Wednesday, March 19

Magic Jack FAQ

One of the most popular stories on What's newS is the magical Magic Jack. A while back, I discovered this cool services and reviewed it. Despite its name, Magic Jack is far from magical for some people and some users find it a pleasure. There have been an astonishing amount of users that have asked questions here to get some answers and the feedback from people have been good, but not good enough. Unfortunately, the very company that puts out Magic Jack has been of little help, and perhaps through experience, readers, comments, the company, and any other source I could find for you all, I will be able to help in any way I can.

Below, you will find a list of questions that some people have emailed me, or commented right here on What's newS. The answers will follow. Keep in mind that I am in no way connected to the people at Magic Jack whatsoever, and like you, have experienced the same joys, wonders concerns, etc. that you all have probably experienced. If you are not familiar with Magic Jack, allow me to explain.

Today, a large percentage of people have internet over phone so many companies are taking full advantage of this by offering services like Skype and Vonage. There are also free alternatives like AimPhoneline which gives a person a number to receive a call. You'll have to pay more to make calls. Many others are offering services like these that are slowly killing landline phone companies.

Magic Jack is a new service that gives you a number, voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, etc. and a nifty little phone jack. Despite the name, the phone jack is not magical, but it gets close. It is a USB phone jack that plugs into a computer and then the person plugs a phone into the other end allowing them to make or receive calls for free. All you have to do is buy the phone jack for $39.00. That is not bad for a phone service. There aren't any other costs. As the website says, "Never pay a phone bill again!"

With that being said, let's ask some questions and get the best answers we can. I should also mention, in my attempt to contact the company, I was unsuccessful to get some details....

______________________________

I just got a Magic Jack and I hear static. Can you help me?
Most users find the call quality of Magic Jack to be superior to that of a cellular telephone, and to be comparable to a traditional telephone call, but that is if you have a good internet connection. A number of things can affect this, and I would try resetting the router or modem and trying the call again.

Does my computer need to be on to make or receive calls?
The answer is yes, it does.Your computer does not need to be on for users to send you voicemail or for call forwarding, however.

Can I ring all the phones in my house?
No, but I use a wonderful service called GrandCentral that will do just that with only one number. You can also chose a different number if you do not like the Magic Jack number assigned to you.

Is it necessary to power on you computer to use Magic Jack?
Yes

Can I fax using Magic Jack?
This is a popular question. They do not support faxes, but the answer is yes. You may need to do some tweaking. However, not much tweaking. First, turn off error correction on your fax machine or program. Then, set the fax machine or program to use the slowest speed available. The slowest speed will ensure a fax goes through. You may increase later to find the highest speed at which a fax can be received.

Can I make long distance calls for free?
Yes, however, there are rates for international calls and you may purchase some minutes on your Magic Jack page.

Do I have to carry a landline phone around with me?
Yes. Unfortunately, in that regard, Magic Jack is not like Skype and others where the service allows one to use the computers own mic and speakers.

Can I forward my calls to my cell phone?
Again, I'll mention the wonders of GrandCentral.

Do I need a phone line?
No. The Magic Jack is around so you don't have to have a phone line. Just an internet connection. I would recommend high speed so you wont experience static and bad quality calls like some.

Can I select a phone number from a list?
No, not as of now. I heard they were changing that, but if you do not like the number, I am going to -AGAIN- recommend GrandCentral.

I'm not happy. How do I return my Magic Jack?
I am sorry to hear that. You can return it using the website. Go to support. Select, "I want to return my magicjack" and in the comments, ask for the RMA number.

How can I get in touch with Magic Jack?
They stress the importance of using what they call, "Magic Fix," which helps you with your problems, but another way to get emergency help via chat is by going here.

______________________________

These question may help, or they may not do anything for you at all, but please be aware that if you are having problems and need help, be persistent. I have tried. I will agree that they are not quick on their toes when it comes to customers, but persistence is key. For those who are having an amazing time with Magic Jack, great! Give me a call sometime! ha ha.

