Skype Killer - Magic Jack - $20.00 a year phone service

[Mitch101]

Skype Killer - Magic Jack - $20.00 a year phone service
http://www.magicjack.com/3/index.asp

Reviews
http://www.magicjack.com/3/reviews.asp

FAQ:
http://www.magicjack.com/3/faq/

Something to Note:
Can I use my existing phone number as my magicJack number?
Yes, but not yet. You will be able to transfer or port your existing local phone number to magicJack, for a nominal fee, in the coming months.

Would love to hear if someone has this and how you like it.

[killster1]

wtf where do you buy the majic jack? it sells for 40+$ i saw it on sale here for like 30$ i think .. who knows how long this service will last and it has adds on the side of it..!

[Pulsar]

Mitch, a number of people have used it and loved it. Just like any "voip" service, it helps if you know what you're doing. They take a bit of knowledge to get working just right, unless you get an entire package with things like QOS already set up for you to ensure call quality.

[Idrajeil]

Bought this thing last week. Sound quality is very good. The only neg that I see is it has to be attached to a computer to work. If your PC is off you have no phone service.

[ibex333]

so that monthly price includes long distance too? To any country?

[Idrajeil]

international calls are extra. national calls are included with the package.

[Mitch101]

That's awesome guys and I figured I needed a PC 24x7 because of it being a USB device connected to a PC. I am a few weeks away from building a HTPC and a Low Powered Server which either could double as the PC for this.

I belive you can order it online with the 30 day trial screen.

As for worrying if they go out of buisness heck 2 months of service now costs me about $54.00 (AT&T Call Vantage VOIP) so anything beyond that works for me and Im saving money.

If all the VOIP carriers got together they could IP to IP and bypass the phone companies on many levels until everyone is VOIP. Wishful thinking.

QOS doesnt work with my current VOIP router even if I DMZ it. Boo.

I do have one question does it store incomming messages on the PC or on the carrier or a combination of the two?

[ChaosDivine]

Originally posted by: Mitch101
That's awesome guys and I figured I needed a PC 24x7 because of it being a USB device connected to a PC. I am a few weeks away from building a HTPC and a Low Powered Server which either could double as the PC for this.

That's exactly what I did for Skype, although (IIRC) its costing me ~$40-50 a year.

[TheShiz]

i've used it for about a year now, no real problems. it went down for a day or two, but no big deal. i suggest rebooting the pc you have it on every once in a while. for the money it's hard to beat. i paired it with grand central to have a local phone #

[Gast]

For those that don't know, use of this device requires the install of spyware and ad delivery system. I don't know how frequent the popups are or how invasive the spyware is, but due to the fact they really try to hide this info, I've avoided the product.

Non honest advertising FTL

[TheShiz]

news to me, I have it on a media pc so don't really care. but there are no pop up ads. Actually I don't see any ads at all. while it's running there is a program running that shows a dialpad and who's called recently and a banner that tells you information, but it isn't ads. it's stuff like "don't upgrade to vista sp 2" or "click here to optimize magicjack"

[Pabster]

No doubt they'll increase ads in the future. They've got to make money.

I'm not a fan of any solution that requires a PC running 24/7 to keep the phone up. If you don't mind, the price is right.

[KPACOTKA]

It can give you an idea of starting a business and sel cheap, monitorless PC for this service. I'd put $150 as based price for such PC. So a consumer should cover its price for a year of service comparing to vonage

[ibex333]

I cant see how they are going to go out of business, but I can see Skype or another company buying them.

[mazeroth]

A trip to Germany a few months ago put me over the fence on getting one and I'm VERY glad I did. In the airport waiting for my connecting flight I connected to the free wireless internet, hooked my Magicjack up and plugged in the corded phone I brought along with me. I was sitting in Starbucks for an hour calling friends and family using my Magicjack, all the while, people were walking by me near the window and were staring at me with confused faces. It was priceless. For almost 2 weeks in Germany I had my Magicjack hooked up which gave me a US phone over there which was very cool indeed.

Getting the Magicjack also enabled my wife and I to cancel one of our cell phones and now we have a house phone instead. We're saving over $35/month doing this and we just share the cell phone. When I purchased the Magicjack for $40 with a year of service they offer the Platinum upgrade for $50 which gives you another 4 years of service, a total of 5, for $95 with shipping. If you break that down you're talking $1.58/month! The Magicjack has all the features of land line phones like caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, call forwarding etc.

Overall, I'm VERY pleased with mine.

However, be sure to read everything before purchasing one. For instance, my parents' area code still isn't available. Magicjack does give you a one-time phone number change for free but will charge $10 the next time. They are adding area codes all the time so you may have to wait, or just get one and change it when it becomes available. Also, be sure you'll have 911 service.

[ALBundyHere]

skype killer? I think not. and by a long shot. I hope this company can handle all these new users while providing decent voice quality AND improving on it. then again, i saw some overtanned eldery guy peddle this cr@p "as seen on tv". skype pro's $51.40 got me unlimited talk with a LOCAL phone number of my choice (and I can add more) with call forwarding, caller id, call waiting, 9-way conference calling, and best of all, NO PC REQUIRED. Gotta love my belkin wifi skype phone! heck, even my smartphone supports skype via wifi. why do you need to drag your computer everywhere you go, right? just my 2centz.

[GZeus]

I've had a MJ for about 6 months and while its not a Skype killer, it is a VOIP killer. There is no 'spyware' or 'adware'.
Its simple...if you have a PC that you run 24/7, or near to it, this is the best deal for home phone service you will find by a long shot. However, I still prefer Skype for mobile use.
Skype has managed to "handle all these new users while providing decent voice quality AND improving on it" so its not exactly rocket science - just because its sold on TV doesn't make it "cr@p".

[coomarlin]

Looks interesting. I wouldn't mind trying it and pairing it with grand central. Unfortunately my recent attempt to signup for grand central was shot down with them saying they are currently not accepting new members.

[mi1stormilst]

= the suck cause I can't use it on my PSP! Will be keeping Skype (-:

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Gast
For those that don't know, use of this device requires the install of spyware and ad delivery system. I don't know how frequent the popups are or how invasive the spyware is, but due to the fact they really try to hide this info, I've avoided the product.

Non honest advertising FTL

Spyware? What spyware? I didn't notice any spyware installed along with the software.

[Savarak]

had it since december and its always worked great for me!

[vi edit]

Can anyone vouch for the ability to run this to multiple phones in the house?

If I have one of those expandable handset systems can I plug it into the base and make calls from any of the handsets in the house?

I'm assuming that it's not as flexible as Vonage that is a "whole house" phone where I can plug into any phone jack in the house and use it.

[CU]

It should work with expandable handset sets. It may work if you plug it into the house to ring phones on any jack. Probably will only ring 2-3 phones though this way because of lack of power. Just be sure to unplug your main phone line coming into your house before you try that.

[GZeus]

'vi edit' - I'm not sure if this is exactly your question, but.... I have it plugged into a base station and then use 2 cordless phones for coverage around the house without issues.
It does not interface with the phone jacks in the house since it creates one phone jack at you PC - where I have the base connected.

[Spelvin]

Theoretically if you disconnect the phone line coming into the house, you can back jack the Magic Jack into an existing phone jack and any phone plugged into any other phone jack would work. You would just be feeding the system from the MagicJack rather than the Telco line. I picked one of these up a week or so ago and have made probably 2 hours worth of calls with no issues. I setup a Pentium2 300Mhz machine with 128meg of ram and it works great.

[TechnoSaint]

I had this for the 30 days free that they had advertised at one point. I plugged it in, it did its installations and worked great! Unfortunately, my PC would randomly reboot without any reason or rhyme. When I unplugged it, no reboots. It worked on another PC of mine but it was an inconvenient spot for my phone :P. There's plenty of help on the Magic Jack Forums all over the place, and even some Magic Jack Hate Forums :P. I guess it's all about your own well informed decision to get one of these. They work, they're convenient if you travel a lot, and will give you another phone line, especially if you have kids that tie up the home phone or run up your wireless minutes. All in all, a good investment, and even if they don't last a long time (a la SunRocket) it's still a good deal, if you last over 2 months, you're already doing better than Vonage, and so on and so forth....

[VirtualLarry]

I signed up for their "platinum" plan (or whatever they called it). 5 years of service for $50 additional. That sounded worth it to me. It saves on cell minutes. I have naked DSL and I use this as my cheap landline.

[JeremiahASEC]

not available in my area :( fiddle sticks.

