O/T: MagicJack

In the SFWIW category, I bought into the MagicJack package a couple of months ago.

It performs as advertised.

Inital purchase is $40.00 which covers MagicJack hardware and 1st year's service.

Add a cheap hand set or even a head set and you are done.

After that it is $20/year for unlimited phone service.

An international plan is available at extra cost.

One caveat:

Your puter must be up and running for Magic Jack to function.

BTW, the installation is straight forward, even this dummy had no problems.

No, I have no vested interest in MagicJack.

Have fun.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett
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What?? You don't own MagicJack?? LOL

What I have heard is that if it works, you are fine. If it doesn't, you are screwed. Like many modern companies, there is NO service of any kind.

But for a few bucks, it is definitely worth the risk for many people.

Reply to
Lee Michaels

----------------------------- Was able to get online support to answer a question.

Much like Astraweb support.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

Well, maybe it is better now.

Good to hear.

Reply to
Lee Michaels

Lots of folks have problems with it here, but mostly with wireless phone service.. Those with "land lines " have better luck..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

My BIL looked into that but now uses a free internet program, all you need to buy is a web cam.

Reply to
Leon

Will it support 4 phones scattered about the house plus one in the shop, and an answering machine?

Reply to
Gerald Ross

Sure. You plug the MJ into your computer and any number of telephone devices into the MJ. The telephone plug on the MJ should be functionally identical to a POTS incoming trunk line.

Reply to
HeyBub

One point to note. If you buy an extra years package you have to go in and manually add it to your account. I paid for a five year extension discount when I got mine, and after the first year my jack went dead until their tech people told me I had to add my package to the particular jack on-line.

I read a couple sites about a "hack" for Magic Jack using a particular router so that your unit runs off the router instead of your computer. It's a direct violation of your TOS though. Its up to you if you want to follow up or not. I leave my computers on all the time and only use my Magic Jack as an overflow for outgoing calls anyway. The resident ap does not seem to use excessive processor time when you are not on an actual call.

I found it to be pretty straight forward as well, but a buddy of mine who I loaned it to try out over a weekend had an absolute hissy fit over the idea of how it works, and tried to claim it didn't work for shit. He gets it in his mind how he "wants" something and if it isn't that way its broken. LOL. His ISP provides upto 8 gig burstable and he never tests less than 2 or 3. I get about 500-600K and it works fine for me as long as my wife and son aren't both on-line gaming at the same time.

Me either. I think if I was doing the limited budget traveler thing I'ld plug one into my laptop and use it anyplace I could find a free hotspot.

Going fishing this afternoon. I plan to have fun. Might even catch a fish or two.

Bob

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Same here.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Maybe, but I would think it has a REN limitation just like a regular phone line does. Been a while, but I think a POTS line in the US is only required to have a REN of 4 or 5. Many rural and even suburbian exchanges don't even have that high of a REN. Also, you have to understand that every phone device you plug into it is powered of the USB port of your computer. I would think if you wanted this type of application a multi extension cordless with built in answering machine would work the best as it would not have a REN of more than 1 since each cordless ringer is powered off its own internal battery.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

--------------------------- Do you mean a single incoming phone line with 4 extensions?

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

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