I too, am one of the happy customers, but like any company, there are those who get the bad end, and those who get the good end. I have worked customer support for several years now, and know that the majority of the time, it is user error. There is no excuse for ignoring those customers however, and those at Magic Jack should look closely how they handle their customer support.

Any other questions should be posted via comments or sent via email. I will do my best. Thanks!

68 comments:

J. Ray Rice said...

Good review! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

I would advise your readers to do a lot of research before purchasing this product. As it works great for some, the ones that are having problems are finding it impossible to successfully return the magic device for a refund.

Anonymous said...

I have had it now (Magic Jack) for 3 weeks. I have connected it to my laptop via a Verizon Broadband card, and HAVE used the laptop headset, not a regular telephone hand set and it works great - even while driving down the road! I have it connected to 4 different computers and all can use the mic and headset on the computer - AND have used my cordless regular house phone. I really like this product - EVEN more so I just bought another year for 19.95! From now to 2 whole years from now I am guarenteed a phone, for no extra costs, (yes, as long as I can find a internet based computer) - PS - It also worked on the computer at the library, so you can always "borrow" an internet connection.

Anonymous said...

Just got Magic Jack, hooked it up to the lap top, got a dial tone, although still have some issues. The phone doesn't even ring when a call is coming in from someone else. It lets you know on your computer that a call is coming in, although the phone doesn't ring. Another thing, when someone leaves a message for you, there is no notification that you have a voicemail message waiting. There is no beep when you pick up your phone and there is nothing on the computer telling you someone has just left you a message. You have to continuously check your messages. The phone line is clear and it works. For only $19.95 per year it may be worth it. Not very fond of the fact that the telephone doesn't even ring. If you have advice and can help me out please e mail me at timpatton2003@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Ok, I got it. My ringer just wasn't on. lol. :)

Anonymous said...

Well I am having the same problem you were and my ringer is on... everything is set up correctly and voicemail works ect... tech support didnt even know what to do to help. anyone have this problem able to figure out a fix for it?

Anonymous said...

Since comment moderation has been enabled, all comments must be approved by the blog author. Since I can reasonably assume the author of this blog will read this first I would like to correct you on a few things. First, you don't need to cary a landline around with you, just the device itself. You can use a computers mic and speakers. You can change what you want to use at any time from the menu on the screen. Second, you can forward your calls to your cell phone at my.magicjack.com you dont need to use grandcentral. And grandcentral is not accepting any more people at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Regarding this information:
Do I have to carry a landline phone around with me?
Yes. Unfortunately, in that regard, Magic Jack is not like Skype and others where the service allows one to use the computers own mic and speakers.

This is not the fact, at least on a mac, just go to preferences and click on "Headset/Other" and choose Built-in Output, Built-in Microphone, and Built in Output. This will make your computer ring and you'll be able to hear and speak through the built in microphone and speakers.

Also if you pick up the phone it automatically turns off the computer speaker and mic.

Wonderful

Drew said...

Regarding this information:
Do I have to carry a landline phone around with me?

Whoever above me that says you have to have a phone with you is completely wrong. He or she must not even have a MagicJack. Poorly misinformed people...

You can use your mic and speakers with MagicJack with no problem. Just go to menu and click "Switch to headset". It will then use your mic and come the person talking will come out of your speakers/headphones.

Anonymous said...

I bought a Magicjack and have a list of bad things.No local number
calls don.t go out at times alot.
does not ring my phone alot.
can not call my cell phone, alltel
local people can not call me it will be long distance for them.
people on the other end can not here me at times alot of calls.can't get in touch with customer support any more I mean the list goes on and on

Anonymous said...

How can i change my e-mail, for receive my voice messages?

Anonymous said...

I was also able to ring 3 phones in my house with MagicJack. I think I can increase that limit thru the use of a powered USB or a USB Hub.

erus37 said...

No, you dont need to carry a landline phone with you everywhere you go, magic jack has the ability to use the computer you're using microphone and speakers. under menu/switch to headset

Anonymous said...

before you make a review do not bash it first of all it seems that you work for grand central to make an honest opinion you need to leave vonage and grandcentral and skype out of it magic jack is in a class by it self and so what if it has a couple of problems 20 dollars a year that is a savings of 276.00 over vonage so i cant fax but yes i can send call formarding and i pack a microphone so i can use it like a speaker phone and who cares weather you like the number it is a number.