[SoulAssassin]

So I don't care about incoming calls, I just want something the woman can use for calling her mom long distance to keep minutes off the cell phone. She won't use anything complicated requiring an app on the PC. I'm thinking my options are magic jack for $20/yr or a skype subscription for $2.95/mo ($36/yr) plus the cost of a skype phone. Seems to me like magic jack is an easy winner...thoughts?

[CU]

Originally posted by: Spelvin
Theoretically if you disconnect the phone line coming into the house, you can back jack the Magic Jack into an existing phone jack and any phone plugged into any other phone jack would work. You would just be feeding the system from the MagicJack rather than the Telco line. I picked one of these up a week or so ago and have made probably 2 hours worth of calls with no issues. I setup a Pentium2 300Mhz machine with 128meg of ram and it works great.

Pretty impressive it worked with such a low end system. I really think I am going to try this out. What OS were you using?

[davidtb]

not interested until I get my area code!!

[episodic]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
So I don't care about incoming calls, I just want something the woman can use for calling her mom long distance to keep minutes off the cell phone. She won't use anything complicated requiring an app on the PC. I'm thinking my options are magic jack for $20/yr or a skype subscription for $2.95/mo ($36/yr) plus the cost of a skype phone. Seems to me like magic jack is an easy winner...thoughts?

Unless she talks a TON of minutes, you might be better just to go a la carte - and not pay for the subscription. A 10$ money card is like 2 cents per minute in the US or something close to that - don't quote me.

I love skype - has never let me down. I do pay the 2.95 fee and 4.00 a month to skype in. My skypein number is what I give to any registration, or any place I could care less if they ever contact me again. It is easy to reject the calls :)

[Spelvin]

CU: I am using XP Pro SP2 on the box. I do have a scheduled task that reboots the box nightly at 2 in the morning but I have not had any issues with this low a system running it.

[Lemodular]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Originally posted by: Gast
For those that don't know, use of this device requires the install of spyware and ad delivery system. I don't know how frequent the popups are or how invasive the spyware is, but due to the fact they really try to hide this info, I've avoided the product.

Non honest advertising FTL

Spyware? What spyware? I didn't notice any spyware installed along with the software.


Not sure how it all works (the ads) but here is the (old) boingboing article on it:

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/...icjacks-eula-says.html (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/04/14/magicjacks-eula-says.html)

[JackBurton]

Good info.

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Gast
For those that don't know, use of this device requires the install of spyware and ad delivery system. I don't know how frequent the popups are or how invasive the spyware is, but due to the fact they really try to hide this info, I've avoided the product.

Non honest advertising FTL

Yep. Not to mention, if you do some quick googling, you'll find that their customer service is non-existant, they charge your card immediately when you order (even though they indicate you have a free 30-day trial and will not charge your card until the trial is over). Just go ahead and try to find a return address on their website for returning the item during the 'free' trial. They will stall and try to get you past the 30 days trial (the clock even starts ticking when you order, not when you get it or start using it).

Very shady, plus no customer service = stay away.

I know there are people who have had success with it, but I know if you have issues or if the thing simply doesn't work, you're going to be out $40 with no recourse. No thanks.

[IksokChoy]

Got it and installed 4 days ago. Seems to work fine, slight echo but tolerable. Only hassle is people have to dial area code to get in touch with you. I think its woth th $20 / yr. IMHO. Just disconnected phone from cable provider 2 months ago costing me $42/mo and all I got was survey calls, non profit sales calls and Lawyer collection calls for my dead Mother-In-Law 3 years past. On top of that I got stuck with an additional $70 early cancellation bill for falling 2 weeks short of a long distance service provider . So Far, it works for me

[LurkingInNC]

Originally posted by: IksokChoy
Got it and installed 4 days ago. Seems to work fine, slight echo but tolerable. Only hassle is people have to dial area code to get in touch with you. ...

Does that mean people calling you using landlines are hit with long distance fees since they have to dial the area code?

[IksokChoy]

Don't know for sure. I think that that's how Magicjack servers dial it ????

[zposter]

No, it means that even if they're in the same area code they have to dial the area code to call your magicJack number.

I just got one and was testing it out a couple days ago and it sure seems that I didn't have to use the area code to dial my magicJack number, but today I had to. However the configuration was such an immense hassle behind my hardware firewall I wouldn't swear to not having to use the area code due to all the other trouble I've been through.

Since I couldn't get through the firewall I ended up adding another leftover router and junker computer (ancient laptop) to host the magicJack. Now I'll see how much I like it.

[ericlp]

I use it for my alarm system to dial my cell number. Works good, I also use it to just dial people to save on minutes or obviously when I'm home to make calls to order a pizza or just call for store hours and crap that I wouldn't do on my cell phone.


So far the quality is decent. I've called my cell a number of times for a test and works every time. So hoping it doesn't puke on me in a real situation tho, it seems to be somewhat reliable I know the number and if it's dialed it's my alarm system so I'll know to come back and check up on the home not like I wanna talk to my alarm system or anything. :)

Anyway, So far So good. Had it for about a month now. I've had dropped calls and some people that I wouldn't normally give my phone number too like sales people have actually called and sometimes they can hear me but I can't hear them, so I hang and call back then everything seems fine.

So, for 20 bucks a year? Hell yeah, better then a stupid land line since I have a low powered laptop with XP running and it doesn't take up too much juice. Would be nice if they had linux drivers then I could just run this off of a planned router file server box.

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: zposter
No, it means that even if they're in the same area code they have to dial the area code to call your magicJack number.
I don't know what part of the country that you are in, but in my neck of the woods, they instituted manditory 10-digit dialing a few years ago, due to all of the overlapping area codes.

[TechGeekDeluxe]

I have had Magic Jack for about 3 months now.

Pros: Clear reliable quality. Cheap.
Cons: Must have a PC on to use. PC will have pop-ups from the ads. [Unless extensive tweaking is used.]

I have a server I leave on 24/7 [a E3110 underclocked to 1.5GHZ with 8gb ram and a caching program that runs most everything from ram versus spinning up the drives.]
It works well. It cuts down on cell usage by the kids.

I paired it with the top of the line Panasonic wireless phone system with a base station and 4 handsets.

[Nitemare]

Will use it just so the satellite can call home and talk, beats paying Time Warner $55 a month for ESPN.

[Schmide]

When they advertise on TV, I know not to buy. Bye Bye...

[Jessica69]

Originally posted by: Schmide
When they advertise on TV, I know not to buy. Bye Bye...

Gee.....I guess that means you don't buy anything at all, do you?




I've had it for a few months......very clear, didn't charge my credit card until 32 days had passed, contrary to what some one else bleated.

There was NO malware, spyware, or anything else loaded.....just a very small footprint dialing program. And no popup ads have shown up either.....works better than Vonage, clear, faster.

[erwos]

Can this thing do faxes yet?

[Esquire]

I bought this about a month ago and use it for my company fax line it works great I paid for the five-year deal for $100 so hopefully they stay in business. I'm using it on my Mac Mini which I use as my file server it doesn't load any spyware so to speak. if he shows up as a mounted drive.

[MrMaster]

First, the guy who owns this magic company is uber rich. It isn't going anywhere.

2nd. Anyone want to explain to me why i should get this over skypeout? I need an 'unlimited' phone service very very soon.

[Quintox]

So if you use 1 jack, will it work on only 1 household phone?

[Blayze]

Is there a way to check if they have local numbers for your area?

[KeithP]

Here is an area code list. (http://www.magicjack.com/1/areacodes.asp)

[Blayze]

Originally posted by: KeithP
Here is an area code list. (http://www.magicjack.com/1/areacodes.asp)

Thanks. It looks like my area code is listed.

[TheVrolok]

I never thought about actually trying one of these till I read this thread. Maybe I will .. hmm. Paying 17/mo for MCI's long distance right now. It's tempting to get this just for long distance and keep my local carrier for local things (so I needn't be bother to use a PC/etc. for quick local stuff).

[Jester666]

Originally posted by: Esquire
I bought this about a month ago and use it for my company fax line it works great I paid for the five-year deal for $100 so hopefully they stay in business. I'm using it on my Mac Mini which I use as my file server it doesn't load any spyware so to speak. if he shows up as a mounted drive.

Anyone else use this for faxes? Website says faxes aren't officially supported, but wanted to know who has had gotten it to work.

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Esquire
I bought this about a month ago and use it for my company fax line it works great

Sounds like it would be fine.

[Jester666]

Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: Esquire
I bought this about a month ago and use it for my company fax line it works great

Sounds like it would be fine.

