Magic Jack USB phone

[Terry]

After seeing the link Mark Loyd posted, I think I am going to buy one of these at Best Buy tomorrow.

I was also thinking outloud how I might get this thing to work without rewiring my phones.

I have a phone jack at my computer that used to be use for dialup. I can plug the (modem?) (interface?) in the phone jack. I can then go outside and unplug the phone at the phone company's box. This would have all the phones the house wired to the interface.

Would it work? I will let you know tomorrow.

If this doesn't work, I can plug in my cordless that has an extra extention and still have two phones in the house working until I can get extra extentions.

I did find this link that says you do get an incoming number.

[George]

I wouldn't depend on it for anything important and have options ready when it goes away because everything I have read says that what they charge doesn't cover the cost of the service so it is very reminiscent of the overenthusiastic dotcom outfits.

[Terry]

The ad leads you to believe the service is 20 bucks per year. Are you saying there are monthly charges?

The video says never pay a monthly bill again.

[HeyBub]

"...never pay a monthly TELEPHONE bill again..."

[HeyBub]

Looks like it's a VoIP phone for outgoing calls. To get a POTS number, well, you'll have to go with a more robust provider.

We have two VoIP lines here (from Vonage, but others work the same way) and couldn't be happier.

[trader4]

What makes you think it's only outgoing? On the features list it says you get a phone # of your choice and it supports enhanced 911 service.

[George]

Their claim is that you do get a POTS number and they are able to offer service for a tiny fraction of the lowest cost VoIP providers because they own a VoIP phone company (so does the carrier we use)! I give them a year before they burn through the investors money and have to turn off the lights.

The only difference between them and other providers is that you need to keep your computer running 24x7 (great idea with rising energy costs) since you can only use their USB interface and not a normal ATA.

[George]

Thats the problem with services that are more hype than reality. Their hype says "5. Emergency calls

The services offered by magicJack are not traditional telephone services, so we are not required to provide you with access to emergency

911, E911, or similar access to emergency services. However, when you register to use the magicJack device, you will be enrolled in magicJack's voluntary 911 service, if you register a U.S. service address. magicJack will take commercially reasonable steps to provide you with emergency service calling. This requires your cooperation. You must comply..."

As far as I can tell you get to pick a phone number in the few places where they actually have numbers. So you may be in NY and have an Iowa number.

[DA]

They may be operating on the same business principal free conference calls operators use: if Magic Jacks numbers terminate in a rural Washington state or other states with rural carriers allowed to charge special termination fees, they may be able to tag a little fee to every INBOUND call. It obviously remains to be seen if they can balance their initial expenses with whatever they can collect that way because the rural termination fee loophole may not even be available forever (although it is an ancient rule itself and may survive few more decades)

On a side note: their website is an epitome of the concept of withholding any technical details. There is hardly anything about the device you can know for sure from the site. I guess, their hope is that you get curious and call them, which is where they get you :-) But I think the OP is correct - the REN for this little device can be as little as 1 'cause there is not much juice you can pull from a USB jack. So, you'll probably only be able to make one phone ring and there is not point in connecting parallel phones around the house.

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[George]

I thought most of those were shut down. I know at least the couple operators who were offering "free international calls" and using the rural loophole to overcharge the callers carrier were. I wonder if magicjack is dumb enough to try the same thing?

[Mark Lloyd]

Who gets to decide what's "commercially reasonable"? That could be a way of saying "We don't agree to do anything" (like "up to", it's not really saying anything at all).

Anyway, I wouldn't want to rely on this as my ONLY telephone service.

[Mark Lloyd]

So your credit card could be charged a lot more than $40 plus shipping.

Yes. I've looked for those several times already.

Newer phones can have REN significantly less than 1.

[spam snipped]

[George]

Marketing weasel words at work... Anyone who thinks this is a normal company with a sensible business plan should think twice.

[TerraNova.tk1]

To all . I Have been using magicjack for over 2 months now and it has surpassed my expectations. I have read all the crap most of you people (who lack insight) have to say. This product is fantastic...i have actually tested it overseas and locally..and guess what buddy it work! Who know how long they will be in business??...But you must be an caveman if you dont have a cell phone . This should not eliminate that ...O' yeah i reduced my cell plan w/ At&t saving 20 bucks extar a month because of magicjack.But who knows ..maybe things are so that tight that you are at some hotspot right now reading this or helping yourselves to your neighbors wifi..(magicjack still sound clear at starbucks!).

But who cares ...right now if you do the math you definately will save...Insight people...if it works and you buy it..they will stay in business ...Dan Borislow ..the Man behind the business is no fool he has put his all into this because of its potential

People wants things/products thats work and save them money..simple as that!

=2E..