed up for Voipo and tried to keep my number. No way hose. I had to open a new contract with Vonage which I had 30 days to cancel with no fees. Establish the old number I had with them, then initiate the transfer. It was a pain, but it was worth it. Learn from my mistake.

[Keltin]

Darn contracts.
Vonage tried to tell me I was locked into a contract and I told them I asked that question up front and was told no, I could cancel anytime. If I remember right the fee for canceling was 39 dollars, but I got that waved as I really did ask the question and was told wrong information. I had already been with them for one year, and they claimed I had a two year contract.
Long way of saying it might be worth your while to see how much it costs you to buy your way out of the contract. You still might save a considerable amount in the end.

NOTE: If you want to keep your current number be sure you have signed up with your new carrier before you cancel your current one. I canceled Vonage and then signed up for Voipo and tried to keep my number. No way hose. I had to open a new contract with Vonage which I had 30 days to cancel with no fees. Establish the old number I had with them, then initiate the transfer. It was a pain, but it was worth it. Learn from my mistake.

Thanks! That's great info!

I've been trying to find a picture of the VOIPO adapter box, but can't. Have you got a picture of what it looks like? How big is it?

[Keltin]

Just heard today at the coffee machine that Magic Jack is about to start offering a femtocell device. That is a device that acts as a base station for your cell phone. What happens is, your GSM Cell phone locks onto the femtocell MJ device (which has a range of 3,000 square feet. Once it connects, it leaves the regular pay GSM network and you make your calls over the internet basically turning your cell phone into a VOIP phone while you are inside your house.

Since you won't be using the pay GSM network of AT&T or T-Mobile, then your calls are free (no usage of your minutes). Well, except for the $20 per year fee that you pay to magic jack. There is even a plan to put an onboard CPU in the femtocell device so that you don't need a PC to make it work. Should be interesting if they pull this off.

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/converg/2010/011110convergence2.html?t51hb (http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/converg/2010/011110convergence2.html?t51hb)

[Doc]

Thanks! That's great info!

I've been trying to find a picture of the VOIPO adapter box, but can't. Have you got a picture of what it looks like? How big is it?

The one I got last Sept is small. About half the size of my linksys router. Then I got my mom Voipo for Christmas and the adapter they sent to her was a linksys router without the wireless antennas. Otherwise exactly the same.

Plus, I had to configure and get help from support to make my Voipo device work. The one I got for my mom said to plug in the phone line and wait 1 to 3 minutes and you should have a dial tone. Sure nuff it worked. :eek: I was shocked. So easy. :thumb:

Now here comes magic jack. All the info you just added sounds awesome. This means folks with questionable cell phone coverage in their house could use magic jack to make their cell phone work there ....and best of all no minutes.

[Sherman]

Darn contracts.
Vonage tried to tell me I was locked into a contract and I told them I asked that question up front and was told no, I could cancel anytime. If I remember right the fee for canceling was 39 dollars, but I got that waved as I really did ask the question and was told wrong information. I had already been with them for one year, and they claimed I had a two year contract.
Long way of saying it might be worth your while to see how much it costs you to buy your way out of the contract. You still might save a considerable amount in the end.

NOTE: If you want to keep your current number be sure you have signed up with your new carrier before you cancel your current one. I canceled Vonage and then signed up for Voipo and tried to keep my number. No way hose. I had to open a new contract with Vonage which I had 30 days to cancel with no fees. Establish the old number I had with them, then initiate the transfer. It was a pain, but it was worth it. Learn from my mistake.



That's what I plan to do when I'm about to switch carriers.

That way, I won't have to go throughthe aggravating task of having to tell everyone that the number has changed and have to give everyone the new number! :wink:

[Sherman]

Ok guys, I bought and installed Magic Jack.

Couldn't keep the old number though. Was forced to be given a new one.

Testing it for a while to see if it is worth it, to which others say it works well for them.

Canceled the phone service with Comcast.

[Adillo303]

Jelyin - I was talking to a friend (Network Engineer) he claims the femtocell issue is FCC approval since the cell phone is still using the carrier's license to transmit. I cannot imagine the carriers wanting to give up all that revenue.