Yeah, saw that, but was really hoping that another user can confirm it works with faxes. I thought it was curious that they don't 'officially' support faxes. Makes me think that at least some users are having problems.

[psihog]

hmm, it seems like you can't transfer existing numbers yet.. I might switch when they allow it. can anyone confirm?
Price is nice, but the one I've been using since 2005 plugs into LAN instead of USB so I don't need PC on all the time. Plus my local service provider can assign foreign numbers to it whenever I travel abroad on business.

[CU]

Originally posted by: psihog
hmm, it seems like you can't transfer existing numbers yet.. I might switch when they allow it. can anyone confirm?
Price is nice, but the one I've been using since 2005 plugs into LAN instead of USB so I don't need PC on all the time. Plus my local service provider can assign foreign numbers to it whenever I travel abroad on business.

What do you use and how much is it?

[IksokChoy]

It says transfer to a cell phone, but I don't know why it won't work with a land line.
Faq Link (http://www.magicjack.com/9/faq/)

[isekii]

can you take this internationally and have a local number there ?


so if people call you even if you're overseas it's a local call ?

[IksokChoy]

According to theie site you can, there appears to be a charge for International calls though ?? Faq Link Again (http://www.magicjack.com/9/faq/)

[isekii]

Originally posted by: IksokChoy
According to theie site you can, there appears to be a charge for International calls though ?? Faq Link Again (http://www.magicjack.com/9/faq/)

well lets say if i get a NJ area code for the magic jack and i have people in the US that call... wouldn't that be considered domestic calls ?

[Netopia]

Yeah... if you have the magic jack, all calls TO YOU are domestic, and all calls FROM YOU to any other domestic (US) numbers are free. I've suggested them to a number of missionary friends living overseas... plus, it makes it much harder for the local authorities to listen to your phone conversations!

Another use might be if you have relatives living somewhere else in the world. So long as they have high speed internet, all you have to do is get them one of these, and you now have nearly free calls to and from them.

Joe

[Nitemare]

I'm liking it so far. My only knock is that it has to be plugged into a computer that is on for it to work. Has anyone got it to work on linux yet? That is the only system I have that I have running all the time.

[IksokChoy]

Originally posted by: psihog
hmm, it seems like you can't transfer existing numbers yet.. I might switch when they allow it. can anyone confirm?
Price is nice, but the one I've been using since 2005 plugs into LAN instead of USB so I don't need PC on all the time. Plus my local service provider can assign foreign numbers to it whenever I travel abroad on business. Can anyone tell me how this can be plugged into a Lan or is this referring to something different?

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: IksokChoy
Originally posted by: psihog
hmm, it seems like you can't transfer existing numbers yet.. I might switch when they allow it. can anyone confirm?
Price is nice, but the one I've been using since 2005 plugs into LAN instead of USB so I don't need PC on all the time. Plus my local service provider can assign foreign numbers to it whenever I travel abroad on business. Can anyone tell me how this can be plugged into a Lan or is this referring to something different?



probably talking about Vonage, Packet8 or one of the cable companies.. they have the NIC ones, but charge 30-45 a month

[AnandAdam]

Well i signed up for the 30 day free trial. They charged me today the day that it shipped out though.

[Nvncibl0923]

I've got a few thin client boxes lying around. I'll just set mine up on one of those and not worry about it. The XPe can be re-imaged in minutes, if it gets a virus.

[tfinch2]

I'll keep my GE cordless with built-in Skype firmware.

[DamnRena]

Originally posted by: Idrajeil
Bought this thing last week. Sound quality is very good. The only neg that I see is it has to be attached to a computer to work. If your PC is off you have no phone service.

How is this a downside.....isn't this common sense? I mean if your computer shuts off why would the device stay on and how? If you unplug the device would it still work? i dont think so.

[Flatbroke]

Ive seen cases where outgoing calls are free, but its a long distance call for someone next door to call you, when your HJ assigned # goes to a larger city before coming to the HJ user.

The above is not too good for those who want to drop their phone company # and use MJ as their only phone #.

[Schmide]

Originally posted by: DamnRena
Originally posted by: Idrajeil
Bought this thing last week. Sound quality is very good. The only neg that I see is it has to be attached to a computer to work. If your PC is off you have no phone service.

How is this a downside.....isn't this common sense? I mean if your computer shuts off why would the device stay on and how? If you unplug the device would it still work? i dont think so.



Having a downside and having common sense are not mutually exclusive.

The fact that the computer has to be on has been discussed ad nauseum but berating a simple comment with a couple redundant observations is trollrrific.

[DamnRena]

Originally posted by: Schmide
Originally posted by: DamnRena
Originally posted by: Idrajeil
Bought this thing last week. Sound quality is very good. The only neg that I see is it has to be attached to a computer to work. If your PC is off you have no phone service.

How is this a downside.....isn't this common sense? I mean if your computer shuts off why would the device stay on and how? If you unplug the device would it still work? i dont think so.



Having a downside and having common sense are not mutually exclusive.

The fact that the computer has to be on has been discussed ad nauseum but berating a simple comment with a couple redundant observations is trollrrific.

sure it is, coming from you it should always be right?

[Schmide]

Originally posted by: DamnRena
sure it is, coming from you it should always be right?


Tangent Obscureous Maximum.

What is this it? Always be right?

[achiral]

YOU - Having a downside and having common sense are not mutually exclusive

HER - sure it is, coming from you it should always be right?

[achiral]

'

[Schmide]

Originally posted by: achiral
YOU - Having a downside and having common sense are not mutually exclusive

HER - sure it is, coming from you it should always be right?

Things in my comment that could be it -

it is trollrrific
it is couple redundant observations
it is discussed ad nauseum
it is berating a simple comment
it is not mutually exclusive
it is ad nauseum

and depending on the above

should it always be, right?
should it always be right?

[achiral]

i'm sorry you are unable to be helped. maybe you should buy a magicjack and call me so i can explain further.

[ericlp]

damn.... OLD thread... stop bringing these things back to life!

[Schmide]

Originally posted by: achiral
i'm sorry you are unable to be helped. maybe you should buy a magicjack and call me so i can explain further.

You don't need to talk on the phone to explain the concept of an ambiguous pronoun.

Originally written by: Shel Silverstein 1972

And some kind of help is the kind of help
That helping's all about
And some kind of help is the kind of help
We all can do without

[LumbergTech]

Originally posted by: IksokChoy
According to theie site you can, there appears to be a charge for International calls though ?? Faq Link Again (http://www.magicjack.com/9/faq/)

It does charge for international calls....but generally much less than what it normally costs

they have the rates posted somewhere...

[cheapherk]

The TV commercial was enough to turn me off. Glad to see it wasn't a scam.

[slayer202]

Originally posted by: cheapherk
The TV commercial was enough to turn me off. Glad to see it wasn't a scam.

I'm kind of surprised too lol

[Mongoloid]

Originally posted by: LumbergTech

It does charge for international calls....but generally much less than what it normally costs



If you have family members in a foreign country, my coworker said he bought a magic jack for his parents back home. Because the number is local, they can call each other with no long distance charges and use a regular phone for the magic jack (which is convenient).

[Netopia]

Originally posted by: Mongoloid
Originally posted by: LumbergTech

It does charge for international calls....but generally much less than what it normally costs



If you have family members in a foreign country, my coworker said he bought a magic jack for his parents back home. Because the number is local, they can call each other with no long distance charges and use a regular phone for the magic jack (which is convenient).



That, in my opinion, is the extreme sweet spot for these things; using them overseas so that you can call the US and people can call you, with no international calls either way.

Joe

[Maldian]

This thing works like a charm. I have had mine for about a year now. I love it!

[Jawadali]

Originally posted by: Netopia
Originally posted by: Mongoloid
Originally posted by: LumbergTech

It does charge for international calls....but generally much less than what it normally costs



If you have family members in a foreign country, my coworker said he bought a magic jack for his parents back home. Because the number is local, they can call each other with no long distance charges and use a regular phone for the magic jack (which is convenient).



That, in my opinion, is the extreme sweet spot for these things; using them overseas so that you can call the US and people can call you, with no international calls either way.

Joe

But your family overseas (or you, if you go on an international vacation/business trip and want to call home) would still need to have a computer with active internet service for this to work, correct?

I currently subscribe to skype pro, but was thinking about this. Both seems to have thier pros and cons. With skype is I can use any computer which has an internet connection as long as I download the software (i.e. I'm not limited to having one USB dongle to carry around). However, this seems like it's more "transparent" and would be easier for non-technical people to use (although skype's interface isn't too difficult to pick up).

