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Friday, November 16, 2007 4:42 PM/EST

MagicJack Fails to Cast a VOIP Spell

magicJack
UPDATED (SEE BELOW)

Cheap and easy phone calls sent over the Internet. That has long been the promise of VOIP services, especially on the consumer side.


For some this has meant ditching their traditional telephone company and replacing it with VOIP services such as Vonage or the Ooma system that I recently reviewed. These services can provide solid phone service and considerable cost savings in the home but haven't been that portable for users who want to use VOIP anywhere.


Software-based services like Skype and the Gizmo Project provide great portability, letting users make cheap or free calls wherever a computer and a fast Internet connection exists, but they rely on software and headphones and microphones instead of using traditional phone handsets.


Hoping to fill the void between these two types of VOIP offerings is the MagicJack, a small USB dongle device that makes it possible to plug any phone into a computer and make calls over the Internet. The MagicJack device costs $39.95, which includes a phone number and a year of service (which includes unlimited calls in North America). Additional years of service can be purchased for $19.95.


When I first received the MagicJack I was intrigued by it. Even at $39.95 for a year it is still cheaper than most competing options. And if one is traveling internationally, calls made back to the United States are still free. Combined with the small USB form factor, the MagicJack seemed like a perfect solution for road warriors who may not want to rely solely on their cell phone for long trips.


However, after testing out the MagicJack I found that it comes up short in a few key areas. And while it sits somewhere between portable software services and home-based systems, this fact alone leaves it behind both, with the MagicJack proving to be less travel-friendly than systems like Skype and Gizmo (for example, sitting at a Starbucks, it's easier to put a headset on and make a call than connect a handset to your laptop) and less grounded than home systems like Vonage (which only need a router to stay always on as opposed to MagicJack, which needs a running computer). UPDATE: Based on feedback from MagicJack, I was able to test and use MagicJack with a standard headset and without a physical phone, using the software in the same way that one uses software based phones such as Skype. However, in order to do this the MagicJack USB device does need to be plugged into the computer. Without the device the software will not launch.


From a quality standpoint the MagicJack performed well in my tests. Calls made with the device sounded at least as good as most cell phone calls.

magicJack software

Currently the MagicJack only works on Windows systems (though according to the company a Mac version is in the works). To set it up users simply plug it into a USB port on a Windows system. If the system has autorun enabled the MagicJack will automatically install its software. If autorun is disabled, users need to open the USB drive of the MagicJack and start the install application.


The software for the MagicJack does not run directly from the device. It fully installs on the Windows system, which also makes the MagicJack less attractive for situations where one might want to use it on someone else's computer (say when visiting family). Making this even worse, there was no easy way to uninstall the software from the system, with the program not even showing up in the Windows Remove Program window. UPDATE: MagicJack confirmed that there is currently no easy way to uninstall the software. The process required to uninstall the software requires multiple Windows Registry edits and the removal of several folders on the Windows system. Based on this, I wouldn't recommend using the MagicJack on the systems of friends, family or business associates.


The Windows program itself provided a direct dial option, settings for viewing past calls and managing contacts, and an option for setting up a 911 address.


So while the MagicJack is definitely interesting, its shortcomings, at least for now, outweigh its strengths.


Those interested in more information or in purchasing a MagicJack can find it at www.magicjack.com.

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Comments (89)

Starr Baker :

Hi Jim -

There is an incorrect statement in your story - you do not have to plug in a phone for the magicJack to work, it's just one way to make a call(and a convenient one for those that like the features of a traditional phone). If you're at Starbucks and want to make a call, just use your headset or the speakers of your computer, exactly like the other systems you mentioned.

Jim

I am the Inveentor of the magicjack.Thanks for doing this review on the magicjack.I wanted to explain that some of your shortcomings are in fact some of the strengths of the magicJack.We have more expertise and experience with softphones than any other company in the world.We have 40 Russian employees strictly working on this softphone.Not only can our customers use a headphone,but they can also auto switch back and forth from a telephone to headset if they so desired.This is unique.Then you mention that the softphone downloads on whatever computer you are using,of course this is identical to what skype does,but we do not leave on the computer your contact names,previously dialed numbers and all sorts of info that skype might-it stays on your magicjack.That is cool,real cool that you can take this with you computer to computer and load in seconds,where Skype takes you ten minutes to install on another computer.In February,we will offer a standalone softphone as well.Of course we are also 5 times less costly than skype and we have 911 too(what a novel idea that is).Lastly,since we are the only company with a Real telephone Network behind it,certified in 50 states,we completely blow away skype when it comes to voice quality.Good,we cleared that away,now go to magicjack.com,and get a magicJack with a 30 day,no ask money back guarantee that you can use a regular old telephone with-Brilliant.Reach me at Dan.Borislow@magicjack.com

Dan Borislow

Jim Rapoza :

Thanks for clearing up on being able to use it strictly as a softphone. Didn't see info on that but I'll test it out today.
Any update on the ability to uninstall the software? In general I believe that anything that installs code on a system should provide a simple method to uninstall it.
Also, I was wondering what happens when someone loses or breaks their magicJack device? Do they have to repay the entire $39.95 initial fee?

Hello Dan Borislow,

We are a VoIP company in Latin-American, and we are fascinated
with your magic-jack and the sound quality it have...

How we can buy traffic to North America from your company???.

Our first mission is to give a good alternative for the emigrant family here in Latin-American.

Thank for your answer and help


Judy Vincent :

I have tried to connect via my computer to tech support at Magicjack but it does not work. I can call out on my phone but whenever anyone calls in they get a fast busy signal. Can anyone tell what to do to get this to work.

mar :

i have magicjack and it works just fine.
i love not having to pay a bill for a whole year.
cool to me...

Debbie :

I purchased the magicjack and have had some major setbacks so far. When I fisrt open the product I did plug it in and register the product, but when i went to one of thier pages to log in to my account a window popped saying it did not recognize my e-mail. Then when I tried to launch it a indow popped up saying that the version of windows that I was using did not support magicjack. Is there a book I can download (magicjack for dummies). I really want to make a go of this device simply because I do believe in the product, but am having a hard time just getting to work. Oh yeah by the way my system is using xp. Someone please post.

Lost in space

Gaurav Verma :

MJ Rocks....

Gaurav Verma :

The only thing which I don't like about it is that you need to keep your PC running to make/receive calls. There shud be some option/way to attach it to the modem itself. Something 2 think about....Dan, are you there....

Jim :

I ordered three majicjacks on 12/5. I received an order confirmation. I have never received the order and it is now 12/31/2007. I have tried contacting majicjack but the is no contact info. I have viewed my order on their site but it says "pending" The ship date was supposed to be 12/14. Is this a scam? Does anyone have contact info for the company? Please advise.

Dan Hunt :

I received one as a Xmas gift and have been very disappointed. Only works about 10% of the time. Absolutely no customer support. Their Terms of Service and Software License Agreement says it all - http://www.magicjack.com/site/tos.html. Pay particular attention to item 16 titled "No Warranties".

Martin :

There is also a serious issue with getting a refund on the 30-day "so-called guarantee." There is NO email address listed on the site to get the return RMA#. the chat window RUDELY tells you that it is FOR SALES ONLY. Stay away from these Bozos until they clean up their act.