[buzzard767]

I've decided to wait on femtocell, but if it doesn't happen:

1) I'll get magicjack
2) I'll reduce my iPhone minutes contract and save about $360 a year
3) Route all my calls through Google voice so I never have to mess with sending out info messages to everyone on my list concerning my phone number again.

[Deadly Sushi]

Sherman... can you give us a update?
I use Skype and I like it! :chef:

[Sherman]

So far, MagicJack is working good.

[Deadly Sushi]

So far, MagicJack is working good.

really REALLY good? Or just.... ehhhh... good?
Would you recomend it? :chef:

[Sherman]

It's working really good. Just haven't mastered everything on it yet.

[Sass Muffin]

It's working really good. Just haven't mastered everything on it yet.
Shermie, you are the Master Of Gadgetry :D

[Sherman]

Thank you!

Still a few chinks in the chain that have to be worked out.

[TexasGirl]

MIL had this and I used it when my phone service went out. I didn't care for it, there was a horrible echo and delay, but, it did it's job in a pinch. I wouldn't get one for my permanent phone personally. If you do get it, make sure you ask for 911 service! She didn't know she had to ask for something that is suppose to be mandatory and didn't have it!! She had to pay extra to get it. Thankfully, she didn't need it when it wasn't there.

[Sherman]

As far as I know and have been told, 911 calls are supposed to be free with Magic Jack. I'll look into it.

But they warn you that any 911 calls have to be an absolute positive emergency, otherwise you could be criminally charged for a crime if the call is not of an urgent nature.

To call anywhere in the country is said to be free.

[ChowderMan]

somebody has some bad info.

because of the "internet" thingie you have to 'register' your street address with MagicJack so the system know _where_ to route the 911 call.

what is not so immediately obvious, if you use MajicJack in multiple locations, the 911 services respond to the address on file. we have some snow bird friends and they need to remember to change the 911 address when they go to FL for the winter.

MagicJack explains all this - but since so many people don't bother to read "instructions" . . . .

it's all free and included with the basic service - "She had to pay extra to get it" is not accurate.

[Sherman]

You DO have to give your address when registering and signing up so that they'll know where to send the bill when it is eventually due.

And according to the info that I read on the website, you use it mainly at one address. If you move, even if it is still in the same city or town, you MUST register the new address with the device, or else the service won't work.

This at one time, was also a problem with cellular phone users as well, but I think that has all changed also.

[Doc]

I talked to an friend this weekend who tried magic jack and hated it. She never did get it working right and got a $50 refund. She thought it somehow caused problems with her computer. I did not get any other details but I thought it only cost $20 a year not sure why she paid $50 to start with. :confused:

[Adillo303]

Sherm - the reason for the strict rules on the address is because off 911 service. If you or someone needs 911 and they go to the same house it's no good.

From what I hear, if you five it it's own computer you are OK. Otheewise you have problems.

[ChowderMan]

>>You DO have to give your address when registering and signing up so that they'll know where to send the bill when it is eventually due.

incorrect. it is pay in advance for the basic service - in _years_ I have never seen another bill from them. _if_ you choose to sign up for specific international calling - some call countries do carry per minute "extra" charges - that goes on your credit card, they don't send you a bill.

>>And according to the info that I read on the website, you use it mainly at one address.

incorrect. I pack it whenever I'm going traveling and expect to have a broadband connection available.

>>why she paid $50 to start with.
simple. the device costs money, the service is an annual fee. so to start out you have to buy the device and pay the first year service plan.

no one reads anything anymore . . .

[Sherman]

>>You DO have to give your address when registering and signing up so that they'll know where to send the bill when it is eventually due.

incorrect. it is pay in advance for the basic service - in _years_ I have never seen another bill from them. _if_ you choose to sign up for specific international calling - some call countries do carry per minute "extra" charges - that goes on your credit card, they don't send you a bill.

>>And according to the info that I read on the website, you use it mainly at one address.

incorrect. I pack it whenever I'm going traveling and expect to have a broadband connection available.

>>why she paid $50 to start with.
simple. the device costs money, the service is an annual fee. so to start out you have to buy the device and pay the first year service plan.

no one reads anything anymore . . .