[marmasatt]

My parents bought on of these things. I laughed my ass off and ridiculed them to all hell. The thing works like a charm and they're saving a few hundred a year in phone bills.

[ericlp]

Originally posted by: marmasatt

My parents bought on of these things. I laughed my ass off and ridiculed them to all hell. The thing works like a charm and they're saving a few hundred a year in phone bills.

Been using for 1.5 years, even splurged on the 5 year subscription. I figure it's paid for it self by the tune of 4-500 bucks so far. That's by not having a 30 dollar cell phone bill.

in 6 years when my sub is up I will have saved at least 1200 + dollars.

Works for me. The key is you got to be next or relatively close to a MJ server. Tho, now days almost every major city has a MJ server.

[Smoke]

I currently have telephone service through my local cable company. During the installation they basically ran a wire from the telephone/modem to my "wire room" and punched it into my key system board.

I am wondering if all I have to do is disconnect the telephone output line on the back of the telephone/modem and (using a telephone union device) splice in a MJ line and end up with my "Toshiba Key System" working on a MJ connection?

Has anyone tried something like this?

I've just ordered a MJ so after it arrives I can just try it out and see for myself. I'll report back my results. ;)

[filibusterman]

Originally posted by: Smoke
I currently have telephone service through my local cable company. During the installation they basically ran a wire from the telephone/modem to my "wire room" and punched it into my key system board.

I am wondering if all I have to do is disconnect the telephone output line on the back of the telephone/modem and (using a telephone union device) splice in a MJ line and end up with my "Toshiba Key System" working on a MJ connection?

Has anyone tried something like this?

I've just ordered a MJ so after it arrives I can just try it out and see for myself. I'll report back my results. ;)

Please do I would also be interested to see if this works.

[Schmide]

telephone union device?

I think a standard phone (POTS) line runs like 48v. If you hook a Magic Jack to that it's going to fry.

[Smoke]

Originally posted by: Schmide
telephone union device?

I think a standard phone (POTS) line runs like 48v. If you hook a Magic Jack to that it's going to fry.

You have sufficiently discouraged me from trying that. :shocked:

Just to be clear ... I'm calling the adapter(device) that allows you to attach two telephone wires (RJ11s, Single Line or RJ14s, Two Line) together to make a longer run, a "telephone union device". That may be the wrong name?

I have received my Magic Jack. :) I'm using an RJ14 right now to connect the Magic Jack to a Panasonic 2-Line 2.4 Ghz base station and it is working just fine.

[BKCalvine]

I had used a friend's magic jack without realizing it was a Magic Jack. He had purchased a "skype phone" from overseas and somehow got it to work with his Magic Jack. That blew my mind. Plus, it sounded like any regular phone!

[richierich1212]

So is there any lag in conversation with the MJ?

[imported_nunya]

Originally posted by: richierich1212
So is there any lag in conversation with the MJ?

Occasionally I'll have a bad connection and call them or have them call me back, but it's usually about the same as a cell phone.

[ericlp]

Originally posted by: Smoke
Originally posted by: Schmide
telephone union device?

I think a standard phone (POTS) line runs like 48v. If you hook a Magic Jack to that it's going to fry.

You have sufficiently discouraged me from trying that. :shocked:

Just to be clear ... I'm calling the adapter(device) that allows you to attach two telephone wires (RJ11s, Single Line or RJ14s, Two Line) together to make a longer run, a "telephone union device". That may be the wrong name?

I have received my Magic Jack. :) I'm using an RJ14 right now to connect the Magic Jack to a Panasonic 2-Line 2.4 Ghz base station and it is working just fine.


Yep, that's the only way to go. Get a cordless phone that allows for added handsets or a package of handsets you can live with. I got three handsets and that's enough for me.

[Smoke]

A couple of days ago using the BJ line I noticed a 3 - 4 second delay when the other party would respond to me. They complained the connection was not very good and we had great difficulty completing the business at hand. As it turned out my regular line was out of commission (the line serviced by my local cable company) so even having a poorly performing BJ was greatly appreciated. :)

Further investigation determined that my normal 5 GB internet service was only running at a pathetic 400 kbps download and a meager 44 kbps upload. After contacting my cable company using the BJ line, the matter was resolved both on their end (refreshed my account settings) and mine (reset my cable/telephone modem).

So what I have learned, and am passing on to all of you, is that the BJ will work (though poorly) with as little as a 300-400 kbps upload and a 40-50 kbps download internet speed but when restored to a (my) fast 5426/561 kbps service (just tested) the BJ works like a charm. :thumbsup:

The only thing that has been a little disconcerting when using the BJ is I have to remember to dial all 10 digits when making a call and not use 1+ on long distance calls which is the complete opposite of my cable telephone service.

BTW, I did try the experiment of connecting the BJ to my 17 phone key system and it worked just fine. :Q :D

Man, it's really tempting to get a 2nd BJ and drop my cable phone. The cable company has their pricing structure setup in such a fashion that if you don't get all three services (TV, Internet, and Telephone) the remaining services and fees go up so much that it almost wipes out the expected $$ savings. :|

Still considering that plan .... ;)

[mazeroth]

I've had my MJ for over a year now and it's so-so to say the least. Out of 5 calls, I would say 3 go flawlessly. The other two will either be that I can't hear them or they can't hear me. Then, to fix it, I have to unplug the MJ from the computer and plug it back in so it can reinitiate. Then I'll have to call the person back.

Has anyone else experienced this? Literally, this has happened for a year. Good thing I have a cell phone.

[spdfreak]

I have one... it works. for 20.00 a year and the ability to take it with you anywhere in the world, it is a great deal. I mean, come on, it is 20.00 a year! I spend more than that on coffee every week. Plus it emails you your voicemail messages so you can listen to them without calling in. Mine has worked well and has decent call quality- similar to a cell phone. I call my sister who is on vonage and it still works well going through 2 voip networks...

[Aiyana]

I just got Ooma, a competitor to MagicJack. It has a higher up front cost, then no monthly fees at all (as long as they stay in business!). It cost me $189. There were two reasons why I chose it over MagicJack: Ooma is a stand alone device that is not attached to a computer, and Ooma allows you to port your existing land line phone number. For those two reasons it was worth it to me to give it a try over MagicJack. If porting doesn't matter and you don't mind leaving a computer on, then MagicJack sounds pretty good.

I haven't noticed any problems with the quality. I've had it for just over a week, but haven't used it too much yet. My home number will finish being ported in a week, at which point I will use the VOIP exclusively.

[nutxo]

Im tring to figure out why there are no area codes for WA state available...

[spdfreak]

Originally posted by: Aiyana
I just got Ooma, a competitor to MagicJack. It has a higher up front cost, then no monthly fees at all (as long as they stay in business!). It cost me $189. There were two reasons why I chose it over MagicJack: Ooma is a stand alone device that is not attached to a computer, and Ooma allows you to port your existing land line phone number. For those two reasons it was worth it to me to give it a try over MagicJack. If porting doesn't matter and you don't mind leaving a computer on, then MagicJack sounds pretty good.

I haven't noticed any problems with the quality. I've had it for just over a week, but haven't used it too much yet. My home number will finish being ported in a week, at which point I will use the VOIP exclusively.

Magic Jack has no monthly fees. It is 20.00/YEAR. That is 9 years at the price you paid. I have a feeling things will change in the next 9 years when it comes to phone service. Plus you can take it with you when you travel and plug it into your laptop for phone service anywhere. I can't port my number anyways since it is still my dsl number...

[RideFree]

MJ is not the phone panacea you might think.

I have had it for over a year and it is a big PITA!
NO customer Service...my first one refused to format and MJ's CS was belligerent.
I ended up buying a second one but, it too, bit the dust.

I can not recommend this product although
I do note the sucess of some in making it viable.
:disgust:

[magreen]

I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

[spdfreak]

Originally posted by: RideFree
MJ is not the phone panacea you might think.

I have had it for over a year and it is a big PITA!
NO customer Service...my first one refused to format and MJ's CS was belligerent.
I ended up buying a second one but, it too, bit the dust.

I can not recommend this product although
I do note the sucess of some in making it viable.
:disgust:

Yeah, I had problems with compatibility on one of my computers. Simply would not install. Plugged it into a different computer and it installed perfectly. I think there are some problems with different USB chipsets or something. There is also a problem if you have NERO installed since it somehow changes how virtual drives are detected- or something like that. It is posted at the MJ forum. I have no complaints at all for the price but it is finicky on some computers.

[KeithP]

Originally posted by: magreen
I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

I dropped my landline and was just using a cell phone. I got a MagicJack because I have a base cell phone plan with the least amount of minutes.