If anyone can send in instructions on how to get this software (that isn't even supposed to be there) uninstalled please post.

The software for the MagicJack does not run directly from the device. It fully installs on the Windows system, which also makes the MagicJack less attractive for situations where one might want to use it on someone else's computer (say when visiting family). Making this even worse, there was no easy way to uninstall the software from the system, with the program not even showing up in the Windows Remove Program window. UPDATE: MagicJack confirmed that there is currently no easy way to uninstall the software. The process required to uninstall the software requires multiple Windows Registry edits and the removal of several folders on the Windows system. Based on this, I wouldn't recommend using the MagicJack on the systems of friends, family or business associates.

Dan :

my MagicJack suddenly stop working since 1/1/2008, many users have the same issue please see this http://unofficialmagicjack.forum2u.org/started-yesterday-calls-out-in-can-only-hear-4-moment-t252.html

Jim Rapoza :

I'm going to see if I can get an answer from them on these issues you're reporting.
Also, here are the instructions they sent me for removing the software from Windows.

Please unplug your magicJack. Now go to "Start" in Windows and click on "run". In there write regedit and press enter.

Now click on + sign next to HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE.

Click on + sign next to SYSTEM

Click on + sign next to CurrentControlSet

Click on + sign next to Enum

Now find folder called USB. Right click on that and click on "Permissions". In permissions click on the check mark called "Allow" to the right of "Full Control".

Click Ok.

Now click on + sign next to USB and then find the two folders called "Vid1307", right click on one at a time and select delete.

Now click on - Sign next to USB.

Right click on Folder called USBSTOR and allow permissions.

Now click on + sign next to USBSTOR.

Find the folders called "CdRom&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev"

and "Disk&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev"

Right click on those one at a time and delete them.

David Winick :

Does the Outlook plug in work with Outlook 2007? I downloaded it but it doesnt work.

Also, IS THERE AN EMAIL ADDRESS FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT??? Cant find one on the site.

Vanessa :

My mother lives overseas. I am thinking of getting one for myself and one for her. I spent hundreds on my phone bills and calling cards and many others I know with families overseas spend that much also. Will I be able to call her for free since she will have a MJ also? I am surprised that this thing haven't catch on like a wildfire (considering it works like you said it should) I know the perfect market and demographic you can advertise this too. We should talk.

Sammy Miami :

i received my MJ for Christmas absolutely love it have not tried to use it overseas but will soon will keep u informed.

Jason Lowrey :

I have owned my Magic Jack or 6 months now. I live in Dubai due to work and the MJ works pretty good. Sometimes the high speed service is not so good here and I blame the connection problems to that. I did use the MJ from London to call the states, and it worked great.

david m. plaza :

I am having concerns on which of the two products are best to get, skype or mj.
I think mj is good becuase it allows more for free but as far as international calls are conscern it seems one way (only can call people with u.s. numbers) where as skype allow you to call anyone anywhere (provided you have internet service).
More importantly, I would like to know if the connection is good and not a problem what which one (skype or mj) has better sound quality?
If anything i would rather know what is the sound quality on either. thanks!

Cathy C. :

My husband and I are thinking about getting an mj. I am, frankly, scared to get it now because of some of these comments. Do you think we're wasting our time and money?

John :

I bought 4 MagicJacks for employees to test, but they are going back -- way too unstable.

First, it took many steps to get working, in spite of the "my grandmother could install one" claim.

Some steps are quite annoying, such as being forced to register 911 addresses even when that's not needed, and no ability to edit/manage the 911 addresses.

But the big problem is reliability. Today, MJ was working, I made and received calls. I went to lunch, and on return MJ was saying it needed a connection to the Internet. But nothing had changed on my computer, and it was connected just fine.

I used MJ's chat with someone (proving there is an Internet connection) who said the only solution when this happens is to restart Windows -- meaning I have to shut down all my other work and waste many minutes. Does this happen with any other serious telephone system?

The MagicJack.com site says it all -- HUGE HYPE, but almost nothing serious about the technology. And notice how invisible the company is trying to be. The product package has NO address or contact info beyond the website URL -- seen any other product like this? I have a nagging wonder, will this company still exist a year from now?

To me it's an interesting toy but nothing more.

Carol :

Thank you for doing this review! I was considering this product, but now I'm leaning away from it.

For those who have had trouble returning it, while look around the MJ site, I found the area for returns.

On the home page, click the customer care link (down near the bottom of the page). Then over on the left side, it says Top Questions Being Asked under that click on 30 day free trial offer. That will open a box down near the bottom it says something about click here to return:

To request a Return Authorization Number, follow these four steps:
1. Click here and then ...
2. Select "I want to return my magicJack" from the drop down menu.
3. In the comments, ask for an "RMA number".
4. Press "Submit".

Now, when I clicked on the "click here" there was no drop down menu to choose from, however, when scrolling down the page, there was a form at the bottom to fill out to request a return or replacement.

Like the others, I don't like that I can't find any real email, address, or phone number for this company on their site. Definitely not giving them my credit card numbers and I'd suggest that those who did, watch your statements closely for awhile.

Carol :

On further searching, I did find an address for them with the Better Business Bureaus, but still no phone number and it is only a PO Box, but here is what I found:

MagicJack LP
PO Box 6846
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Contact: Peter Russo, Chief Financial Officer

Not much info listed on them, they've only been listed with the BBB since Aug 21, 2007.

Dee :

This seems almost too good to be true, some postings are positive!, most negative? I still think this is a great IDEA, however, can anyone advise on my four below questions. Your assistance would be most appreciated as I cannot find a Tel. # for the company???????, Most unusual.

My questions are;

1)- I have a wireless system ONLY no cable connection available. Will MJ work under this set up?

2)- Also are my calls "secure" using a wireless set up.

3)- When the MJ is attached to a computer, provide telephone service to the 3 extension telephoneslocated in other rooms or only to one?

4)- If the above set up descriptions are not suitable for MJ, then as an alternate, Will MJ work using my cable TV input connection?

Dee

george :

We have been using mj for than a month now and we have not encountered any problem that cannot be fix by sinply following the troubleshooting instructions. mj will also work with wi-fi but it is more better with cable broadband. what is important is you have a very good speed from your internet service provider be it cable or wireless. it is more clearer if you call landline than cellphones, because the latter cause choppy connections because of the cellphone being a wireless connection. or better we call mj to mj within ourselves and relatives in the us, its free!!! by the way, we are from the philippines, mabuhay ! and more power to magicjack !!!

Tyler Barker :

I put a magicJack on my PC about ten days ago and am guessing that people giving this thing positive reviews work for the company that manufactures it. Either that or these people are the type who enjoy spam and popup advertisements. For anyone reading this, I don't want to waste your time, so here's the scam behind magicJack and why you should avoid it like the plague: ADS POP UP ON YOUR SCREEN EVERY TIME YOU MAKE OR RECEIVE A PHONE CALL, INTERRUPTING WHATEVER PROGRAM YOU ARE WORKING IN.