1. Then why is my address needed and is shown below in the pop-up which appears either when I make or receive a call?

2. Reguardless of how the srvice is paid for for the next year, it STILL has to be paid.

3. Yes, that is if you stay at that address, but if you move or travel and still want to use it, yes, you must give another address where you will be for that time.

4. I paid $40 for the device ($20 for each) and the first year.

5. No one reads any more?;

6. Incorrect.

It does NOT cost $50 to buy the device and for the first year. What was the extra $10 for?

6. The device is $40 nationwide no matter which store that you get it from. :neutral:

[Doc]

Don't know why $50 instead of $40. Maybe it was $40 and change and she rounded up. Not sure, I simply know that is what she said.

[ChowderMan]

>>the $50
from the site:
"magicJack costs $39.95 plus shipping and handling."

>>Then why is my address needed and is shown below in the pop-up which appears either when I make or receive a call?

if you look closely, to the left of the address is a green thing labeled "911"
perhaps it's a friendly reminder as to what address is currently active for 911 service?

if you click on the drop down list button to the right of the address you'll see you can have multiple 911 addresses "on file" and easily switch between them.

[Sherman]

I DID see that and I DID do that.

Sorry about that.

But can you tell us why the lady paid $50 instead of $40? Has the price gone up on it or something?

Because I was at a Walmart store on Saturday with a friend and saw that the price for it was still $40.

Also, I was at another Walmart store on Wednesday with a long-time friend who wanted to buy a computer. Saw the device there and it was also $40. We later drove over to MicroCenter to look at the laptop computers there. He bought one from there instead after I helped him select one that is the best for the amount of money that he wanted to spend.

Saw the Magic Jack there. It was still $40.

[ChowderMan]

once upon a time one could not go into stores and buy it. when I got mine it was only available on-line or by phone.

just looked it up - paid $44.90 including shipping and handling; I'm guessing you can pay for expedited shipping.

I rather suspect the $50 is, as suggested, a rounded figure.

[Sherman]

So I would assume that getting it at a Radio Shack Store, which I did, or at any other store where electronics are sold, helped me save on S&H charges. If I ordered it over the phone or on the Web, those charges would have applied.

Looks like they might be planning on stopping the device from being sold in the stores and only selling it through phone or Web orders so that they can croak people for the extra $10. What a shame!!

[Sherman]

I'm stopping the service and going back to Comcast for home phone service.

Tired of the friggen aggravating and annoying dropped calls everytime that I talk to someone!! Have to call back 3 or 4 times! Not worth it!! It's been happening way too often and it is driving me nuts!!

Plus there is no 800-number to call if you're having any issues with the device! You have to communicate through their website only. Guess that it IS true what they say. Sounded too good to be true, and now, looks like it IS!!! You get what you pay for!!

[Keltin]

I'm stopping the service and going back to Comcast for home phone service.

Tired of the friggen aggravating and annoying dropped calls everytime that I talk to someone!! Have to call back 3 or 4 times! Not worth it!! It's been happening way too often and it is driving me nuts!!

Plus there is no 800-number to call if you're having any issues with the device! You have to communicate through their website only. Guess that it IS true what they say. Sounded too good to be true, and now, looks like it IS!!! You get what you pay for!!

Tried to warn you back in posts 9, 11, & 12.

Still your MagicJack is paid up for a year, so you have several months of service left. If you want to try and get your money's worth, then consider using a small laptop as a dedicated MJ server. Wipe the laptop, install XP clean, then install MJ. With that done, put the laptop in a corner and don't use it for anything else. I found that MJ works best on a clean install and with nothing else going on.

[Sherman]

Granted, but I had to find out for myself.

I may take you up on your suggestion, but I only have one phone line, and that will be used for the Comcast line.

I just restored my other laptop pc on Sunday. Maybe put it into THAT one.

[Guts]

I looked into running a FAX with one and was told it did not have the speed I needed. I know one person that has one and likes it.

[Keltin]

I looked into running a FAX with one and was told it did not have the speed I needed. I know one person that has one and likes it.

In a sense, that is correct. VOIP such as MJ has a low bit rate voice codec of 8kbps. A typical fax transmits at 9.6kbps, so it will be severely distorted and typically fail. Further, faster fax machine can run at 33.6kbps, which is never going to work on VOIP.