The MagicJack works well enough. I am currently using it under OS X but I think it works a bit better under Windows. Sometimes, a call will start out scratchy with poor audio quality and then become OK after about 30-60 seconds. Very rarely, the quality was so bad I had to hang up and call again to get a better connection.

With that being said, I still recommend it. The only downside being you have to have a computer running for it to work. I have it running on a MacBook.

-KeithP

[magreen]

Originally posted by: KeithP
Originally posted by: magreen
I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

I dropped my landline and was just using a cell phone. I got a MagicJack because I have a base cell phone plan with the least amount of minutes.

The MagicJack works well enough. I am currently using it under OS X but I think it works a bit better under Windows. Sometimes, a call will start out scratchy with poor audio quality and then become OK after about 30-60 seconds. Very rarely, the quality was so bad I had to hang up and call again to get a better connection.

With that being said, I still recommend it. The only downside being you have to have a computer running for it to work. I have it running on a MacBook.

-KeithP
sounds good to me. I'd also like to save on cellphone minutes, plus have the 911 capability. Plus extra handsets so you don't have to run across the house for the phone, and so the wife and I can get on the phone at the same time. Cell phones don't do that.

It seems ideal to use an old laptop (or cheap netbook?) as the dedicated MJ server (and perhaps a file and print server too if you want), since it consumes little power and has built-in UPS capability. (Though I don't know how much that helps unless you have a UPS for your modem/router too... although in a quick power surge/brownout without a UPS, the router will be up and running quick and your laptop will still be fine, while if your computer shuts down it might take minutes plus a manual restart to boot back up.)

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: magreen
I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

That's what I have. I have $29.99 3mbit/768 kbit Verizon DSL without Voice, and then I have MagicJack for phone. It works really well for me.

Rarely, when I dial a number, I cannot hear them. Usually, hanging up and redialing works, but even more rarely, I have to restart the MagicJack app. That usually fixes things.

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Originally posted by: magreen
I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

That's what I have. I have $29.99 3mbit/768 kbit Verizon DSL without Voice, and then I have MagicJack for phone. It works really well for me.

Rarely, when I dial a number, I cannot hear them. Usually, hanging up and redialing works, but even more rarely, I have to restart the MagicJack app. That usually fixes things.


Err, I'd like my phone to just work. If MagicJack has the same problems as a cell phone, why not just use the cell phone I already have?

[imported_nunya]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Originally posted by: magreen
I'm trying to save on costs, so I'm thinking of getting this MJ and cancelling my home phone. I don't need cable tv either -- so the only connection I'd have is my DSL. I'm thinking of the $20/month Verizon 1Mbps/368kbps down/up DSL with no phone service.

Anybody care to encourage/dissuade me?

Note: MJ is not $20/yr, it's $40 for the first year and $20/yr for each additional year.

That's what I have. I have $29.99 3mbit/768 kbit Verizon DSL without Voice, and then I have MagicJack for phone. It works really well for me.

Rarely, when I dial a number, I cannot hear them. Usually, hanging up and redialing works, but even more rarely, I have to restart the MagicJack app. That usually fixes things.


Err, I'd like my phone to just work. If MagicJack has the same problems as a cell phone, why not just use the cell phone I already have?

Um...because it's ridiculously cheaper? I haven't had a land-line for 10 years, just my cell phone. However I bought a MJ in part because I've gone over my minutes a couple of times, but mostly because why-the-hell-not? When I bought mine they had a promotion for 5 years service + MJ for $100. That's less than 2 months of cell service. I have a different cell plan now but on my old plan my MJ saved me from going over minutes twice so it's already paid for itself and it's been less than a year. I don't receive calls on it (no one has the number) but it sure is nice when I have to call some shitty support/cs number to not have to worry about the fact that I'll be burning minutes on hold for half an hour or more. No, the quality isn't exceptional but it is acceptable, at least for me.

*yes, their support blows.

[mazeroth]

My Mom and I have had a MJ now for a little over a year and we both did the 5 year deal for $100. When it works it's great. However, I have to unplug the stupid thing constantly, then plug it back in and let it reinitialize in order for it to work. Same for my Mom who has a Mac. Very undependable. We just had a baby and decided it's worth it to pay $23/month for a land line just in case something were to happen and the cell phone we share is out with one of us.

I don't see why the stupid thing always quits working. Also, sometimes we'll dial out or answer it and either we can't hear them or they can't hear us. If they could fix these few things it would be unreal. I mean, roughly $2/month for unlimited local and long distance calls.

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: mazeroth
My Mom and I have had a MJ now for a little over a year and we both did the 5 year deal for $100. When it works it's great. However, I have to unplug the stupid thing constantly, then plug it back in and let it reinitialize in order for it to work. Same for my Mom who has a Mac. Very undependable. We just had a baby and decided it's worth it to pay $23/month for a land line just in case something were to happen and the cell phone we share is out with one of us.

I don't see why the stupid thing always quits working. Also, sometimes we'll dial out or answer it and either we can't hear them or they can't hear us. If they could fix these few things it would be unreal. I mean, roughly $2/month for unlimited local and long distance calls.

Are you using that USB extension cable that it ships with? I've heard that using the cable can cause problems. I'm using a Belkin 7-port powered hub for mine, and no problems at all.

[magreen]

I think I'm gonna try the 30 day money back guarantee. I'll see if I experience the trouble you're saying. (Btw, I saw in their faq that if you pay by credit card, they don't charge your card until 30 day trial is over, but if you use a debit card they charge it immediately).

[Destro]

I looked at MagicJack (really a scam company if you do your research) and I also considered Ooma. Don't believe what Magic Jack says about getting your money back. Customer service is non-existent.

After doing lots of research, I settled on VOIPo, and it's been terrific.

It's $99/year, and they provide a Linksys VOIP device that's a $79 box.

It doesn't require your PC to be on all the time like MJ, and their customer support is excellent. One of the VP's or owner answers questions frequently in the DSLReports forums.

http://www.voipo.com/

[magreen]

Originally posted by: Destro
I looked at MagicJack (really a scam company if you do your research) and I also considered Ooma. Don't believe what Magic Jack says about getting your money back. Customer service is non-existent.

After doing lots of research, I settled on VOIPo, and it's been terrific.

It's $99/year, and they provide a Linksys VOIP device that's a $79 box.

It doesn't require your PC to be on all the time like MJ, and their customer support is excellent. One of the VP's or owner answers questions frequently in the DSLReports forums.

http://www.voipo.com/

That looks interesting. I'm looking at it now.

It appears to be $135/yr, not $99/yr, because even though they currently have a promotion to waive the $30 activation fee, they charge $36/yr in taxes and fees. Their website explains it as, This Fee covers USF contributions, E911 service and various taxes that VOIPo is required to remit on your behalf for the duration of your account.
So it comes out to $11.25/mo.

Now, it calls this a promotional rate for their first year of doing business -- it says in their support/knowledgebase section on residential pricing,
Tentative Pricing
$21.95 - Monthly
$99 - Bi-Annually
$199 - Annually

Limited Pre-Launch Special: First Year for $99

So it may jump to $199/yr after the first yr, which would be more like $20/mo, and not such a bargain.

Also, is this system really pre-launch? Does that mean it's a brand new untested service? How long has this company been around? And what's with the "backed by HostGator" stuff on their homepage? That makes me think they're really just starting up and fly-by-night -- if they have to tell you which webhosting they use. Google doesn't go around bragging about their webhosting.

But I'm still interested, anyone else with experience or knowledge on this?

[Aiyana]

Originally posted by: spdfreak

Magic Jack has no monthly fees. It is 20.00/YEAR. That is 9 years at the price you paid. I have a feeling things will change in the next 9 years when it comes to phone service. Plus you can take it with you when you travel and plug it into your laptop for phone service anywhere. I can't port my number anyways since it is still my dsl number...

First, my voice landline was my dsl number as well. I had a dry loop dsl installed, and once it was working I dropped the dsl on my voice line and dropped the voice down to a minimum plan ($13.95). I will have to pay the $13.95/mo until my number is ported (about 3 weeks worth).

Second, you are not comparing apples to apples. In a far comparison you have to consider that I essentially bought a very inexpensive and low power computer (the ooma), while with the BlackJack you would have to supply a presumably much more expensive computer and most likely would be using a lot more juice to keep it going 24/7. A high power gaming computer can cost as much as $400/year in electricity alone if it is run 24/7. If you had an efficient computer running at 60w using electricity at $0.14 per kWh, your cost per year would be ((60 * 24)/1000) * 365 * 0.14 = $73.58 per year. Ooma is 5w standby and 8w while talking. 5w would give $6.13 per year, so in that scenario the MagicJack would cost an additional $67.45 per year. In that scenario the Ooma and Black Jack cost about the same for 2 years, not 9.