Even though you use your regular phone keypad, every time you use magicJack, a telephone keypad pops up on your screen. Why does an unnecessary telephone keypad pop up on your screen, when you are using your regular telephone keypad? So these jerks can force you to look at the advertising that's on the popup keypad. You can almost rest assured that this little magicJack device is also tracking your every move on the Internet so it can target these annoying popup advertisements. The reason I believe this is because my PC slowed down considerably after I connected magicJack, so much so that there is a noticeable lag whenever I type something in MS Word or Outlook. When I turn off magicJack, my PC works fine.

Hector :

It works fine, just that sometimes the call sounds interrupted for a second or two(delay)or echo. The only problem is... What happens if it gets damaged?
Do I have to repay the $40.00 for a replacement unit and loose the current phone number? Let me know.

sean :

I just received my MagicJack, but I can't get it to work. I use MAC...They have no freaking customer service number, tech department or nothing. I've hired even Geek squad and they could not get it to work.....
can anyone help me?/

Gary :

Please check the following. Has loads of info on known problems with magicJack:

http://unofficialmagicjack.forum2u.org/

Jack :

Thanks for all the great information on the lack of customer support. I decided based on these comments to pass on a purchase. Thanks again to all comment submitters.

Steve Williams :

Thank you, thank you! I was going to buy the MagicJack but NOT now!!! Way too many problems! Especially the lack of Company contact info on their website.

BHG :

I bought my MJ 4 weeks ago. Worked great till I tried to open Roxio Creator. That killed the device. I returned it and they sent another one. This replacement came with a contact phone number and when it reinstalled the software, it was all new and since them has worked great. Still afraid of burning a disk and using the MJ. As for quality of the calls, great. I was paying $30 a month for my home phone without any features, not even long distance, so $46 (with shipping) is a bargain. I hope the MJ people keep getting better. This method of calling is the future and good thing, the big phone companies are worse than trying to contact Magic Jack. Call AT&T, they will talk to you and never do what they say. In the long run MJ depends on their customer being happy, the big Bells don't give a Sh*t.

George :

I purchased an mj in Janurary 08 and it worked fine. Not a problem installing it. Just plug it in and followed the instruction... piece of cake... Calls were excellent both call out and call in. However, since I move around a lot I am now in Syria and my mj worked only once. I made a few test calls to my friends in Florida and they told me that I sounded like shite. After that I keep getting the following: "please connect to the internet and double click here (error 3). I read in another post that port port forwarding 5060-5070 should be enabled in the router, but doesn't help. Can someone help please.

jt :

i don't like that there is no address or phone no. but my m j is working good !!

Todd Williams :

whew, some people on this board are way too criticle of this great little device. Remember, you are only paying $20/year for unlimited phone service. $20/year!!!! not $20/month. You can't possibly expect the world for $20/year. That's like buying a honda civic and wondering why it doesn't have every option of a Bentley.

The device works for most people and if not, return it. Don't dwell on it. I purchased mine from an authorized dealer. www.directpage.com
They offer a 30 day money back refund policy and do list their phone number and address and refund policies very clearly on their website. The cost is the same as they build the shipping fee into the price...$46.45 vs $39.95 plus shipping at magicjack.com.

Mark :

While the MagicJack may be the best thing since sliced bread their customer service is, in a word, abysmal.

First, there is no phone number or address listed anywhere on their website that I can find. Todd, if you can find their phone number/address please post it here. Thanks.

I did stumble across an email address. When I emailed that address it came back stating that the email address was no longer functional and gave a web link to essentially a FAQ page. Cleverly hidden on that page was a link to online tech-chat.

After several attempts to resolve a conflict using this tech-chat (in all cases it was blatantly obvious that the representative's native language was definitely not English) they left me hanging with no English speaking person to talk to.

MagicJack has done a superb job at insulating themselves from the consumer. Apparently the only way to contact them is with your credit card and delivery address.

Save your money.

p.s.
Mac users: Their Mac version currently works only on Intel Macs. (And, surprise, there is no tech support at this time for the Mac.) The 'older' Power Macs are out of luck. Also, before it will work on an Intel Mac, it must be 'activated' first on a pc.

Todd Williams :

Mark, perhaps you misunderstood my post.

Directpage.com has their own phone number clearly listed on the directpage.com website. That is why I purchased it from directpage instead of magicjack.com. I first called, a human who speaks english answered the phone after I selected the sales department. I asked a few basic questions that I had regarding the magicjack and ordered from directpage.com

They even included their own instructions along with the magicjack that simplified the troubleshooting aspect. Fortunately, my magicjack worked without needing to do anything other than inserting into my USB port and connecting the phone.

I don't know that directpage will assist people that didn't buy directly from them, but as soon as I see a website without a phone number that is actually answered by english speaking reps, I run, not walk, run away.

Cynthia :

It is true that the website does not give a phone number or physical address and there is no warranty. However, if it works then you really do not loose. If you follow the inventor's name you will find the company YMax and magicJack. A phone and physical address, as well as a short bio on each of management is there.
Yesterday the small package arrived and following the directions I realized that the magicJack was not installing. There is a diagnostic program, magicFix, to the left of the number pad, which alternates with an ad for prepaid international.
After removing the rogue music program, the magicJack installed and was up and running. Since I have a wireless ISP the signal may fluctuate just as my cell will do. So far this has not happened. I am pleased with the magicJack and most people I have called say the clarity and volume is great. Calling a cell phones, if you are breaking up for them ask them to turn there volume down. The problem cleared.
Just connect the base of your cordless/corded phone to the magicJack phone plug and call everyone! Have great fun.

Peter :

This is not ready for prime time -- in two months, I have never really gotten it work properly and consistently. And, there is NO customer service. If you see most posts from anyone that has had MJ for more than a day, they have had problems. I wish I never heard of MJ. Save your money and more importantly, save your time.

Pete Hommersen :

MagicJack is the cat's ass!
Way to go Dan Borislow!
My MJ installed effortlessly on a Windows Vista Business Edition computer.
I have functioned without a problem since my purchase.
It is going to save me about $350. per month on long distance cell bills.

All of these negative reports are probably being posted by executives of other phone providers or those that have been locked into long-term contracts with other providers.

Don't look at MagicJack as a product that is going to eliminate every phone in your house but rather and enhancement to your communications capabilities at a ridiculously low price.
Well worth it.

Osiris :

I Bought Magicjack and is working very well with sound quality like most phone. I tried on friend's computers and it worked after instalation in a couple of minutes. The only problems that I found is that it does not accept calling cards to make international calls. Tomorrow I'm sending it to relatives abroad to check how it works over there.

Randy :

The Jack work fine for me, I had ordered 5 and sent them to my relatives who live oversea.
MagicJack will has trouble transmit your key tone if you try to enter the calling card's pin or someone's
extension number while the announcement is playing.
Wait for the announcement to stop before entering the keys, it works for me.

VanguardLH :

No link to their TOS on their home page or any other page. You can find it if you dig through their FAQ articles. They need to hide the TOS why?