Next, there is a lot of POTS signaling that FAXes need that aren’t transmitted over VOIP. Then you have to deal with VOIP silence suppression, packet loss and fragmentation, variable delay, and more. All of which will kill a standard FAX.

One way to work around this reliably is to implement the T-38 FOIP model, but that has to be done on both ends and supported by the server. All of which is impossible with MJ (unless you know how to hack the TigerJet chipset it uses).

[Fisher's Mom]

One way to work around this reliably is to implement the T-38 FOIP model, but that has to be done on both ends and supported by the server.Oooh - I didn't know this! Thanks, Keltin. I have Voip for my home service and I cannot send or receive a fax over it.

[Sherman]

I've decided not to put the MJ software into the other computer.

And when the service with Comcast is reinstalled, I'm removing the software from THIS computer as well.

Besides, without the device plugged in, the pc will boot up and shut down much faster!

[buzzard767]

I'm still waiting for MagicJack to start selling their femtocell usb computer add on so I can use my iPhone with it.

[Sherman]

When are they supposed to do that?

Not that I'm interested at all, because now I shouldn't have bought the device.

[Sherman]

I'm now back with Comcast for home phone service.

The switch-over was made and completed yesterday. No more dropped calls and being cut off in the middle of calls!!

[buzzard767]

When are they supposed to do that?

Not that I'm interested at all, because now I shouldn't have bought the device.

It was announced at the Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January. I really could use one due to a poor AT&T signal at my house in FL.

[Sherman]

It was announced at the Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January. I really could use one due to a poor AT&T signal at my house in FL.



Question;

Does anyone know if I can sell the MJ device and get some of my money back? Or am I stuck with it because I'm not using it anymore?

Or can I give it away to someone else who wants to use it? :bonk:

[Keltin]

Question;

Does anyone know if I can sell the MJ device and get some of my money back? Or am I stuck with it because I'm not using it anymore?

Or can I give it away to someone else who wants to use it? :bonk:

You can sell it or give it away. It will still work on anyone else's computer, but they should request a new number unless you are getting a different one and don't care if they keep your old number.

We gave ours to a friend after using it for 4 months or so meaning there were 8 months of service still left. He used it for about 4 months as well, then ditched it. Not sure what happened to it after that. :lol:

[Sherman]

You can sell it or give it away. It will still work on anyone else's computer, but they should request a new number unless you are getting a different one and don't care if they keep your old number.

We gave ours to a friend after using it for 4 months or so meaning there were 8 months of service still left. He used it for about 4 months as well, then ditched it. Not sure what happened to it after that. :lol:



My phone number IS different with Comcast. Couldn't port the old one over.

But I don't know of anyone who has a computer and wants to buy it or use it. :bounce:

[Keltin]

My phone number IS different with Comcast. Couldn't port the old one over.

But I don't know of anyone who has a computer and wants to buy it or use it. :bounce:

There's always eBay? But get all your personal info off MJ and disassociate yourself from it if you did that.

[Sherman]

There's always eBay? But get all your personal info off MJ and disassociate yourself from it if you did that.



Then I'm stuck with it because it has my name & street address.

[Keltin]

Then I'm stuck with it because it has my name & street address.


Not in the device, only in the online account. You can reset that and sell the device.

[buzzard767]

Not in the device, only in the online account. You can reset that and sell the device.

It's worth twenty bucks when new with warrantee. Who's gonna pay even five for it so why bother trying to peddle it?

[Keltin]

It's worth twenty bucks when new with warrantee. Who's gonna pay even five for it so why bother trying to peddle it?

19.95 intro offer plus shipping puts you out nearly 50 bucks to buy it new.

Ebay it for 20 with 8 month's service left and it's a deal as long as you keep shipping reasonable. Eight months of phone service for 20 bucks = 2.50 a month. It's a college kid's dream if he can keep his system clean and the thing running right.

[Keltin]

Worse case scenario, delete everything off of the device and sell it as a low mem jump drive for 2-3 bucks. It DOES act as a removable drive.....but space is limited.

