(I do not work for Magic Jack and following is my personal reflections of it in operation)
I picked the Magic Jack (MJ) unit up about 6-months ago from their website. At first I was skeptical about it considering the low price of the unit ($39.95 which includes the first year of service) and the follow-on costs of $19.95/YEAR (that's about $1.75/MONTH). Considering just about every other VoIP supplier (including my local ISP, Time Warner) charges about $24-30/month, it seemed too good to be true (you know, you get what you pay for, etc.!)
I must say that I've been very happy with the service so far.There are occasional slight echoing due to usage on the ISP connection but not that bad so that it interferes with communication.
The unit is self-contained (firmware installs necessary software on your computer from the unit), very easy to use in ANY computer connected with the Internet (high-speed connection is necessary - not dial-up). The unit looks like a slightly larger USB memory stick with a USB plug on one end and a RJ-11 jack on the other.
You can plug in any phone (or your whole home phone system if you decide to use -only- it as your "land-line" phone). It contains a dial-tone generator and a ring-tone generator to perform the necessary functions. I use a cheap 5.2 Gb wireless phone I picked up at a discount store. (Remember: Don't use a 2.4Gb phone if you use Wi-Fi to connect your lap-top to a router.)
It takes, depending on the processor speed of your PC, about 10 - 25 seconds to "boot-up_ and get running. A window opens on your screen to show what is going on and stays there after it is working (can be reduced to your bottom screen). The screen shows the call-progress and a list of the calls that you have made (sort of a built-in directory).
The outfit which owns MJ is a CLEC with presence in just about all US states, so there should be a POP in your state. They assign a telephone number which may or may not be close to your home location. Example in New York, there POP is in Brewster, NY so I got a telephone number with an 845 AC. I happen to live in AC-607 - that's about 120 miles away!
Obviously like most VoIP phones, your computer needs to be on (24/7) if you plan to give out your telephone number and receive calls.
I would suggest using a "dedicated' lap-top connected with Internet and running 24/7 if you desire to use MJ as your "primary" land-line phone.
I am one of those people who would like to "disconnect" myself from the PSTN "grid" (land-line) but using my cell phone for calls during the "peak" periods gets costly (those minutes mount up, you know), so I use MJ for outgoing calls both local and LD during peak periods of cell phone usage.
Unfortunately, none of the VoIP providers have the "ability" to send/receive FAX's so I'm still tied to another land-line as doing so is required for part of my business.
But over all, for the price (did I mention that radio Shack is now selling the unit for the same prices as the on-line price?) of the unit and the ridiculously low cost/month, I find it handy for all those daily calls I occasionally make.
Heck for $1.75/month I can talk to anyone in the US for as long as I want. I can take it with me and use from any hotel room (high-speed Internet access free with the room), anywhere. Just have to remember to either bring a phone to plug in or take a chance that the hotel isn't using "digital" phones.
I also heard that there is some way to use the device to make calls back to the US from Europe, too, if you are so inclined.
Hope that give you a good "picture" of the MJ!
John
John Stahl Aljon Enterprises Data and Voice Consultant
***** Moderator's Note *****Now _I'm_ curious, so I'll throw my questions out there:
- How many ringers will this device drive? What's the current available in a USB 2 jack? What's the ringing current required for an instrument with REN 1.0? It just surprises me that a USB jack could ring a phone; I never thought they offered that level of power.
- Are there any provisions for 911 service? I know Vonage gives there customers a screen where they enter their 911 details. Does this service have the same capability?
- Have users had problems with dropouts? Excessive delay?
- Will it work with Macs? With earlier versions of Windows? With Linux?
Bill Horne Temporary Moderator
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