Check their domain registration. It is through Network Solutions. It is a private registration which means the registrant for that domain is listed as Network Solutions. Why would a *commercial* (non-SOHO) nationwide VOIP provider need to hide? They claim a 50-state USA network of VOIP hubs through their YMax network and yet they hide who and where they are. Too much hiding going on with this company. Their nameserver is at TALK4FREE.COM but, yep, that is yet another private domain registration at Network Solutions (this crap is spreading; used to be just GoDaddy did this registrant hiding - and charged for that service). If you do a traceroute on www.magicjack.com, it ends at shopping.netledger.com [63.209.28.41]. A reverse nslookup on their IP address returns shopping.netsuite.com. netsuite.com and netledger.com are registered through TuCows and are not private (hidden) registration: they show the same registrant at 2955 Campus Dr. Suite 100, San Mateo, CA 94403, ph. +1.6506271000). Doesn't match up with the company info that Carol found at the BBS. Carol might be right, however, in that netsuite.com may be a webhoster for MagicJack (they couldn't find one in Florida?) The company profile at the BBS that shows MagicJack in W. Palm Beach, FL does not list a telephone number. They offer both inbound and outbound telephone numbers for *free* and yet they cannot even make use of their own service to list a telephone number?

The BBS gives MagicJack a "D" rating. There is only one rating lower ("F"). They are definitely at the bottom of the pile regarding reputation. Yet there are only 2 complaints ever registered against MagicJack at the BBS: one is regarding a full refund (maybe the buyer expected to get back the shipping costs, too) and another is "unassigned" (with no further info). Something is fishy with the D rating. The complaint history at BBS is for a 3-year period, and 2 complaints doesn't seem enough to warrant such a low rating - but then we users can't find out what is going on with the "unassigned" complaint.

This company is doing way too much hiding. They don't even provide a telephone number and yet their product is free (well, really really cheap) telephone service. I've already experienced their "chat" support venue (to report to them that some of their web pages cannot be found by their server). I'd give it a 3 out of 5 for support via chat but then deduct a point (down to a 2 rating) in that you end up on the fix-it web page that tries to run a Java app to perform actions on your host before you get to their chat window. Like their TOS, they need a *direct* link to their chat support. Also, not all problems or questions need immediate attention is sufficient but you won't find an e-mail address for a web form to submit your query.

Their web presentation sucks. Their support sucks. Their product might be great but not from what I see when doing pre-sales researching on VOIP services. They look like amateurs whether they are or not, plus it appears they don't have the necessary infrastructure to support their product.

Joe Ven :

It amuses me when I read post such as the one above. This is a product that costs a total of less than $50 with an annual renewal of $19.95.

You plug it in your computer and in 5 minutes you can make calls, it doesn't get simpler than that.

If you need tech support, then this product/service is not for you. It's like complaining that there is no toll free tech support on a loaf of bread as to how to toast it.

People that need their hand held for something this simple shouldn't be buying it. If you want tech support via a toll free number by techs that get paid $50/hour you wouldn't be able to get this product/service for $20/year! So what do you do? Pay Vonage their $30/month so you have someone to talk to.

Jack Meoff :

"It's like complaining that there is no toll free tech support on a loaf of bread as to how to toast it."

LOL. Very true. My MJ work great out of the box. Even if I had the money and a great invention like MJ I would say phuck it. I can't believe so many people want the world for nothing. 99.9% of these issues are not MJ problems but are end user computer problems. Most of these people have machines loaded with spyware from surfing porn.

I agree, if you need tech support on this device you don't need to order it.

Michael Swiller :

I have now had my MJ device for two weeks. When it works it's fine. When it doesn't work it causes grief:

1. When I turn on my computer it takes control of the computer. I then cannot log into my ISP e-mail until I wait for the MJ commercial to end, their phone image to appear and for me to minimize that phone image.

2. Frequently, when I do try to use MJ to make a call, it disconnects me from the internet. It is very time consuming to reconnect to the internet. Shutting down the computer and then re-booting is quicker.

3. When I contact "Customer Support", I get a screen with typed questions and responses. This would be fine IF the questions were relative to my stated problem AND, if the answers reflected an understanding of the English language.

4. All of the other complaints, mentioned in the earlier reviews.... still exist.

5. sending a request for an RMA to "returns@magicJack.com" only had the webmaster send me a note that this web address was not functional.

6. The friends who I have reached on my MJ device report that my messages are broken and hard to hear. It is true, they are using cell phones. So what, if I call these same people using my cell phone, the connection is clear.

7. Business contacts at out of state universities have been kind to me on my MJ calls. They just ask me to repeat those parts of my calls that were cut off. They are polite enough to repeat any part of their calls that were cut off when talking to me. When I use my regular phone, there are no similar call disruptions.

8. Still, when my LinkSys router was replaced and I needed a two hour tech support phone call with them, I was glad I had the MJ connection. The cost for that single call, via my traditional phone (AT&T) would have cost me far more than for the year of service at MagicJack.

9. Now, I willl just leave my MJ device disconnected from my computer and plug it in only when I have time to waste and an anticipated long time-on-line phone call to make during daytime hours.

10. With a single roll of the dice in Vegus or Atlantic City, I've lost more than the cost of this MJ device for one year. So, I'll hang in there hoping the company will pull it's act together in the next 11 months.

ken :

I find it difficult to beleive that there are still people who buy stuff from TV infomercials.
I guess P.T. Barnun was correct, "There is a sucker born every minute".

Dan :

When I first installed the Magic Jack it messed up the output of my sound card. I used "system restore" to get it to work again. Just before I was about to give up on it I made my way to the "tech support" screen.

I was given instructions on what to do on the Control Panel page and as soon as I went through the procedure, the music started playing again. The pop up "soft phone" is a minor annoyance, easy to get rid of. I've not seen any advertising come up but then I have a pop up blocker.

The incoming number that was issued is not very useful as it is not a local number. When I asked tech support the reply was that the company was expanding and eventually I would get a local number. I did call it with my cell phone and it rings just fine. Too bad it's not in a place where I know someone who could then call me for free.

I might point out that I've been using Skype out since it started out free in '06, paid $15 Euro for all of '07 and now in '08 it's 2 dollars Euro per month which turns out to be $3 US. So the price is really $36 per year. If Magicjack continues to work out, I may drop Skype when my credit runs out.

Skype quality is much better now than when I first got it. And we used it's international calling feature a lot last year when we participated in an exchange student program. 2.1 cents a minute to Germany was great.

We won't be dropping our regular phone service anytime soon. As a back up or second line, the price for Magicjack is dirt cheap. So far it's working and once I got the problem addressed with my sound card, my view of the device went up. If you don't mind, I'll write an update after it's been in use for awhile. Sure would be great to have a local incoming number. Since it has voice mail that works even when the computer is off, that would make giving out the number a more practical consideration.