If you're a hacker, the Tiger Chipset in that device is invaluable for Skype and other soft-phone services.

[Sherman]

I probably won't even sell the device because someone else or whoever buys it, they'll just be buying my headaches.

[ChowderMan]

I have a MagicJack, and it does not give me any grief.

reading back over this thread, there was a problem with Comcast, went to Vonage, that had problems, went to MagicJack, that had problems, now you're back with Vonage.

not sure the 'service' is the issue - you may have a not-so-good internet connection.

[leolady]

magic jack is working fine for me!

[Keltin]

I had MagicJack for 4-5 months, and it sucked. Dropped calls, refused to register, choppy voice, etc. I gave it to a friend and rebuilt their laptop. With a clean install of XP, MJ worked good for a while. But after 2 months or so it began to act up and he got rid of it. I think you could get pretty good service if you had a dedicated PC to run MJ and didn't use that PC for anything else.

But, I don't like MJ because it has to run through a PC, and that softphone program they use spies on you and collects personal information such as browsing history in order to "better tailor advertisements". Spying is spying.

For those that say MJ is working great for you, I'm curious about your upstream BW. Go here and test it:

http://www.speedtest.net/ (http://www.speedtest.net/)

What is your upstream bandwidth? MJ claims that it only requires 80k of upstream BW, but I have never in my life seen a SIP/VOIP application that could run smoothly on less than 512k, with 1 meg being recommended. When I had MJ, my upstream was around 460k, and sometimes dropped lower. According to MJ, that should have been fine, but I highly doubt it. Now I have 2 meg up, and I'm curious as to whether MJ would work better now…..but I'll not be trying it to find out. :lol:

[Sherman]

I have a MagicJack, and it does not give me any grief.

reading back over this thread, there was a problem with Comcast, went to Vonage, that had problems, went to MagicJack, that had problems, now you're back with Vonage.

not sure the 'service' is the issue - you may have a not-so-good internet connection.



Highly unlikely.

My Internet connection has been and still is very good.

Guess with some, Magic jack works perfectly, but with others, not so good. It just wasn't for me after all.

Some swear BY it, while others swear AT it! I jumped to the gun too quickly when I bought that. Should have waited. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. You get what you pay for. I felt bonked out with that!! :bonk: :bonk: :bonk:

[ChowderMan]

>>Highly unlikely.
I'll leave it up to you to figure it out - works for some people, doesn't work for others.
there's probably a reason.
I doubt they have a policy "name starts with 'S' - send him a defective unit."

btw, the "spying" myth is utter BS.
it shows up on your system as a drive - run some malware/spyware/rootkit/virus checkers on it. ever wonder why it hasn't been flagged by these folks?

the install / update files show up in Docs&Settings\Administrator\etc - varies by system. you can nuke them anytime you want.

if one is that afraid of context sensitive ads, one needs to rethink the cookie situation.

oh, speednet says bwup is 1.32 here

[Keltin]

btw, the "spying" myth is utter BS.
it shows up on your system as a drive - run some malware/spyware/rootkit/virus checkers on it. ever wonder why it hasn't been flagged by these folks?


You should have read the MagicJack TOS more carefully.

http://www.magicjack.com/tos/

11. Advertisements
You also understand and agree that use of the magicJack device and Software will include advertisements. Advertisements will be served through the magicPage™ Software or the magicJack softphone - the software/softphone attempts to serve local advertisements and classifieds using a completely automated process that enables us to effectively target dynamically changing content. Our computers may analyze the phone numbers you call and your registration information in order to improve the relevance of the ads. We do not provide any personal information to our advertisers or third parties. magicJack has a policy of restricting advertisers that it believes are inappropriate, but it does not guarantee the accuracy or integrity of any advertisers and does not endorse any of the advertisements that may appear in connection with use of the magicJack device. You also understand and agree that use of the magicJack device and Software may include certain communications, such as service announcements, administrative messages and newsletters, and you will not be able to opt out of receiving them.

[ChowderMan]

the phone company knows all the numbers I call as well. actually I pay more attention to stuff I get from them than ads on the MagicJack screen.

and if you consider that "spying" you really need to rethink your cookie situation.
the cookies allow all the ad dot com people know where you've been, where you're going and how long you were there. and they read your IP so they know where you are. it's called context sensitive advertising.

have you read Microsoft's EULA?