Again, I have nothing against the BlackJack. I just decided for me personally that not requiring my computer to run 24/7 plus the ability to port a number I have had for ten years was worth the additional up front cost to me (remember that number porting is additional $40).

[Smoke]

I started having problems with a beep/tone error right about a week or so after getting my MJs. The problem is the person to whom you are speaking hears tones as if you were tapping the number keys on your telephone in a random manner ... I could not hear the beeps/tones and only learned of them as my friends started complaining. This problem seems to have started with an update. Do a web search for MagicJack and beep/tone problem and you'll see that it is quite wide spread. A recent "fix" has helped some people but not others.

I was approaching the end of my 30-day trial and after going round and round with their tech support via chat (unbelievably they have no phone you can call) I decided to ask for RMAs to return the phones for a refund.

I immediately got a refund for the devices but the refund for the multi-year purchases has yet to show. Then I did a search to see if anyone else had problems getting their refunds. I wish I had done this first ... shame on me. :(

It appears I will have to file a dispute with my credit card company. :|

At this time, I would have to advise against purchasing a MagicJack until it has been proven they can fix the problems that I have outlined.

[nyker96]

I tried VoIP a while back not too good voice quality, so opted for cell/land line combo instead. I think internet needs more bandwidth for VoIP to work well.

[Uhtrinity]

I picked up a MJ and love it, however I don't use it as my main line. I also found it is very finicky with different phones, I think it is a usb power draw issue. However it works great with a mic / headset via the computer. Recently I went on a roadtrip to Oregon and used the MJ to stay in contact with my parents. I relied on internet in the motels and campgrounds we stayed at and used the MJ on a Asus EEE 701sd netbook. It worked like a charm. The only issues I ever had was being located to far from the access points. Once I moved closer the issues were resolved. This only happened twice on the trip. My other phone is a landline and I recently removed the long distance service and use the MJ exclusively for those calls. I don't even plug in the MJ until I need it and rely on the voice mail emails if anyone calls it which is rarely. A steal for $20 / yr. I may even consider making it my exclusive line if they add a local server. As it is I have a Boise number which is on the other side of the state.

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: Aiyana

Second, you are not comparing apples to apples. In a far comparison you have to consider that I essentially bought a very inexpensive and low power computer (the ooma), while with the BlackJack you would have to supply a presumably much more expensive computer and most likely would be using a lot more juice to keep it going 24/7. A high power gaming computer can cost as much as $400/year in electricity alone if it is run 24/7. If you had an efficient computer running at 60w using electricity at $0.14 per kWh, your cost per year would be ((60 * 24)/1000) * 365 * 0.14 = $73.58 per year. Ooma is 5w standby and 8w while talking. 5w would give $6.13 per year, so in that scenario the MagicJack would cost an additional $67.45 per year. In that scenario the Ooma and Black Jack cost about the same for 2 years, not 9.



The MagicJack does not require a gaming system to run. I have been running mine on my EEE netbook which uses a Celeron M 900 Mhz. When in use CPU utilization runs between 5% and 20%. I have read of people even setting up older hardware and even underclocking for lower power consumption or even fanless systems.

[Aiyana]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
Originally posted by: Aiyana

Second, you are not comparing apples to apples. In a far comparison you have to consider that I essentially bought a very inexpensive and low power computer (the ooma), while with the BlackJack you would have to supply a presumably much more expensive computer and most likely would be using a lot more juice to keep it going 24/7. A high power gaming computer can cost as much as $400/year in electricity alone if it is run 24/7. If you had an efficient computer running at 60w using electricity at $0.14 per kWh, your cost per year would be ((60 * 24)/1000) * 365 * 0.14 = $73.58 per year. Ooma is 5w standby and 8w while talking. 5w would give $6.13 per year, so in that scenario the MagicJack would cost an additional $67.45 per year. In that scenario the Ooma and Black Jack cost about the same for 2 years, not 9.



The MagicJack does not require a gaming system to run. I have been running mine on my EEE netbook which uses a Celeron M 900 Mhz. When in use CPU utilization runs between 5% and 20%. I have read of people even setting up older hardware and even underclocking for lower power consumption or even fanless systems.

I know it doesn't take a gaming system, that is why the energy price I quoted was for a pretty efficient machine, not a gaming rig. If you can get a free machine that will run at 5w, then more power to you. I'm willing to bet your EEE Netbook cost substantially more than $189 if you bought it new, so again, there is a trade off there. If it works for you, then great. The power consumption of an atom netbook ought to be pretty low for supporting BlackJack.

I've got nothing against BlackJack. My brother-in-law raves about his. I listed the reasons why it made sense for me to take a small gamble and pay more up front for the Ooma. I said before that if you have an efficient computer available that you don't mind keeping on 24/7, and you don't care about porting a number, then BlackJack might make more sense for you.

[bradley]

Even at $180-$250 Ooma is intriguing. My biggest concern is their business model eventually pushing them into bankruptcy and/or being stuck with proprietary hardware.

Although I am considering buying an adapter and giving a BYOD pay-as-you-go VoIP company like Future Nine, Call Centric etc. a try. I currently pay $38 a month for basic service on Verizon for a handful of outgoing and incoming calls a week, which in this day and age is ridiculous.

List of 41 ?BYOD? VoIP Service Providers
http://blog.voipsupply.com/lis...voip-service-providers (http://blog.voipsupply.com/list-of-35-byod-voip-service-providers)

[Jawadali]

Originally posted by: bradley
Even at $180-$250 Ooma is intriguing. My biggest concern is their business model eventually pushing them into bankruptcy and/or being stuck with proprietary hardware.

Although I am considering buying an adapter and giving a BYOD pay-as-you-go VoIP company like Future Nine, Call Centric etc. a try. I currently pay $38 a month for basic service on Verizon for a handful of outgoing and incoming calls a week, which in this day and age is ridiculous.

List of 41 ?BYOD? VoIP Service Providers
http://blog.voipsupply.com/lis...voip-service-providers (http://blog.voipsupply.com/list-of-35-byod-voip-service-providers)


Thanks for the info.

I'm in a similar boat with Verizon; We pay for "unlimited local calls" as well as DSL, but we only make a few calls a week. In fact, most of our "received" calls are telemarketing robocalls.

[Aiyana]

Originally posted by: bradley
Even at $180-$250 Ooma is intriguing. My biggest concern is their business model eventually pushing them into bankruptcy and/or being stuck with proprietary hardware.


That is my biggest concern as well.

I based my decision to try it in part on the cost breakdown in the following article. I didn't understand how Ooma could provide the service at no costs, but the article spells out the actual costs involved to connect calls, and explains how even if nobody purchased extra services that Ooma could make a profit (albeit very small) on each device. That gave me some confidence that Ooma has the ability to survive for at least long enough to pay for itself.

http://www.fiercevoip.com/stor...tely-doomed/2009-03-19 (http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/ooma-conspiracy-or-why-vonage-ultimately-doomed/2009-03-19)

[Destro]

Originally posted by: magreen
Originally posted by: Destro
I looked at MagicJack (really a scam company if you do your research) and I also considered Ooma. Don't believe what Magic Jack says about getting your money back. Customer service is non-existent.

After doing lots of research, I settled on VOIPo, and it's been terrific.

It's $99/year, and they provide a Linksys VOIP device that's a $79 box.

It doesn't require your PC to be on all the time like MJ, and their customer support is excellent. One of the VP's or owner answers questions frequently in the DSLReports forums.

http://www.voipo.com/

That looks interesting. I'm looking at it now.

It appears to be $135/yr, not $99/yr, because even though they currently have a promotion to waive the $30 activation fee, they charge $36/yr in taxes and fees. Their website explains it as, This Fee covers USF contributions, E911 service and various taxes that VOIPo is required to remit on your behalf for the duration of your account.
So it comes out to $11.25/mo.

Now, it calls this a promotional rate for their first year of doing business -- it says in their support/knowledgebase section on residential pricing,
Tentative Pricing
$21.95 - Monthly
$99 - Bi-Annually
$199 - Annually

Limited Pre-Launch Special: First Year for $99

So it may jump to $199/yr after the first yr, which would be more like $20/mo, and not such a bargain.