In closing, I too was disturbed by not having a number or e-mail address of the company. Then I figured that their business plan was to offer a simple device at a very low price. If they had to pay people to answer the phone or respond to e-mails, the service would cost more. I hope mine continues to work. If it doesn't and I can't get service, I'll be upset but not out a lot of money.

cheflarryd :

My only income is monthly S.S. check.I am thrilled with my magicjack and am so thankful that Dan Borislaw came up with this device. !000 minute phone card was about $30 and by watching my calls closely I could make it last three months. Now I can talk daily with my sister and her family who live 500 miles away. An aunt in Oregon and a cousin in California are available free of charge. For those computer geeks who want a service department to yak with I say buy another program. Expanding customer service could require monthly charges that I can ill afford. Answers to most questions can be found at Unofficial magicjack forum. Find the address on Google. Thanks again Dan for making long distance affordable.

cheflarry :

After going back and reading all the comments I am amazed at how negative some remarks are about issues that are not the company's fault. The advertising I read clearly stated that the company would soon have an edition out for Macs and that this one would NOT work on a Mac. It also said that broadband cable connection was required. That seems pretty clear. The assertion that positive comments must come from company employees is so assinine as to not require an answer. I get no popups, spam, or unwanted advertising because I have a program installed that prevents it. Sorry I mispelled your name Mr.Borislow. Great product!!! Don't do anything to mess it up.

paul garcia :

magic jack sucks try to install no work,chat with customer service veru rude ,i want to return ,somebody no how help

Jason P. :

Hello all.
Tell you what, it's not a HUGE investment to get a MagicJack and "test drive" it. I was about to reurn it until I found out a critical step down toward the bottom of this post.

I am a Vonage (close to 2 years) and MagicJack User (close to 1 Month).
Vonage isn't too bad their customer service is great (so far no problems) and I recently got 2 months free for telling them I am trying another VOiP service (I didn't tell them it was the MagicJack) so they try to keep customers but at a price I suppose on THEIR end.
Not hard to install, just plug into your modem and plug your computer in their modem they send you and plug in your phone into the jack labeled "line" or "phone"
Call VONAGE toll free at 1-VONAGE-HELP (1-866-243-4357)

Lastly
MagicJack = $40 + shipping for their product then $20 per year thereafter YES per year
(not much of a number selection)
Customer service is bad but you get what you pay for.


Vonage = $20 - $42 per month (one or 2 lines)
(WIDE number selection because they lease numbers from phone companies)


Search for MagicJack discussions in Yahoo Answers. :-)
I have answered quite a few.

IMPORTANT (I have been posting this everywhere):
I had the MagicJack for 5 days and couldn't get to work and i had 14 tech support conversations. After the 14th one, I went to the other computer (which was logged in under our son's account) I plugged the MagicJack in and POOF it worked!!! So from there I figured out that in order to use the MagicJack you have to have a "LIMITED" user account on a computer. I was trying to install this item on "ADMINISTRATOR" user accounts. To prove that I wasn't crazy I created a NEW account and called it "MagicJackUser" and made it a "LIMITED" account and before you know it it WOKED!!!

Hope this helps..
Thanks
I make lota of calls and I like the MagicJack

Howard D. :

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/magicjack.com

you can find MagicJackcoupon codes there and save $2 or so...

FRED :

Have had the MJ for over a month now. Works perfect and took no time to install. To answer one question - it will not work on wireless or a satellite system. Those systems use "packet transmissions."

I think you who are having problems should re-visit the installation with an open mind and be sure your home system will support the product. High speed cable. It is true that it will hang up once in a while but that is the computer. After being left on for weeks at a time - the computer often looses a bit some where a the proper gate does not open.

Richard :

I dunno... I think it's a pretty good deal. It suited my needs to a tee.

I have a old-fashioned business phone line, and I have a cell phone. Business clients have my business phone number. Family members have my cell number. But I wanted another number specifically for people I couldn't give a rat's ass if I ever heard from again (banks, government agencies, retailers, etc.), but who required me to provide a home phone number.

Everyone I care about has other ways to get in touch with me, so I really don't give a flying shit if the incoming service on MJ ever works. But surprisingly, it does work most of the time; and the unlimited outgoing has really cut down my other phone bills.

Let's be real here: we're talking about unlimited phone service for twenty bucks a year. That's cheap by any yardstick; and if you expect it to work all the time, you're being unreasonable. You want dependability? Go with an old-fashioned landline telco. They're still the most dependable phone service around.

So I'm completely satisfied with MJ, despite all it's quirks, occasional outages, weird noises, etc. It serves my purposes as a number I can give to people I hope never to hear from again, anyway; and the free outgoing is icing on the cake. But I definitely would not recommend that anyone use this thing as their sole phone telephone. It's simply not dependable enough.

PM :

I bought the MJ and it will be a great help traveling. It is a great investment-- better than Skype. I even tried it on my laptop on my Sprint card and it worked great.

Awesome product -- Thanks Dan Barislow!

Pat

Jeff :

I ordered one "1", not two (2) like I was sent, where is your support dept.?,billing dept.?, anyone w/a voice!

jeff :

Why am I being billed for 2 unit's, only need one, not 2, respond to this post please, give me anumber for your office to straighten this out, Thanks

Bernie :

I love MJ! It kicks! What a deal. My utilities have been so high this winter MJ is a blessing. Installed without a hitch & works like a charm. I'm impressed!

SF :

I purchased the magijack 21 days ago; haven't recieved it yet and I dont believe I ever will. When I go to the live chat site I am told to wait 2 days. So far I have been told that twice. They have taken $46.90 or as they say "my bank has it on hold". But how do they get there shipping fee? Do they tell the bank to give them only $6.95 they get the rest later etc....! Dah, give me a break. They are a bunch of liars. I thought it was free for 30 days. MagicJack is a get rich quick scam; another scam to take hardworking people money and they are living by the beach in Palm Beach Florida. These people need to be stopped NOW. I dont want any parts of this product I just want my beau's creditcard refunded in the full amount. I want to be assured that these people will not continue to use this credit card# ever again. How can I get my money back? Given that I haven't recieved the product and they start there trial period from the date it is shipped out Not the day that you actually recieve it. Also there is noway to tracking the shipping or anything its like we have been robbed. There is no way of guaranteeing its been shipped only what they send to me via email with the order number.I tried today to cancel it they said i couldn't due to me querying the order and that I will be contacted within 48 hours. Please someone with info regarding geting money back from magic jack please contact me ASAP.

Thanks,
SF

Gerald :

I mistakinly ordered 3 mj's. I only wanted 2. I re-ordered and now they say I ordered 5. Tried explaining to tech service but I think I was talking to someone in Pakistan. Havn't rec'd them yet but am sure the nightmare will begin when, or if I ever get them. If anybody has return info, be nice if you posted her
Gerald

Jim K. :

I want to preface my review by stating that I'm a tech manager in a Fortune 100 company and have been in this line of business for over 15 years. I'm not a teenager or a geek wanting something for free. My review is an honest description of my experience with Magic Jack and the benefits and flaws I see with this device.

Magic Jack is a great idea but it's definitely not ready for prime time. As many other users have noted, when it works - it works great. When it doesn't, it's frustrating as hell because the tech support options are sparse and unhelpful at best.

I've had my Magic Jack since January 2008 and the success rate is at best about 70/30. The biggest issue I have is that when it goes unavailable, I have no way of knowing until a friend calls me on my cell or emails that they can't reach me.

Surprisingly during these events, I can still call out but inbound service is non-existent. Callers either get a busy message or a numeric error code and a voice telling them all circuits are unavailable. Live chat sessions also failed to catch the gremlins responsible for this issue.

Another problem I've encountered is inconsistency with USB 2.0 speeds. Magic Jack doesn't seem to like hi-speed USB 2.0 (480mbps) but works fairly reliably on USB 1.0 (12mbps). That's great if you don't have any other modern USB devices that require high speed transfer rates such as flash drives, mice, keyboards, or external storage drives.