Anonymous said...

Is there a way to fix it when it tabs out of programs? everytime i get a call it tabs out of everything i am doing....

Anonymous said...

I am interested in this Magic Jack product. What I need to know is do you have to have your internet service through Broadband or can I just buy this product and hook it up to my computer? How much is the Magic Jack? Is there a cd needed to install this? I know I need a landline phone, which I have. I know I need internet, which I have.
And finally, once I have this product, and hook it up, does it work instantly?
Is there anything else that I need to know about Magic Jack that I haven't asked already?

JoCoWash said...

Angela,

To answer a few of your questions, you have to have an internet connection whether it be dial-up or broadband.

Magic Jack cost 39.95, however there is a free trial that you can do.

You can plug a normal phone to the Magic Jack, which will be connected to your computer so you do not need a landline phone service.

Once you get this product, you simply plug it in and use instantly because if I am not mistaken, they'll activate a number for you when you order. That is how it was when I ordered years ago. If things have changed, then you'll get the product and activate your number and voicemail when it comes to you. Either way, you'll be able to use the day you receive.

Anonymous said...

Majicjack does a good job of completely misleading all of us, they say unlimited calling although that is to there discretion so is it really unlimited? “NOT” based on my experience!!! After they charge your credit card, of course after the trial. They can shut you off and want to charge you per minute! So what's so free about that? Buyer Beware and Think twice when you see there crafty sales tactics in there commercial's!!!

Anonymous said...

I have bluetooth on my laptop. I've paried my cell phone headset and magic jack showed me it as an option for my headset .. now that's cool :)

Anonymous said...

The MJ is great all around! We bought it when it hit the main stream market and had an issues with it at first (ie phone not ringing) However MJ offers 24 hour live chat from the technical support section, we had MJ up and in perfect working condition in less than 20 minuets. I love it 60 bucks for 5 years AWESOME baby!
We as consumers should always do as much product research as possible, prevent low quality products from flooding our markets and keep the corporate giants on there toes.

Al said...

I haven't read all the comments, so this may have already been mentioned. It has to do with wireless LAN connections.

I am using a wireless adapter to connect to my modem/router, which is slower than a hard-wired connection (54Mbps compared to 100Mbps for a hard-wired connection), but plenty fast enough to keep up with the cable modem, which boasts 10Mbps, but is slower in reality.

The difference between hard-wired connection and wireless, at least with Netgear modem/router and Netgear adapter is that with hard-wired connections, the input/output is more or less continuous. A wireless connection, however, sends and receives input/output in packets. If your wireless adapter has an LED to indicate that it is connected, you will notice that it blinks. The faster it blinks, the faster the data is being transferred. That holds true when using a MagicJack, as well.

I have found that, when hard-wired to the router, the MagicJack works pretty much flawlessly; but when I use it with the wireless adapter, there are little breaks in communication that result in missed words, similar to what one experiences with a cell phone when traveling through an area of poor reception. The skipping and dropped words can be annoying.

Netgear has a bad habit of degraded Internet connection after awhile, making it necessary to reset (reboot) the router/modem from time to time. When the router connection begins to degrade, there can be occasional pauses of up to 1/2 second between the transfer of data packets. Those little pauses between transfers can result in pulsating breaks in the conversation using MagicJack. Talk about annoying! That isn't MagicJack's fault, though. It is the wireless connection and the way the wireless adapter transfers data that is to blame. If someone would produce a wireless adapter that transmitted and received data in a continuous stream instead of in pulses, or packets, that would eliminate the breaking up of the conversation that I just described.

Other than the wireless adapter issue, MagicJack has worked pretty well for me so far.

Al said...

I have a response for Timothy Patton and the anonymous responder regarding the voice mail issue.

When you have no voice mail, the VMAIL button will be dark. If you have messages, it will be "lit up". That is to say, it will be green. At least that's the way mine works.

