Buy Magic Jack Now

I just saved $320 by cancelling an extra phone line and signing up with magicJack. It works as advertised; I like it; and it’s a keeper. I also have tips to make magicJack better, and if you’re intrigued, hack into it. (Fair warning: My magicJack review is long, way more than I usually allocate for one newsletter.)

Making the Switch to magicJack

I used to have three phone lines, and for years I needed all of them. But with almost all of my communication through e-mail, I decided to dump one and replace it with a magicJack. And save myself about $320 a year.

You plug the magicJack into a free USB port, then plug your phone line into the gizmo. Now you can make free calls with VoIP — they’re routed through the Internet. (The magicJack comes with a 6-inch USB extension cable in case it interferes with other devices plugged into your USB ports.)

Plug one end into a USB port and connect the other end to your standard phone.

 

Hey, I’m Connected

To see how easy it was to get started, I connected the magicJack to a USB port on my PC. (If you use a hub it has to be powered; if it’s not, or underpowered, the magicJack might not work.) Then I plugged a phone into the magicJack using a standard phone cable. Cordless phones also work; just plug in the base unit.

The computer recognized the magicJack like any Flash drive, then it took about 5 minutes to download software updates. I picked up the phone, heard a dial tone, dialed as I normally would, and made my first magicJack call. Cousin Judy in New York said I sounded unusually good, a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one. It took another few minutes to create a 911 location and set up voicemail.

You can call by dialing your phone or do it from your PC.

Once I saw that the magicJack worked, I connected it to my ancient Nortel Venture three-line phone, the one that I rigged up to use a Plantronics wireless headset. If you prefer, you can use your PC’s speakers and a microphone, or a headset, just as you would with Skype.

What’s the magicJack Catch?

There really isn’t any. There are a few inconveniences, and one not-so-minor hassle, and I’ll get to them. But first I want to cover the basics.

One thing to consider is that you need broadband: magicJack requires speeds of at least 100KB. And if you have DSL service, magicJack will work just fine, but don’t call the phone company to shut off your regular phone line as it’s needed for the DSL connection

The magicJack service costs $40 for the first year, which includes the USB dongle. The cost for subsequent service is $20 per year, but chances are good the fee will increase. So the company pushes a 5-year service plan for $60. You get unlimited calling to anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Canada. International calls are 2 cents a minute.

If you make a magicJack call to a friend’s magicJack number — anywhere in the world — the call’s free. Calling the United States or Canada from another country with your magicJack is also free. Yep, that’s right: You can carry the magicJack while you’re traveling, connect it to your notebook, and all your calls are free.

You can call as much as you’d like, but magicJack’s Terms of Service obliquely says, “If magicJack sees excessive use, including but not limited to, a customer whose usage is twenty (20) times more than the average magicJack’s customers usage” they’ll cut off service and won’t give you a refund. Swell.

All your 411 calls are free, but you need to listen to a 20-second commercial first. I prefer Google’s free Goog-411 (800-466-4411).

Other features? You have access to 3-way calling and call forwarding. What’s missing is caller ID blocking.

Of course you’re worried about voice quality, and so was I. Most of the time it ranges from very good to great. I talked with my TechBite partner, Mike, in Denver, for about 2 hours and it was a perfect connection. Yet when I tried magicJack’s 411, and then checked voicemail, the connection cut in and out; I also experienced a disconnect when I called my mother (really, Mom, I didn’t hang up!). I got better quality if I stuck the magicJack in a port on my PC instead of using the USB hub.

Is MagicJack For You?

Maybe.

Some forums say that magicJack is good only to use as a second phone line, maybe for a teenager, or just for saving money on long-distance calls. I agree; I wouldn’t advise you to drop your only landline or cell phone for magicJack for a couple of reasons.

First, I wouldn’t depend on the magicJack for emergency 911 calls. Say there’s an emergency and you lose power. Access to the Internet is gone, and magicJack is useless.

Second, you have to keep the PC on. When your PC isn’t running, incoming calls to the magicJack phone number are routed to voicemail. (Here’s a neat option: If someone leaves a voicemail, magicJack sends you an e-mail with a sound file of the message.)