Also, is this system really pre-launch? Does that mean it's a brand new untested service? How long has this company been around? And what's with the "backed by HostGator" stuff on their homepage? That makes me think they're really just starting up and fly-by-night -- if they have to tell you which webhosting they use. Google doesn't go around bragging about their webhosting.

But I'm still interested, anyone else with experience or knowledge on this?

It's pretty well assumed over on the DSLreports forums that the $99/year will be available in year 2, if you ask for it. No guarantee, but I suspect that's what will happen. They don't make you buy the hardware, so there's nothing to lose. If they decide to raise the price in year 2, just switch to another service.

HostGator is one of the largest web hosting companies in the world (1.8 million sites hosted). They are the owner/backer of Voipo, so it's got plenty of support. They aren't "bragging" about their web host, they are telling you their owner is a long-established, reputable company.

I've had the service about 6 months, and have not had a single missed call or service issue. I used Vonage for a long time, and this is better in almost every respect. I like the fact that they are very engaged with their customers over at DSLreports forums, and not hiding behind "Customer no-service" like MagicJack or Vonage.

[GCS]

Destro,

Are you using this as your main line?

I am looking for alternatives as I am paying Verizon $54 per month for telephone service + $32 per month for DSL. My DSL is ok (not great).

[microAmp]

Just got the MagicJack today, made a few LD phone calls and seems to work well. Though one person said they kept hearing a beep, like a touch tone but I couldn't hear it, it happened a few times but they didn't mention it again after talking about it. Didn't seem to be any kind of lag between chats, guess as long as I don't have to deal with customer service, I should be alright.

Of course as soon as I got the MJ, Google gives me an invite to Google Voice. :) Been a good day so far. :D

[VirtualLarry]

I just had the worst night with my MJ. Sometimes I couldn't hear them, sometimes they couldn't hear me, sometimes I couldn't even hear the phone ringing.

Called my friend, his dad answered, apparently he couldn't hear me, so he thought I was pranking him, so he said he was going to call the cops. :(

Had to call him back using my cell phone, to get that straightened out.

It's still better than Comcast Digital Voice. During peak times (5pm-6pm), CDV sounds like it's underwater, horribly choppy, etc. Like the worst VOIP imaginable.

[eplebnista]

My 2 years of service with Magicjack runs out in about a month or so, I will not be renewing. Mainly because I discovered AT&T now has a land-line plan available with unlimited long distance. It will be ~$20 more a month but worth it for the lack of headaches associated with using the Magicjack service.

[VirtualLarry]

AT&T landline, unlimited LD, for $21.60/mo? Where?

[eplebnista]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
AT&T landline, unlimited LD, for $21.60/mo? Where?


I should have been more detailed. I meant ~$20 a month in addition to my current plan and dsl, which would be about $55 a month not counting taxes, wiring plan and other misc. fees.

[Aiyana]

Originally posted by: eplebnista
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
AT&T landline, unlimited LD, for $21.60/mo? Where?


I should have been more detailed. I meant ~$20 a month in addition to my current plan and dsl, which would be about $55 a month not counting taxes, wiring plan and other misc. fees.

Is that plan part of their U-verse? My understanding is that U-verse phone service is VoIP, so I am curious what difference (if any) exists between AT&T VoIP service and one of the third party providers such as Magic Jack?

Does AT&T have any advantage if they are both VoIP?

[eplebnista]

Originally posted by: Aiyana
Originally posted by: eplebnista
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
AT&T landline, unlimited LD, for $21.60/mo? Where?


I should have been more detailed. I meant ~$20 a month in addition to my current plan and dsl, which would be about $55 a month not counting taxes, wiring plan and other misc. fees.

Is that plan part of their U-verse? My understanding is that U-verse phone service is VoIP, so I am curious what difference (if any) exists between AT&T VoIP service and one of the third party providers such as Magic Jack?

Does AT&T have any advantage if they are both VoIP?

No, it's a plain old land line. Had this phone number for over 40 years now(was most recently Bellsouth until they merged with AT&T) with mostly a basic plan for 80% of those years.

[Zap]

They list XP/Vista/Mac. Anyone tried this with Server 2003?

[Emulex]

if it works with XP-64 (basically 2003 workstation) then it should be fine.

2008 is actually alot more friendly and uses all the vista drivers.

[imported_nunya]

Originally posted by: Zap
They list XP/Vista/Mac. Anyone tried this with Server 2003?

I've had this running on an SBS 2003 box no problems.

[Zap]

Originally posted by: nunya
Originally posted by: Zap
They list XP/Vista/Mac. Anyone tried this with Server 2003?

I've had this running on an SBS 2003 box no problems.

Thanks!

If I got a Magic Jack, the machine I'd run it on would be my low powered server (underclocked/undervolted E5200) which runs Server 2003. It is the only machine at my household that runs 24/7.

[imported_nunya]

Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: nunya
Originally posted by: Zap
They list XP/Vista/Mac. Anyone tried this with Server 2003?

I've had this running on an SBS 2003 box no problems.

Thanks!

If I got a Magic Jack, the machine I'd run it on would be my low powered server (underclocked/undervolted E5200) which runs Server 2003. It is the only machine at my household that runs 24/7.

That's exactly what I'm doing. If you get one you might want to have the software run as a service (http://magicjackhacks.blogspot.com/2008/01/running-magicjack-as-service.html). Otherwise after a reboot/power-outage you'd have to log in to the server to get the software loaded. This works great for me.

[Destro]

Originally posted by: GCS
Destro,

Are you using this as your main line?

I am looking for alternatives as I am paying Verizon $54 per month for telephone service + $32 per month for DSL. My DSL is ok (not great).



Yes, using Voipo as my main line; I ported my phone number I've had for 15+ years to it, and I'll be able to take that number with me anywhere I go (no plans to go anywhere at the moment).

I've had it for ~6 months with zero issues. The Cisco/Linksys device they use is rock solid, I have had to reboot it since I got it.

BTW - I forgot to mention, Voipo gives you free Soft Phone access (Vonage charges $9.95/month for this). Use you phone on your PC or laptop anywhere with no additional fees.

[Zap]

Originally posted by: nunya
That's exactly what I'm doing. If you get one you might want to have the software run as a service (http://magicjackhacks.blogspot.com/2008/01/running-magicjack-as-service.html). Otherwise after a reboot/power-outage you'd have to log in to the server to get the software loaded. This works great for me.

Great tip!

[magreen]

Originally posted by: Destro
Originally posted by: GCS
Destro,

Are you using this as your main line?

I am looking for alternatives as I am paying Verizon $54 per month for telephone service + $32 per month for DSL. My DSL is ok (not great).



Yes, using Voipo as my main line; I ported my phone number I've had for 15+ years to it, and I'll be able to take that number with me anywhere I go (no plans to go anywhere at the moment).

I've had it for ~6 months with zero issues. The Cisco/Linksys device they use is rock solid, I have had to reboot it since I got it.

BTW - I forgot to mention, Voipo gives you free Soft Phone access (Vonage charges $9.95/month for this). Use you phone on your PC or laptop anywhere with no additional fees.

I'm tempted to go with Voipo from your recommendations, Destro, though you're the only person I've heard recommending it one way or the other.

I'm also planning on ditching my landline and just going bare DSL + VOIP + cellphones.
Wish I had some more reviews of Voipo to go on. Is DSLForums the best place for that?
Anyone else here with experience with Voipo, especially if you have experience with and can compare it to MagicJack?

[GCS]

Well after getting home last night to find another $60 Verizon bill in the mailbox I bit and ordered Voipo. I mean $60 a month for local telephone services, gimee a break!!

I'll have to keep the dreaded Verizon service for a little while since I asked to port over my old #. Hopefully it will all go well and be great as I am sick of Verizon's fees.


If I could dump their DSL and go to something else I would but Comcast Internet is major suckage as well (and more money).

[TourGuide]

If I were you all, I'd avoid magicjack. Here is a scary link to some information on the EULA for magicjack.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/...icjacks-eula-says.html (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/04/14/magicjacks-eula-says.html)

After researching this device, I will not install one of these on any of my computers. I had ordered one, but I am sending it back unopened.

I'm going to get the ooma, which is buy it, own it, and free from that point on.

[KeithP]

Originally posted by: TourGuide
If I were you all, I'd avoid magicjack. Here is a scary link to some information on the EULA for magicjack.

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/...icjacks-eula-says.html (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/04/14/magicjacks-eula-says.html)

After researching this device, I will not install one of these on any of my computers. I had ordered one, but I am sending it back unopened.

I'm going to get the ooma, which is buy it, own it, and free from that point on.