On the issue of having to carry a phone around with you, the answer is NO. All you have to do to use the computer's speakers and mic, headphones with the computer's microphone, or a headset that combines headphones and mic, is to click the Menu button and select "Switch to headset." If no headset is being used, it feeds through your computer's mic and speakers. To switch to a handset (telephone) during a call, click the Menu button and click the "Switch to telephone" option.

Anonymous said...

Is it possible for you to check the balance on the magic jack account

Anonymous said...

Hopefully a quick answer to this question. 1) I have read on another legitimate looking website that someone was charged something like 140.00 dollars for there first month of use. 2) Will they just take money from your account like the phone company? No paper or email billing? 3) Do you need to set up a credit card, ATM, Debit, etc. with them to use there service or do you give credit card, etc. on the second year? If someone had problems with money being taken or if when they set up there account had to enter Bank, credit card, ATM , etc. info please let me know. It sounds like a great product besides some people saying the customer support is severly lacking, but I think that is because of the huge popularity at this time.

Anonymous said...

From the looks of it, it's not longer a "one time charge" but they're now charging $19.95 a year.

Can I get clarification on this??

Anonymous said...

Fax doesn't work for me. I used the lowest speed and turned off Error Correction.

Experienced User said...

Yes you actually CAN make it ring on all your house phones.. The above stated info is incorrect but only if you have a multi-cordless phones with conferencing feature on them. The phone that you connect to the magic jack is very important. Dont buy a cheap phone. The best way to test out if your phone is Magic jack worthy is to try it on a landline first. If the sound quality is good enough for you on that landline. There should be little to very unnoticeable change when you use it on your Magic Jack. I tried a 3.2 cordless phone and it didnt have the quality sound i wanted so I bought a panasonic 6.0 model cordless 3 phone system with answering machine and it works fantastic. I can literally walk down the street outside my house and still hear clearly. since every magic jack comes with a free voice mail service. you can receive messages right on your home answering machine mine is built into my panasonic phone and i don't have to call out a number to hear them. I honestly love my Magic jack.

MagicJack CS said...

Q. Can you take your MagicJack with you?

A. Yes
You can use the same MagicJack on any computer with a compatible operating system equipped with a microphone and speakers.

Raj Sharma said...

Hi,
I have been using Majic Jack for over a year (Paid my second year's bill of 19.99) and all is well. If you are like me, you only need a landline at home for emergency and if you are not getting good cell reception. The quality of the call is as good as your internet connection.

I was wondering if there is a way to wire the Majic Jack in to the entire house's phone jacks. Just a thought...

Take care,
Raj

Anonymous said...

For the phone ringing problem I am a VOIP Phone Technician and I am running phone line to my kitchen from computer in the office and I have found that if I connect a phone in the office and one in the kitchen only the office phone rings likewise if I disconnect the office phone and just have a phone in the kitchen it rings. So if you want multiple phones in the house and want all of them to ring you have to buy a cordless phone with multiple handsets where the main handset uses a phone jack (ie..magic jack port) and the other same type handsets just plug in electrical outlets throughout the house. Whala now you have a multiple phone system.

Anonymous said...

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but there are two inaccurate statements.

I just recieved my MagicJack earlier today, so far call forwarding to my cell phone is flawless. Also, you can in fact use the computers speakers and microphone to place and receive calls rather than a land line type headset/phone.

I am unfortunately one of the few unable to fax, this being the primary reason for trying the MagicJack. That being said, I already love the product, even without fax capability, and plan to keep it.

Unknown said...

I purchased my Magic Jack in April and I love it. I have had few problems and the ones encountered were my computer turning off, probably due to an upload of some kind, a power outage, or a needed update from MJ. My phone calls are ten times clearer than Comcast Digital. So far so good for MJ. Saves me money too.

Anonymous said...

I have had this product for 6 months and works great! I got rid of my $90/month landline phone service and now simply use my mobile & the MJ for free calls to Canada and the Caribbean. As for the person who said they don't get notifications on new calls, just call forward all incoming calls to your mobile. Also, you get an email notification on voice messages if you don't want to call forward. A nifty feature is that you then have a recorded copy of any important calls.

jamiewjo said...

im thinking bout getting mj. i have cable tv and thats what my high speed internet is from . wil mj work with cable internet?