I thought I’d get smart and try a work-around. I attached the magicJack to the USB port of my server, an always-on Seagate Network Attached Storage device. The magicJack had a hearty laugh and refused to be recognized. The designer of the magicJack said it couldn’t be done.

BTW, magicJack includes a local number as part of the service; most metropolitan areas are covered, but you might not be in one of those spots.

Try magicJack for 30 days. If you don’t like it, all you pay for is shipping. The trial starts when you order the device, and you have to get it back to them within the 30 days. (I know you have more concerns, you always do. So read the FAQ for all your picayune questions.)

Two Not-So-Magic Quibbles

One thing I didn’t like: I had to click the Minimize icon to get the magicJack program into the system tray. I’d prefer it automatically minimize when magicJack loads. I haven’t been able to find a way to do it, and no, I don’t want to use an extra software tool to do it. The designer said, “… anything is possible, but this is not on the drawing board; the magicJack is built for the people who need to see it loading.” Whatever.

The company includes an Outlook add-in that lets you dial directly from Outlook’s contacts. That’s handy, but I’d also like a way to import directly into magicJack’s contacts from an Excel or CVS file.

You’ll also have to remember to add an area code no matter where you’re calling, even if it’s a local call.

MagicJack Tricks and Hacks

There are lots of ways you can play with the magicJack. Here are a few:

• I don’t need to see magicJack’s splash screen, so I disabled it.
• If you want run the magicJack from your hard drive rather than the USB dongle, here’s the trick. It doesn’t seem like it’s worth the bother, though, because you still need the dongle in order to connect to a phone line.
• When I connect an external USB drive, I expect it to be drive letter “G.” Without asking, magicJack grabs the first two available drive letters — “G” and “H” — for its USB dongle. It’s easy to fix that.
• You can run magicJack as a Service, spoof its caller ID, reveal more magicJack features by changing the skin, and maybe get your Chevy to get more miles per gallon. It’s all in the magicJack hack site. The Unofficial magicJack forum has more ordinary fixes, hacks, and advice.
• If you have a PBX system, and a nimble mind, you might be able to hack the magicJack to act like a trunk in any Asterisk-based IP PBX. If that’s not Greek, get the details at VoIP Insider and INTJ Geek.

magicJack working with magicFCC and magicCarriers on magicFemtocell

by Chris Ziegler, posted Apr 22nd 2009 at 3:48PM

From pcmag.com

BOTTOM LINE:
So simple it’s almost perfect, the magicJack is the best home voice-over-IP gadget I’ve seen to date. Excellent call quality, a workable set of calling features, and an amazing price make this little box the VoIP wonder to beat.

PROS:
Nice price. Good set of calling features. Softphone capability included. Simple enough to be idiot-proof.

CONS:
Only one line (and phone number) per magicJack for now. No Linux drivers.

COMPANY: 
Ymax Corp.

Editor’s Note (2/05/09): New firmware and hardware have been released (and many readers wrote in to tell us about tech support and billing problems) since this piece was published, so we’ve published a new review of magicJack for winter 2009.

 

Those commercials advertising cheap voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone rates look appealing, but there’s always some fine print: You have to switch cable-TV providers, install a VoIP-smart Internet router, or something. And you end up ticked once a month when the bill from MCI, Verizon, or some other telecom robber baron dips into your wallet. If this sounds like your bio, the YMax magicJack is for you: 2 minutes of setup, voice quality that’s almost indistinguishable from a straight analog POTS line, and a cost of just under $20 a year for unlimited nationwide service. When I was testing it in December 2007, the service offered phone numbers in about 90 percent of the country. International calling wasn’t available at test time, though it should be in the next few months. Pricing will be determined based upon phone rates at that time, though YMax says its mandate is to make international calling cheaper than any rate you can get with either Skype or Vonage.

