Luvin the Magic Jack

[wincrasher]

Got a magic jack in and set it up over the weekend.

It was just a matter of plugging it in and clicking on the icon it puts on your desktop. It automatically downloaded the software and installed itself, you register and pick a phone number.

So far it seems to work as well as the VOIP I was buying from the cable company. I was paying Charter $30 a month (incl taxes) for unlimited local and in-state long distance.

This thing is $20 per year or 5 years for $60.

Set mine up on a mac that is running 24/7 anyways.

[creditcardfree]

Interesting. Thanks for the information.

[PetMom]

I am glad you posted this and keep us posted.

I really want to do this but Hubby thinks it will inconvenient, they will raise prices, too many wires added to computer, telephone connection will be poor.

I think it looks like a great idea.

AND saves money.

[wincrasher]

Alittle more info -

You have to leave your computer on all the time. It runs a small program that controls the device. Don't think you can let your computer "sleep", but you can let the screen power down.

The device is the size of a matchbook. It plugs into a USB port. There is a regular phone jack on the device - you either plug a line into it and then into the wall, making all your outlets in the house active, or you can plug a cordless phone base station into it and have cordless handsets about the house.

Once set up, you use your handsets just as you normally would if you were getting service from the phone company.

The instructions say you should reboot your computer and the device once a month. Since I'm running a mac, that would be alot of rebooting!

The little program that runs is actually a phone application so you could make calls from your computer, kinda like skype - it has 3 panes - one is a keypad so you could make calls, the other is a log of calls and the 3rd is an advertising window. I suspect they will make some revenue in the future by selling ads in this pane. I don't use my computer to make calls, so I minimize this app to the dock (system tray on the PC).

Considering the low price, I was willing to try it for a month or 2. Even if it craps out in that time, it's still cheaper than Charter, Vonage or BellSouth over the same amount of time.

[JohnSaveOn]

Thanks for the info wincrasher!

I have always been curious about the Magic Jack, but I never acted on this curiousity. It sounds like it is working out relatively well for you. I might have to try it.

[Brad]

Great post. I always wondered about this device.

[ConquerWithTruth]

This sounds like a fabulous product. I may use a lot of phone calls in the future. Does the VOIP has to stick with your IP address? Does it matter if you move your computer around, outside of your house?

[kork13]

Originally Posted by ConquerWithTruth

This sounds like a fabulous product. I may use a lot of phone calls in the future. Does the VOIP has to stick with your IP address? Does it matter if you move your computer around, outside of your house?

No, IP address doesn't matter. As long as you have access to a high-speed internet connection (most wifi connections will even support it), you're good. I haven't tried it myself yet, but a friend's father (who is a commercial airline pilot) has used it for years, and my friend tells me that he's called without issue from all over the world.

I got one for myself a couple weeks ago. Now living in Japan, I figured it's a great way to have a stateside number to call family/friends with still back in the US. It's only been a couple weeks, but thus-far I'm HIGHLY impressed. Very easy to set up, the price is definitely right, and the voice quality is WAY more clear than I expected. Honestly, it sounds better than my cell phone did back in the states, and generally better than the standard land-lines I use at work. There have been a couple times where I heard a slight echo on the line, but it only lasted for a few seconds then went away. I'm pretty well convinced, and I'm probably never going to use a standard land-line again. Plus, I may be convincing my parents to get one -- every time I call, they remark at how clear the connection is. Best $20/yr I'll ever spend.

[biff]

I had a bad experience with mine...got a lot of choppy calls and such.
I also had many instances where I would be calling a cc company or something get a live person after twenty minutes or so. And then the dreaded " hello"? "hellllo"?
I could hear them but they couldn't hear me.
Yes, my Internet speed was fine too.
Customer service was horrid then too not sure about now.
I ended up chucking it in the trash.
My two cents