Anonymous said...

I am repeatedly asked "why are you trying to dial out?" when I am speaking with someone. When I am speaking with someone I can see the Majicjack telephone pad on my screen show numbers/letters as if someone were pushing on the dial pad and then it beeps on the receivers end. I usually don't hear anything, but for quite a few people they find it extremely annoying and distracting. Has anyone had these experiences and any way to solve this problem?

Anonymous said...

I am thoroughly impressed with the Magic Jack...Recently my girlfriends daughter dropped her cell phone in the dogs water bowl...She lives out in the boonies and had no land line...I remembered seeing the MJ commercial so I stopped off at Walgreens at 2 a:m no less and picked one up for her...Installation was extremely simple and it was up and running in minutes after they emailed a confirmation...I wish I would have bought it a long time ago as it is BETTER than our cell service...Call quality is amazing and I have not experienced a single issue in the past several days since purchasing it....Buy one...It's GREAT!

Anonymous said...

One comment: Setting windows to use "(background services)" will solve many problems with Magic Jack and prot forward in the router
I own 2 Magic Jacks and wish I had 2 more.

User error is 99% of the problem people not understand how to set up their computers the proper way
Myself I have one computer dedicated to my Magic Jacks for Buisness line works perfect once I read how to port forward and use Windows for"(Back ground Services)"
performance setting in Windows.
I use the free Malwarebytes you will also find malware will degrade any computer and Magic Jack
Nothing finer than Magic Jack except for Apple Pie.
Next renewal will be for 5yr's
MJE Oregon

Unknown said...

The ringer problem is quite easy to solve. All you have to do is go to Menu on the majicJack application and go to Volume/Headset control... It will ask chose a device and you should click the option that states "telephone" and voila! Your phone should ring now!

Jason at Successkick said...

I've hooked my bluetooth ear piece up to my my computer and dial with the Magic Jack. It works great!

Anonymous said...

Re magicjack, it was driving me crazy at first with beeps, but I just went to the options and lowered the volume /headset control turned it to zero for both and the beeps stopped. I've been using magicjack now for a year on my biz line and it works great. I'm surprised more people don't fool around with it to tweak it, I will be buying another "five" years, and hope it stays around that long:)

Anonymous said...

You can use the phone like Skype or messenger. I use it with a head set hooked up to my laptop all the time. All you need is speakers or headphones, and a mic.

Anonymous said...

Yes! You can choose local number.

I did the same!

Anonymous said...

Correction, you can use MagicJack without a phone. It works fine with computer's mic and speakers. Check your settings

Anonymous said...

Cordless phones work best with Magic Jack. That way no phone jacks in the house are needed. But word to the wise, your internet connection is what makes the call. And if you are using alot of resources on your system then the call quality goes way down. IE downloading causes the worst problems. Your Magic Jack will make and recieve better calls when your computer is idle. Not to say that it dont work while using the computer. It does. But just better when you dont.

Kenny MacCarthy said...

We love ours. Our lives are finally "verizon free!"

Anonymous said...

You can have magic jack ring on phones all over your house.

You plug your Magic jack into a base phone that then broadcasts wireless signal to each wireles reciever phones located in each room in each room.

Magic jack is connected to my fax machine and answering machine and it answers and recieves my voice messages.
$20 for a year of unlimited calling.

I have cox high speed and connection is as clear as a bell.

Works just like a land line so far.

I will be giving all my friends a majic jack for Christmas.

It will save me over $450 per year off my old land line which I already canceled.

Janelle said...

I have had my majic Jack for 3 or 4 months now and my only real problem is that I can not make my speakers work- I have Very little technical savvy and am working with Vista (nuff said!) but my control panel says that they are not available, I have an icon, but can do nothing to play music on my computer- or listen to emails... any advice beyond the obvious? Janelle

Anonymous said...

Faxes: I dont know if this helps anyone, but I too was having trouble with faxing. I made the changes that the poster mentioned and I also found that it really seemed to help if I kept the landline phone off the hook while faxing. When the fax machine picks up the line to dial I also pick up the landline and lay it on the desk. I can hear the faxing through the phone. Then I hang up the phone again after the fax machine says "Fax Sent". I am now faxing again!