 

The magicJack device, about the size of a box of Tic Tacs, has a USB plug on one end and an RJ-11 phone jack on the other. I had to connect mine to a Windows PC, but Mac OS X drivers should be ready soon. After USB plug meets USB port, you’ll wait a minute or so while the magicJack software gets automatically loaded. Those who already have magicJack will be happy to know that the company says a firmware rev released while I was testing makes the hardware more resilient to problems caused by fluctuating electrical levels in foreign countries. It also installs hardware echo control, which taxes your CPU about 50 percent less than before.

If this is your first time using the device, you’ll have to run through a registration process. You either request a new number or ask to have your existing number ported (porting availability depends on where you are, takes up to 60 days, and has a $10 surcharge attached); then you input the information necessary to make e911 work (so that emergency services know where you’re calling from). The process should force you off the couch for 60 seconds or so, but that’s it: no phone configuration, no Internet router tweaks. Low-tech folks who just want a cheap phone can just plug a regular analog phone into the magicJack’s RJ-11 port and start dialing.

Those who want a little more will find a fairly impressive array of features in the magicJack software, including caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, and voice mail that will respond even if you’re not online. The software supplies a softphone that works through a headset and microphone connected to your PC. Compared with business VoIP, this might be a light feature set, but for home users it’s plenty.

Your PC plays a significant part in the service—as in no calls without one. That made me balk at first, thinking that a PC had to be on constantly to make this work. But while technically that’s true, the magicJack’s ability to pick up voice mail even while you’re offline means that your PC can be off while you’re at work or away, since you wouldn’t be there to answer phone calls anyway. And, as with any VoIP service, magicJack doesn’t care where you’re connecting to the Internet as long as the service is broadband. So if your software is installed on a notebook, you can take your home phone with you. And YMax says that in the near future a firmware upgrade will use remote wake-up (a feature that most motherboards support these days) to power up your PC when a call comes in.

MagicJack’s call quality is amazing—almost too good to be true. YMax reps say they can deliver such great sound because they built the operation as a straight phone company rather than an Internet voice provider. YMax worked to become the only such company certified in all 50 states, which, its reps claim, allows it more gateways linking the Internet and the telcos than any other voice provider has. That means it maintains control of calls much longer than a regular VoIP provider, which in turn translates into high call quality. I have no way of verifying the company’s infrastructure claims, but the voice quality speaks for itself.

What worried me is that this network sounds expensive, yet YMax is charging so little. That’s how SunRocket got killed. Then again, magicJack customer base was growing at 30 percent a week while the product was still in beta, according to the company, so maybe I’m worried about nothing. And after all, should the service go belly up, you still have alternatives: It’s not as if the telecom robber barons will disappear. Bottom line: The magicJack is the coolest little home VoIP gadget I’ve seen to date, and for less than $40, everybody should try it.

From voip2u.org

Magic Jack has now released a beta trial for use with Intel Mac computers.  However, according to the official magicJack website, neither customer nor technical support is yet available for mac installations, so proceed at your own risk.  This MAC beta version is only compatible with Intel based Macs with OS (operating systems) higher than 10.4.11 and higher.  You can have a 10.4.10 OS, but it must have kernal 8.10.3 or higher.  To find which OS and Kernal version you have, follow this path on your Mac computer:

Apple Icon > About This Mac > More Info > Software

It boggles the mind why magicJack would release new software to use their product without providing any support for it at all. But, if you’re the adventurous type and don’t mind blowing 40 bucks, give it a try! They will probably build their support and FAQ around solving the real problems customers have with the Mac beta.  Maybe they’ll have a special web page for feedback on this release?  You will need to have your Magic Jack device plugged into a Windows PC to download the Mac upgrade.  Once that is downloaded, then you can plug your MagicJack into your Mac computer.  To download the Magic Jack Mac Beta from the offical website, go here: 

http://www.magicjack.com/4/mac.asp

As with a PC, you will need to leave your computer on to make and receive phone calls through your magicJack. Give it a good try-out, at least a few months before dumping your regular land line phone service.  You do need to keep another phone service to make sure you always have a viable 911 service in case of emergencies. 