Next issue, when working from home I make several meeting calls a day into conference bridge lines. This requires dialing an 800/866/877 number and then entering a conference code or pin when connected. This doesn't work from a regular phone handset. The primary call connects, but after dialing the pin number it gives an error as if the VOIP system didn't recognize the numbers correctly.

Apparently Magic Jack gets Alzheimer's and forgets what it's doing after dialing 10 digits. Several online chat sessions with their tech support (and I use that term loosely) and I got no satasfaction. Through my own experimentation I learned that I have to enter the pin number for my conference via the soft-phone or it won't work. The same applies to dialing into voice mail systems at work and entering passcodes.

Overall I think Dan has a potential winner on his hands, but right now it's not ready for mass usage. As with any new product or service there are beta test phases and problems to be identified and solved. The downfall of the Magic Jack system now is that they are sorely lacking in resoureces for these areas of support. The website is useless, and the live chat is with people who are minimally trained on the product and obviously reading from a pre-written script with limited tech knowledge of Windows based PC systems and USB functionality.

Finally the last nail in the coffin is their non-existent tech support forums online. These had previously existed but have recently been wiped clean and locked for no new entries. This is a very bad omen for potential customers researching a new product.

These items combined would prompt me as a tech manager and avid gadget tester to tell friends and family to stay with Skype, Vonage, and other VOIP technologies until Dan gets his operation fully vetted technically and the bugs worked out.

Those who would criticize me and others for griping about such an inexpensive product are missing the point. If a device or service is advertised to perform "X", "Y", and "Z" for any price - then it should do those tasks as promised. If you can't perform as advertised, then you shouldn't be selling new hardware.

Sure, $39.95 isn't going to break most folks and this experiment has provided an interesting tech workshop for my spare time. But the major Telco's have nothing to fear at this point from Magic Jack taking away their business. The better mousetrap has yet to be perfected.

Donald P :

Hi,
On the subject about the MagicJack, I just purchased and have tested the MagicJack and I find it better than the others at a great price.
As for a big improvement they (MJ) need to remove
the dumb ads that continue to pop up in
the window to the left of the softphone on the
computer. They are slowing down my Boardband and using up memory. Also, it would be nice if they would fix it so if you pick up the phone hand set the software did not show up on the computer screen, or have an option for that to happen.
Last, If they can't fix it, at least have the software minimize when you hang up the pohne handset!

Meow

Sue Reisenauer :

I could not get mine to work either (nobody could hear me, but I could hear them), and when I tried to get help, nothing would click. These phones are going to saturate the internet, and then nobody will be able to get through. They needed a few years before they went so big. Did you see on the web site where they are selling one about every three seconds. I'm sending mine back when I can get a return number. It sure does depend on where you live, by the sounds of it.

tmack :

I got one, it works ok last couple of days, after i spent a lot of time on google to finally get it buried as a service on xp. Now, I have it on an old laptop, only thing not working is voice mail. that stopped last week. I get intermittent emails containing wave files of voice msg from a few days ago. Pretty flaky that, but it is real cheap. then today, I get 10 spam email saying i had selected to try the 5 yr deal, click here to activate. definitively had not, so really wonder about the company financial deal after that.

Tom :

I have magic jack. It worked great at home where I live in Minnesota. I tested it out and then left for a business trip in Slovenia. I am actually here right now. I am very frustrated that I am not on the phone speaking with my wife. It does not work here. e-chat was worthless. I am not complaining about the price, because I'd still plan on using it at home (I've only had mobile service for the past couple of years)so it is still way worth it. I called my dad from Minnesota to florida, some friends in NY and some people locally in MN and it worked great! It just does not want to work overseas ( and I am on a high-speed cable modem). Now that I am in a remote town in Slovenia, There is no way for me to get an international cell phone without using thier local mobile service (About $10.00 per minute to the U.S.). Anyway, I needed to vent because thier is noone else for me to speak to. Feel like giving me any advice to get this thing working, Mr.Borislow???
Sincerely,
Bored and pissed in Slovenia!

Tim L. :

Over the last few months I’ve been closely following the blogs and growing media coverage on the magicJack, the coolest product to hit the marketplace in a very long time.
For those who do not know or do not have a full understanding of the magic behind the magicJack (and how its different from all the others…) my product overview is below.
magicJack is a USB phone jack that allows users to make FREE local and long distance phone calls anywhere in the US and Canada. Users can bring their magicJack anywhere in the World and make FREE calls to the US and Canada, as well.
It’s easy to use. After plugging the magicJack into the USB port of your computer, the software that resides in the magicJack self-loads, a brief & standard registration process follows (during which time you get to choose a telephone number for your magicJack from a large inventory of area codes/numbers in most every major metro area in the US)and when done you simply plug any standard corded, cordless or portable phone (headset or Bluetooth also works) into the magicJack, pick-up the phone and dial-tone has been delivered! You’re free to make FREE phone calls anywhere in the US and Canada! So, much better than other IP telephony options since it can be used with ANY regular phone and you get your own telephone number for LIFE!
Initially, I was not sure how the call quality would measure up since its extremely inexpensive — man, was I wrong! A mere $40 buys you the magicJack plus the 1st year of local and long distance calls and then its only $20 per YEAR for additional years!! You can not be beat that price for all the FREE local and long distance calls you can ever make in a year!! I started making calls immediately and I was AMAZED at the clarity and quality of the phone calls! Everyone I called agreed with me that the call quality was just as you’d expect from any landline.
The magicJack proves you do not have to sacrifice phone call quality for cost!
But, let me take you back in time a bit since I did some research before I bought my magicJack. Being a techno-savvy guy, I always research a product, its roots and its history before I give it a shot. After hearing about the product on a few techblog sites,I happened to catch the companies TV commercial recently. So, I began my own research.
Overall, the magicJack has been hugely embraced by bloggers and the major press alike. When visiting the company’s website http://www.magicjack.com I was quickly impressed by the Tier 1 media coverage the product has received. Excellent reviews by NY Times, Boston Globe, LA Times, LAPTOP magazine, CNBC and video clips of consumer reporters raving about the magicJack on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox News. PC Magazine just awarded magicJack with its Editors Choice distinction! Then I read about the founder of the company and inventor of the product, Dan Borislow. He has over 20 years experience in building successful long distance telephone companies. His previous company struck a deal with AOL and carried AOL long distance customers on their long distance network. He came up with his latest invention and has spent his own money on R&D of the magicJack — and, then constructed a nationwide telephone network that is one of the largest and newest telephone networks in the industry and is certified as a CLEC in 50 US states! The magicJack is backed by its own telephone network and is operated by executives who have extensive experience in the telecommunications and internet business. This is a HUGE differentiator between magicJack and any other company, including Skype, Vonage and others, in the space who are not telephone experts and are not certified in (even) a single state in the US!
From what I have seen, the company just expanded its online TechSupport platform to a 24/7 chat service. I can bet that part of the reason for the company’s decision to rollout an online tech support system is due to the following:
1) The super ease-of-use does not require a lot of support;

2) Users are already online; and,

3) The low product price point is a huge benefit to consumer but does not allow for a large & very expensive live phone CS center.
Also, from all accounts, Dan Borislow is an inventor that wants to stay in touch with the people who use his product. In fact, the magicJack website has a link to send Dan an email and its reported that he replies to every one!!
I’m a very happy magicJack customer and I can’t wait to watch this company soar, as it saves millions of people around the world thousands of dollars per year!!