Anonymous said...

Do I have to carry a landline phone around with me? Yes. Unfortunately, in that regard, Magic Jack is not like Skype and others where the service allows one to use the computers own mic and speakers. This answer is INCORRECT. I use my headset while using magicjack, and it works fine. Magicjack functions just like Skype.

Laowai Jim said...

I set up the voicemail outgoing message (Option #1), but when checking my voicemail after someone leaves a message, my outgoing message will play, but the caller's message doesn't appear to have recorded. I even called and left messages for myself from another phone only to confirm that this happens everytime. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Anonymous said...

Ok, i have been using magic jack for over a year now, Absoloutley no problems at all. I have recenclty started experimenting with faxing. I have been able to succesfully send faxes, but i am having trouble receving faxes. Please help by replying to adrian.cook1@us.army.mil. or adrian.cook1@yahoo.com. I am using a Lexmark printer with a built in fax machine. Upon incoming faxes it will ring, i have manged to get it to beep a few times but it will always get an error.

Anonymous said...

My husband uses his MJ all the time (we live overseas) but it doesn't appear to work with my Mac. Do I need to buy my own?

Anonymous said...

Works great when it works. Is a bit annoying when it doesn't. Usually the problem is echoing or the voice cuts out entirely and you miss half the words. I got Vonage instead and it works great! Even when I'm downloading movies at the same time, something that can't be said about MagicJack. I use it for faxing now. Works great as a fax line, though.

Anonymous said...

i got a dial tone on my phone but i couldnt recieve or call any one, then i tried on the computer and it worked fine on the computer. I then attached Ge instajack and my phone now works. i have the other instajack to my fax i'm not sure if that works.

Anonymous said...

I've had MJ for over a year now and it works great. Saves me over $80/month I was paying Verizon. I simply got rid of my land line. For those having problems with receiving messages, here's a suggestion. Use the MJ for making outgoing calls. Simply forward your MJ number to your mobile phone where you can receive all incoming calls. That way it is convenient and you don't have to worry if you're on the road or your PC is turned off. Also, if you miss the call on your mobile it goes directly to your mobile voice box

Tyler Whitney said...

Whoever wrote this article is a bit mis-informed. You don't simply pay the $40 for the dongle... the service is $12 per year... which of course is great... but not free like the writer states. The first year is included in the original $40 dongle purchase though.

Second, you CAN use a headset or mic/heaphones with the MagicJack, the writer is wrong in that aspect.


Lastly, the write is ALSO wrong when stating that you cannot ring all your phones in the house. If you don't have any other phone service you can simply plus the phone line into the MagicJack and then into the phone jack into the wall (if its not being used by another phone service) and then every other jack in your house will then become a live MagicJack line, works great for me.

Lastly, GrandCentral is no longer... but Google Voice has taken it over and still allows someone to get a phone number for free and use it to forward between landlines, MagicJack, Skype-In, and CellPhones, work phones, etc. etc. etc.

Hope this new info sheds some light on the MagicJack. I've had it for a few months now and it seems to work very well.

JoCoWash said...

If you haven't noticed, this article was written a while ago so of course some things have changed. Hope you are enjoying your Magic Jack!

Anonymous said...

I have a 9 year old HP k60 all in one and could initially fax but now it won't. The only change I made was upgraded to Vista business and HP doesn't have software for the k60 with Vista. So since it quit after vista was done I think my issue is there?

Leonardo said...

If you have DSL and are using Magic Jack, but your faxing isn't working well or doesn't work at all, you may need a DSL SPLITTER which you should be get from the phone company or Walmart. Your telephone machines and fax machines should be on the PHONE side of the splitter and the DSL connect should be on the DSL side.

The "noise" from the internet is interferring with the "noise" the fax machine is sending/receiving.