[Keltin]

the phone company knows all the numbers I call as well.

Of course they do. It's part of your itemized bill, and Federal Law that they do. But, they don't "analyze" your phone usage like MJ, and they don't have S/W installed on your PC that can aid in the snooping. If you like signing away your privacy to some fly-by-night and unregulated company (and apparently you do since you use MJ), then more power to you.

and if you consider that "spying" you really need to rethink your cookie situation.
the cookies allow all the ad dot com people know where you've been, where you're going and how long you were there. and they read your IP so they know where you are. it's called context sensitive advertising.

Ever heard of CCleaner, disabling cookies, proxy servers, cookie spoofing, firewall proxies, etc, etc, etc.

There are MANY ways to protect your identity and activities when surfing the net, and most of them are rather easy to accomplish. There is NO WAY to stop MJ from doing what they are doing. Your'e trying to compare apples to oranges.

[ChowderMan]

since you don't have it and don't use it you obviously can prove anything to yourself or anyone else.

I know where the software is, I know what it does, and I don't have a problem with it. nor do the rational privacy advocates; the irrational, well, that's a different story.

you should be much more concerned about Internet Explorer and Microsoft operating systems if you have privacy concerns. at least MagicJack clearly tells you what they will and will not do.

take the license plates off your car so the cameras can't track you.

buy everything cash - no bank, no checks, no credit cards, no paper trail.

wear a mask everywhere - that facial recognition software _will_ find you.

get rid of your cable tv box - they track what you watch

oh, and quit using computers - they leave traces.

it's a pretty simple deal - really low cost telephone use in exchange for putting up with some ads. and lets get Frank in here - it's an ad panel on the software display - ain't 'zactly taking over your screen like some pop-ups.

do you have the ad pop ups blocked on this site? shame on you - that generates revenue for the site operator so they don't have to charge admission to me.....

so if you're reading a thread about pizza and that triggers a context sensitive Poppa-John ad, is that spying? don't forget . . . you're not really anonymous here . . . the computer has records . . . . "they" have your IP - "they" [can] know your physical location to a couple of feet and "they" can tell you how far away the nearest Poppa-John's is - or notify your health insurance to up your rates because you spend too much time at the Dunkin Donuts counter.

it's not rocket science, anymore.

don't get me wrong - I'll stand side-by-side and shoot Big Brother on sight - you just keep reloading. there is however a point where reality actually matters.

so far as proxy servers, anonymous browsing, etc.... I severely suggest some research is in order. those sort of simple tricks are entirely obsolete. it's all traceable nowadays - thanks in large part to "cloud computing" - did I fail to mention Microsoft?

[Keltin]

Interesting, albeit apologetic, diatribe. You start by saying MJ spying on its users is "utter BS", then you acknowledge it once I prove it to you by showing you the TOS, then you go on to defend the spying, and even try to downplay it by saying "well other companies are worse than this", and finally tie it all up with a stunning bit of embroidering that only a fanatical technophobe could possibly conjure or embrace.

And none of this changes the fact you were wrong about MJ spying.

As for proxy servers, it is only traceable at the proxy source. If the owner of the proxy doesn’t cross-reference and give you up, then it is truly anonymous. Perhaps you're not too familiar with a packet header, but I assure you, there ain't no magical information in there that leads back to the previous hop or that can't be spoofed. Do a traceroute on Google and see how many hops it takes to get there from your PC. Put a proxy at any of those hops, and you disappear. Fact.

Take a look at this screenshot from the packet capture I just performed on my network. See those cute little hexadecimal values decoded in the lower right-hand pane. The highlighted values are your Source IP (your PC) and Destination IP (where you are going) addresses. Imagine how hard it would be to hack the TCP stack to change those values.

Here's a hint……not hard at all.

[buzzard767]

Take it easy, guys.

[VeraBlue]

I didn't even think they were speaking english!

[ChowderMan]

>>speaking english

exactly. you need to start with a definition of spying.

a little more fact and less rumor would also help but some folks prefer to believe anything.