Reggie :

I am eagerly waiting for my MJ to arrive. Just ordered it yday.

I'm ready to test this new voip device out for business and family use.

ill let u guys know my results and experience!

reg

sunstorm :

Just for the record, I've used MagicJack for a couple days now and it's GREAT. A breeze to install, sound quality is great (especially after the free optimization) and at the price it's PERFECT for me. I dumped my monthly phone service because, on the whole, I don't talk on the phone much. MagicJack is perfect for those rare occasions when I want to have a long leisurely phone conversation.

I use my cell phone (ATT) for business, but MagicJack is the PERFECT second phone for me.

My only concern is privacy, since I don't know how to remove the call list that magicJack compiles as you use the service (there's a list on the right side of the MagicJack interface). I'm concerned that hackers will be able to get my call list, and so I don't use magicJack for any really important calls (such as business).

But for everything else, GO GET YOURSELF A MAGICJACK. For other phone companies, your monthly bill represents a "cash cow" so they don't want you to go with MagicJack. They could provide you with service as cheaply as magicJack, but they don't. Go with magicJack. I highly recommend it, and I'll be posting these comments everywhere I can.

sunstorm :

...and P.S. it works fine as I surf the web, on wi-fi connected to my high speed cable modem.

Lor :

I bought mine from JandR and after some problems connecting in the beginning, everything seems to be working ok now. A few hiccups here and there, but nothing that's a deal breaker for me. So far, so good.

Reggie :

Well my 2 MJ sticks came in the mail yesterday via USPS Priority Mail with tracking!

I plugged one of them into my laptop and i had to fiddle with my Comodo Desktop Firewall to have it installed. It created 2 USB devices in MyComputer and started to download and update itself. In about 3 minutes with my firewall alowing the install of the MJ softphone, the window came up and needed my personal info to get my assigned number. I'm in Hawaii and there was no 808 area code for me but had lots of other states so I chose Las Vegas for 702. After doing few verifying online with my newly created MJ account my Vegas number was assigned to my MJ stick!

I called my parent's Vegas landline and they said why am I calling from a Vegas number! LOL I said i was outside the door so let me in! my sister-in-law was "yah right!" I explained to them what i was calling from and there were tripping out! They couldn't believe i was talking from the internet from my laptop. So we talked more than 2 hours and there was no drop call. The quality was very clear, crisp and loud. I was using my headset with mic btw. I'm sure the regular phone works great too.

MJ rocks!! Btw, I'm on roadrunner cable in Hawaii. After that I installed my second MJ stick with a Cali area code for my wife to call her bestfriend for free.

All I can say is MJ is awesome!! I would love to sell this and make some money!! $$$ LOL Too bad there is no dealership available! Well that i know of.

About the configuration for the MJ, any IT person would have no problem installing and configuring. The normal computer user would need just a little push in the right direction. If you have a personal firewall and running Vista you will have to configure it. My computers are all windows XP SP2 btw.

I called local 808 calls and the voice quality was great. It sounded better than my cellphone.
From an IT standpoint there is no installer and the MJ softphone doesn't appear on the add/remove programs in your windows control panel. I feel this no problem for an IT person but for the average user they could mess up the registry if they don't know what they are doing by deleting files. I hope the makers of MJ will update there software and create an installer to package their softphone for software deployment and removal.

A super great awesome VOIP device! So portable and cheaper than Vonage. It's like a combo of Vonage and Skype put together in a small portable voip USB stick. You just need your laptop and your wifi broadband connection and your set to go on the road.

I'm planning to get 2 more for my wife's family in the Philippines and one for my sister in Cali.

Aloha from Hawaii!

Reggie
:O)

jenni :

Anyone else experiencing server issues today?

Linda :

Hi ,bought a second MJ and planning to mail to the PHilippines.. Do I need to register it here in CAlifornia and get a phone number here first before I mail it to them or do they register it from the philippines ? thank you

paul s penrod :

I have two magicjacks and they have worked flawlessly. Sound quaulity is every bit as good as the qwest line I have. I am going to discontinue the quest line soon. The long distance is just as good also as I could ever expect.

Bob Baker :

Hi there, I am actually about to recieve 2 MJ's in 14 days from now. and might i say, 99% of all the crap you guys and gals are having trouble with is due to YOUR LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL, as most of your problems would have never occurred, or at least you would know how to fix it in a snap, if you would read ALL THE INFO ON THEIR SITE!!! I can't help but shout through my screen at most of you for your problems!! here's a few things I decided to reply to:

Judy Vincent wrote:
I have tried to connect via my computer to tech support at Magicjack but it does not work. I can call out on my phone but whenever anyone calls in they get a fast busy signal. Can anyone tell what to do to get this to work.

Posted by Judy Vincent | December 17, 2007 5:10 PM

2 possibilities:
-one, your computer is too slow...
-your connection to your dial-up or A-O-HELL is just not gonna cut it when your surfing the internet. this includes when you run a firewall or pop-up blocker to ALL OUTGOING AND INCOMING CONNECTIONS!!

A FAST INTERNET CONNECTION IS MENTIONED ON THEIR SITE!!

Carol Wrote:
On further searching, I did find an address for them with the Better Business Bureaus, but still no phone number and it is only a PO Box, but here is what I found:

MagicJack LP
PO Box 6846
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Contact: Peter Russo, Chief Financial Officer

Not much info listed on them, they've only been listed with the BBB since Aug 21, 2007.

Posted by Carol | January 26, 2008 2:30 PM

Most Likely because they are mostly Russian. Dealing their Product in America requires a third party salesperson (notice most of their Paid Ads and Infomercials rarely have the same two people), Florida is their choice of shore contact. please read further on some stupidity corrections...

sean wrote:
I just received my MagicJack, but I can't get it to work. I use MAC...They have no freaking customer service number, tech department or nothing. I've hired even Geek squad and they could not get it to work.....
can anyone help me?/

Posted by sean | February 1, 2008 7:43 PM

"...but I can't get it to work. I use MAC..."
STOP!! STOP RIGHT THERE!! on their site, they say it currently only works with WINDOWS XP AND VISTA!!!!! READ THE FUCKING SITE!!!!!

sorry about the profanity, but I felt it was necessary for this IDIOT!! As for the Geek Squad, Perhaps they were under the impression that you were trying a way to bypass the MJ system to use it on MAC. If not, Then They are as RETARDED as you are!

Dee wrote:
This seems almost too good to be true, some postings are positive!, most negative? I still think this is a great IDEA, however, can anyone advise on my four below questions. Your assistance would be most appreciated as I cannot find a Tel. # for the company???????, Most unusual.

My questions are;

1)- I have a wireless system ONLY no cable connection available. Will MJ work under this set up?

2)- Also are my calls "secure" using a wireless set up.