Leonardo

03/21/2010

Anonymous said...

wow customer service is a buch of aliens working for them who is no knowalageable about their product i still have problems that the took me thou hours of upgrading and fixing ,now i need help with faxing and getting no where if they said that it at your oun risk when i was buying it i wouldof never brought one because i brought it from radoi shack i cant get a replacement or refund im feeling railroaded here this company needs to go back to the drawing baord if i see the inventor or his little girl i would put a bullet in their heads

Unknown said...

I've had my MJ for about 2 years. First problem was horrible quality. MJ said to get a good phone; I was using a $10 cheapie. Got a $40 phone at Target and that solved that issue. I just moved from Ft Lauderdale where I had 6 Mp DSL. I'm now in panhandle of FL and can only get 1.5 Mp. I am now having calls cut out after 60 seconds or so. Quality of calls are still good. I plug the MJ into a powered Belkin splitter which has no effect on quality, it just allows me to have multiple toys plugged in. Bottom line is; I like the MJ. Saves me about $30 a month in landline bills.

Anonymous said...

Hi, do you happen to know whether Mj is supposed to work with the built-in microphone and speakers in my laptop? Thanks!

Stringman58 said...

I agree with a couple of the other comments concerning being able to use magic jack without a phone . Using the menu tab you can choose to use your computers sound card and headset. Then you simply need to make sure your mic is selected in the record settings of your sound card.
I use magic jack on my laptop anywhere wi-fi is available without a phone. Sound quality is not always perfect but saving $700 or more a year.

Alex said...

I have three questions before buying this. I need my own line, and I'm a college student, so money for a separate line is not necessarily there.

1. I have a laptop, which I close whenever I'm not using it (less power=lower electric bill). Will this affect MJ? If it's closed, can I still make outgoing calls and receive incoming calls, or does it need to always be 100% running to be used?

2. My laptop is wireless. However, my router has some USB ports in the back. Can I plug this into those for a faster, therefore better connection, or does it have to go in my computer?

3. Can you hook up an answering machine to this? I hate checking things like voicemail, where you have to dial out and everything. I like being able to just press a button on a small machine.

Anonymous said...

I am considering getting the Magic Jack. However, I have a couple of questions. 1). In the event that my MJ is defective or quits working, can I plug my phone line back into the existing phone jack (still connected to local phone company for service) and utilize that line? (I am not getting rid of my phone service except the long distance).
2). Since my phone number will be changed, if my MJ quits working and if I plug back into the existing local phone line, will people be able to call me?
I have read soooo many reviews and blogs that my head hurts..lol. I am like most and want to save money, but cannot be without phone service due to the nature of my job. Yes, I have a cell phone, but the reception is not great where I live. I just want to know that I can use my regular phone line in the event of an emergency (to include power outages). Thanks for the assistance.

Magic jack said...

thank your for the review.. I have had Magic Jack since 2008. I really find it helpful does not hurt my bank account, well for me anyways because I do a lot of long distance calling. I don't know if you know but I also heard that now they released number for Canadians so in my opinion they are expanding and they wouldn't if their product was not selling like hot cakes.

Anyways, to be honest I have two Magic Jack unity one for my business and one for home use..

One tip I give business owner who want to use Magic Jack is this: lets say you operate an online business and you want to appear as if you are local to your clients in lets say New York; even though you might be living in Arizona, you can still get a magic jack and choose the number and area code you want so that your New York clients will think you are from New York and not Arizona which can potentially increase your business.. Just a thought..

thank you so much for the post, great insights.

Donna said...

I would like to know how to sync my MJ with my answering machine so we can see and access voice mail msgs on base phone. Right now I can see # of missed calls and can't erase the LCD display from phone. The delete function says, you have no new msgs. Anyone know how to fix this?

Anonymous said...

I have had a MJ for two years. I have always had a pc fax called fax tools which uses my internal modem to fax. All of a sudden when I open up Fax Tools, it says "modem manager disabled - no device connected". I can't imagine what happened. Nothing has really changed on my computer. One of my antivirus softwares keeps bring up one of MJ's files called cdloader2.exe and I'm just wondering if that could have caused anything. Also, when I do a modem diagnostic, it says windows can't find a modem, says may be being used by another application but I can't think of anything but MJ. Any ideas very welcome. I have tried just about everything I can think of.

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