That assumes, of course, that the company stays in business.

There has been so much paranoia about MagicJack. I really don't get it. That EULA doesn't bother me at all but to each his own.

-KeithP

[breweyez]

I would like to hear more about ooma. Any folks here been using it?

[Binky]

I've tried magicjack and it didnt work well for me. I've known others that had it working great for a while, then it started screwing up. The annoyance factor of the phone not working increases exponentially so many people might be inclined to give up on a non-working magicjack after just a few days. Ooma sounds interesting, but it also sounds like a Madoff scheme.

The number of options for cheap and/or free VOIP service is growing rapidly. Below are a few of the MANY options for cheaper phone service, and they generally require a one-time purchase of a ~$50 VOIP device like a Linksys PAP2.

Google Voice + Gizmo = free phone. Google provides the free phone number and an Asterisk server tricks it into a full free service. Check it out at Nerdvittles (http://nerdvittles.com/?p=637).

ipkall + Callcentric = pay-as-you-go phone with no fixed monthly fees and $0.02/minute charges. ipkall gives you a free Washington phone number and Callcentric gives you $0.02/minute phone service. Other providers of free numbers can be found by searching for "free DID."

Callcentric = $20/month unlimited or ~$5/month fixed charges (pay-as-you-go) plus $0.02 per minute. The pay-as-you go plan needs a phone number, which callcentric will sell you for $2-$3 per month (if you dont trust the free services listed above).



For those of us that primarily use cell phones, a minimal use home phone is acceptable. My main use of a home phone is to let the pizza delivery guy in the front gate!

[Praetor]

Originally posted by: Destro
Originally posted by: GCS
Destro,

Are you using this as your main line?

I am looking for alternatives as I am paying Verizon $54 per month for telephone service + $32 per month for DSL. My DSL is ok (not great).



Yes, using Voipo as my main line; I ported my phone number I've had for 15+ years to it, and I'll be able to take that number with me anywhere I go (no plans to go anywhere at the moment).

I've had it for ~6 months with zero issues. The Cisco/Linksys device they use is rock solid, I have had to reboot it since I got it.

BTW - I forgot to mention, Voipo gives you free Soft Phone access (Vonage charges $9.95/month for this). Use you phone on your PC or laptop anywhere with no additional fees.


I didn't see anything that specifically mentioned this on their site, but can you port your number from any service area to them

[mscdex0]

Originally posted by: Binky
Google Voice + Gizmo = free phone. Google provides the free phone number, Gizmo provides the free service. EDIT: Gizmo just eliminated this as an option since they now limit calls to 3 minutes...and charge $0.02/minute. Steer clear of them!


You can use Gizmo to receive GV calls free and GV to make calls free. I use this combo on my Nokia n810 with no problems. You can have GV call both your destination number and then your Gizmo number and GV will connect the two, this way it comes as a free inbound Gizmo call and therefore you don't have to pay Gizmo's $0.02/min fee.

I think I recall seeing at least a command-line program (there may also be some GUI dialers also?) for Windows that would let you initiate GV calls (by sending HTTP requests to a specific URL containing the necessary call info). On the n810, there's a GUI frontend to all this called DialCentral.

[Aiyana]

I had my home landline ported to Ooma two weeks ago. So far I haven't noticed any difference. I split the line (with the standard splitter that came with the Ooma) and plug it into a four handset base station and to my DishNetwork DVR. The DVR is happy and the phone works fine. I have read that some people have had issues setting up the DVR correctly, but mine just worked.

I will probably end up paying the $60 additional for a year of premium service (normally $100, but I already paid $40 to port my number, which they will apply to the first year of premium) because some of the features are interesting enough to justify trying them out for $5 per month for a year.

[MAG1969]

I have had my MagicJack for over a year now. The first few months for me were pretty rocky with it. When I first got the service, the call quality was excellent. Some people did mention the beeping sounds once in a while (Comcast Voice Customers) while others on the verizon network didn't hear anything.

I had quite a few problems getting it setup but it wasnt all Magicjack's fault. First tried it on a computer that didnt have a clean USB port connection causing the MJ to lose power and turn off. Then the brand new cordless uniden detect6.0 phone i bought has major problems, loses connection from base periodically. It took months to figure these problems out. Problems i initally and incorectly blamed on the MJ.

The only problem i had with the magicjack itself was static over the lines that was corrected by having the device run in the background on the computer it was plugged into. I found that fix on the MagicJack website. With those errors corrected I have been extemely pleased with using this as a home phone. I also have upped the subscription to another 5 years for $55.

After all those problems fix the comcast people dont hear the beeping sounds anymore.

[M0RPH]

Guys, I want to try this but I'm confused. Everyone talks about the $20/year but nobody has mentioned the cost of the actual device. I saw it on TV and at Walgreens for $40. I also see the free trial signup at the Magic Jack site. Does that mean they will send me a Magic Jack device for free? Did you guys pay for your Magic Jacks or are you getting them for free?? :confused:

[imported_nunya]

Originally posted by: M0RPH
Guys, I want to try this but I'm confused. Everyone talks about the $20/year but nobody has mentioned the cost of the actual device. I saw it on TV and at Walgreens for $40. I also see the free trial signup at the Magic Jack site. Does that mean they will send me a Magic Jack device for free? Did you guys pay for your Magic Jacks or are you getting them for free?? :confused:

$40 covers the device and first year, $20/year after that.

Supposedly they don't bill you for it until you've had it for 30 days, but there are lots of reports of people being billed immediately so ymmv (maybe they just place a hold on your card for that amount, which doesn't show up on credit cards but does on debit). AFAIK no one has had a problem getting a refund if they didn't like it within the first 30 days.

[TourGuide]

I would not buy magicjack. Based on their EULA I returned one I had ordered without opening it. Here is a link that highlights some problems with magicjack's EULA:

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/...icjacks-eula-says.html (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/04/14/magicjacks-eula-says.html)

I've been using ooma now for a few weeks and while I had to adjust the QoS settings at the beginning - I give it an 'A'.

You pay for the hardware and you never have to pay again. I am paying for their premium service, which is $100 per year. It includes some cool features that make it worth it to me.

I have to say - so far - I've been VERY happy with ooma.

[funboy6942]

Spend $60 a year for skype? Ive had it for over 2 years now and 99.99% of the time my calls work perfectly. Choice of phones, ones that use your usb, or hook to your router. Cheaper then a home line and $40 more per year then MJ, BUT, its got CS, and the service works great.

I have a Linksys CIT20 hooked to my USB port, and have its call forwarding set up to my lan phone, ($5) a month for that as a 2nd line and main line for my oldest for local calls to his friends, but when my pc is off, it willl forward all calls from it, to the home phone, so I dont miss any calls with pc on or not.

[Chess]

debating on keeping my skype service, but I just have a usb headset....

I have a cordless phone system from my old house.

Does Skype have anything that I can actually integrate or do I have to buy the "skype" phones ?

If i cant use my existing cordless I may try magic jack... *shrugs*

[matas]

soo, where can I find out the international calling rates?

[M0RPH]

Originally posted by: funboy6942
Spend $60 a year for skype? Ive had it for over 2 years now and 99.99% of the time my calls work perfectly. Choice of phones, ones that use your usb, or hook to your router. Cheaper then a home line and $40 more per year then MJ, BUT, its got CS, and the service works great.



Can you tell me more about the phones that hook to your router? You can use the phone without the computer being on? Do they work with any router? Are they expensive?

[fastabc]

VOIP works well as long as you have a good internet connection...

[Chess]

Originally posted by: fastabc
VOIP works well as long as you have a good internet connection...

i would hope most people would know that lol

[satoshen]

You don't need to buy a skype phone. A $40 adapter (provided you have an always-on computer) will do the trick. This allowed me to keep my nice set of Panasonic cordless phones. Main drawback is you have to get used to dialing a *00+10digitphonenumber# for all of your calls. But since I don't have a landline anymore, this is 2nd nature. (and of course you could always program that into your phone too).

[Aiyana]

Originally posted by: fastabc
VOIP works well as long as you have a good internet connection...



In theory, that is another advantage to the Ooma setup. Ooma sits between your modem and your router, so it can suck up all the bandwidth it wants. That means your VOIP will always get first priority over anything else on your network and should allow it to work well on a relatively slow line. Your other network connections may suffer, but the VOIP should stay strong.

I haven't done any testing or read about any testing, so I don't know how they compare in the wild to Skype and Black Jack, which hang off of a computer. I believe Vonage connects the same way as Ooma, so that may be a good comparison.