3)- When the MJ is attached to a computer, provide telephone service to the 3 extension telephoneslocated in other rooms or only to one?

4)- If the above set up descriptions are not suitable for MJ, then as an alternate, Will MJ work using my cable TV input connection?

Dee

Posted by Dee | January 29, 2008 9:51 AM

Dee, I understand your frustration with not finding a telephone# for support, but to answer your questions, which if you just read everything on their site, or watch the hourlong commercial, you might not have asked most of these:

1 - yes it will work, varying on your connection speed and bandwidth usage.

2 - Nothing is Secure with a wireless, or even a Cable, Connection against a Pro Hacker (Cracker). With the right tools and knowledge, anyone can listen to your calls, even while you are at home. I personally took lessons from a guy who used to hack peoples computers, so I knew what to expect and how to retaliate. I highly recommend hacking classes if your privacy online concerns you.

3 - even with the typos, I can understand what you are trying to say. Yes, it can, but only with specialized LAN phones for business use, otherwise all phones will end up being another way to eavesdrop (also if you pick up a second phone, but don't hang it up, it will get that nasty, fast-paced beeping from being off the hook too long. also certain phones and setups make the second phone cut off the conversation if hung up before the first one). They say on their site you can setup extensions for Business use (this would Denote you setting up a Phone that uses a CAT5 cable [Internet Cable] instead of the RJ-11 cable[phone cable] in a LAN, which connects to the Router [in this case, its the number 1 phone or another router that recieves all the cables from the other phones and extra routers] and through that is connected to your MJ. If this is too complicated, ask the geek squad to help you setup your house with WLAN Phones, and at the end, tell them you are using your MJ as your Source. you can program your WLAN phones to have a unique extension. this is the best and most creative way to setup multiple phones for a business-like operation.

4 - Will you have internet if you just plugged your TV cable into your PC? Not likely! So the Answer to this one is NO! you need to have a verifiable Internet connection to a PC. Also, as mentioned above in several posts, MJ installs most of its Necessary Info onto your PC. it also requires itself to Register to your registry before it can be used.

well Dee, I hope this clears up your Questions.

Since I do not want to copy all those who have posted the same problem, I will Address it here. the majority of you have this problem:

"When my computer is off, I cannot Make or Recieve Calls." some of you already knew this and just added "this is too much of a major setback."

Well, DUH!! Can I turn off My phone and expect it to work? Geniuses, really. Its not hard to set-up your PC to go to STANDBY mode after such 'n' such a time or after X amount of time of Idleness! This keeps your PC powered on, Connected to all hardware, and only requires a username and password to exit STANDBY. My Laptop I have set-up to go to STANDBY after I close it. I don't have to Reinitialize my mouse, my IEEE port card, my Wireless Scanner, my Bluetooth connection to my bluetooth printer or headset, or even my internet connection! (Even though they reinitialize automatically, they require reinitialization after shutdown or reboot, which is finished before I log on, with the exception of the IEEE Card, which automatically connects a few seconds after login, as such with most startup programs and scripts) In fact, I can remotely access everything in my Laptop using my PC that is on my LAN, WHILE THE LAPTOP IS STILL IN STANDBY MODE!!! So, for an easy fix, DON'T SHUTDOWN THE COMPUTER, GO TO STANDBY MODE!! Also, they say on their site everything I just told, only friendlier. MJ also records your VMAIL while your computer is off. During those 30 seconds of MJ connection, it is gathering all data, including missed calls and voicemail. See? even if you get a power outage for hours, you will still get your voicemail. Try that with your current phone!

And for the Finale, I pick My Most Liked (or in some cases, most hated) post that i saw here. This one I agree with him Whole-heartedly. Just another reason to go to a stripjoint or get a girlfriend/boyfriend for the real-deal, instead of screwing up your PC just to jerk it (or rub it, whatever works for you) for a few minutes of glory! And you wonder why your PC is Ass Slow and MJ doesn't work!

don't forget to see my fun facts after this guy's post. It is not only educational and enlightening, its also histerically funny for both men and women!

Jack Meoff wrote:
"It's like complaining that there is no toll free tech support on a loaf of bread as to how to toast it."

LOL. Very true. My MJ work great out of the box. Even if I had the money and a great invention like MJ I would say phuck it. I can't believe so many people want the world for nothing. 99.9% of these issues are not MJ problems but are end user computer problems. Most of these people have machines loaded with spyware from surfing porn.

I agree, if you need tech support on this device you don't need to order it.

Posted by Jack Meoff | February 26, 2008 5:40 PM

~Enough Said!~

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE WEB:

-99% of all Viruses that Infect you Computer are Trojans.

-98% of all Trojans that infect your computer come from Surfing Porn.

-74% of all Porn Sites autodownload a Trojan to your PC.

-99% of the US Citizen's PC's are Infected with a Trojan

-89% of all Men and Women are regular porn surfers. the average is 19.2 hours a week surfing Porn.

-92% of the porn Surfers are Men

-94% of those men are underage, ignoring the warning, entering anyway.

-1.5% of the Male Porn surfers are between the ages of 40-75, being single, divorced, and/or completely unnattractive, maybe still a virgin.

-.495% of Male porn surfers are between the ages of 18-40, and Surf for the same reason as the 1.5%

-the remaining .005% is attributed to those men who get a wild hair up their asses and decide to watch with their friend/girlfriend/boyfriend/fiance/wife/husband a kinky, Sado-masichistic, Nasty, Naughty, Role-playing, or sex orgy.

-99.999999% of all porn surfers masturbate in an attempt to orgasm.

-93% of them succeed...

-4% can't succeed...

-2% of them get interuppted by their parent, sibling, friend, power outage, natural disaster, heart attack, stroke, epilitic seizure, or some other force...

-1% of them get too tired and give up, or simply fall asleep while trying.

-99.999999% of all male succeeders will have their pants and underwear halfway off, slumped down in the chair, lights off, computer monitor turned away from peering eyes, a "safety window" opened for backup, and won't use any lube, condoms, or tissues to catch the mess! The average Jerk-Time before ejaculation is 3.4 minutes. some are unfortunate enough to have a .25 sec time, or even a 25 min time! most males will just let it fly... others will squeeze the shaft and empty it all in their pants! men who don't live alone tend to have that "safety screen" up, but are jumpy as hell when you walk in; they may not even be masturbating!

So Next time you...

-find a trojan on your PC, blame the youngest male in the house, and work your way up.

-find a sticky or residual substance on your keyboard, screen, under your desk, on your floor by the computer, or even on the mouse, remember what I said...

BTW, I am a foul-mouthed, 19-year-old computer whiz, and I am also a guy... remember that!

I received your magicjack and I tried manny times to make a call but it all always sound busey so I want the information to return your product and get my refund because there is no one to help me with the problems I encounter. thank you.

Nora :

On 4-15-08 I ordered one magic jack by calling the 1-800709-1024 on TV ad. Today is 4-28-08, still haven't rec it, but was charged $23.90 for WHAT i don't know because everything I have read says no cost for 30 days. Someone help me here. Is this company just a scam??? I spoke to a friend who has this magic jack and he also said the company will not give out a phone number or e-mail add. What is going on here.................Nora April 28, 2008 12:51 AM