If you have used the Magic Jack Mac Beta successfully or even unsuccessfully, please give us some idea of your experience with it in the Comments below.

By Charlene Collins

From Associatedcontent.com

Recently I did an interview with my friend, Edith. She and her husband got the Magic Jack phone and they are very happy with it. On her recommendations I got the Magic Jack for myself; well, actually it was a gift from my son-in-law. He bought two Magic Jacks; one for my computer and one for his own.

The day we got the Magic Jack we were thrilled and excited to get them installed. We picked out the area codes we wanted and Magic Jack gave us our numbers. In our house I have an Atlanta number, while my son-in-law and daughter have an Athens number, both have different area codes, which I thought was kind of fun.

After the installation (plugging the unit into a USB port and uploading it to the company) we couldn’t make a call. Sean, my son-in-law, tried and tried to get our phones to make a connection and they wouldn’t. I knew there had to be something minor wrong, because my friend loves her Magic Jack phone. Sean talked to a representative through the chat line provided by Magic Jack, and she looked inside our computer through remote access and said that our Internet provider did not support Magic Jack.

I thought all would be lost, but not so! The technicians went inside our router and re-wrote something in there that allowed for us to use the Magic Jack phone. Now I am happy as a clam and I’ve made calls to friends all over the United States. The calls are free within the United States and Canada, and there is a nominal charge to call overseas.

I have a friend in Germany that I would love to talk to, so I plan to buy some minutes for that purpose. You just purchase a package of however many minutes you want to pay for and then you can call England, Germany, India and anywhere else in the world for just a few cents a minute.

In a way, the Magic Jack phone behaves something like a cell phone. It’s an Internet phone, so the connection may not be perfect all the time, like it is with a landline phone. I called my brother twice today. The first time he said he couldn’t hear me well. He said the call was full of static and my voice sounded far away. I hung up and called right back and the connection on his end was clear as a bell. On the first call I could hear my brother, Ralph, clearly, but he couldn’t hear me so well, but when I hung up both sides of the connection were clear without any interference.

I’ve called my friend in Jefferson, GA, which is just about 30 miles from here, the call sometimes breaks up like a cell phone does. The connection has also dropped once during our conversation, just like a cell phone will do sometimes. I called her right back though and we talked for a long time and both sides of the connection were clear.

I really do love this phone, even though there might be a few bugs in it. What can you complain about for free? The first year is free service, and the next year is $19.99. I like the way the phone system operates. When you pick up the phone to dial a page comes up on the monitor with a dial pad that you can dial with your mouse. You can dial from your list by just clicking on it and click send, or you can just dial your phone. You can also use a headset with it, instead of using a telephone. I tried that, but couldn’t get it to work. I might have the wrong kind of headset for it. My headset is designed for talking back and forth through a chat like on Yahoo, so that might have been the wrong kind of headset; I just don’t know about why I couldn’t get the headphones/mic to work.

It was easy to set up my voice mail. I just had to dial my number, then press * 1234 and follow the prompts to set up my voicemail. The downside of the Magic Jack is that when the computer is off your phone won’t work. Likewise, if you have a power outage your phone won’t work. The plan was to cut off our landline phone and just keep the Internet through our phone company, but I think we are going to keep it for awhile for backup, in case there is a power outage and if the cell towers aren’t working.

One thing I do like about the Magic Jack phone system is that I have my own number. I can call anywhere I want to for no charge. I share minutes with my family on my cell phone, so I am limited on how much I can use the cell phone, so my Magic Jack phone is perfect fit into my life.

I do think the Magic Jack is worth the price we paid for it. It’s just under $40. If you have a credit card they won’t bill you until your month trial is over; however, if you pay by debit card they will take the money out immediately. After Sean bought these two Magic Jacks online, he discovered they were for sale at Walmart for the same price, so if you don’t want to order over the phone, or online you can purchase one at Walmart and upload it into your computer.

In conclusion, I would have to say that outside of the few little bugs the system has, I really enjoy using the Magic Jack phone system. I have already saved enough money through long distance charges to pay for Magic Jack.

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