The Magic Jack

[eyeball]

Has anyone tried this Magic Jack or have any comments or experiences they'd like to share about VOIP in general? I 've heard both good and bad things about Skype and Vonage but not much about this new device. It looks like a pretty attractive option during these cost cutting times .

I called Telus to ask what they thought about this invention and I was quickly passed up the chain of command through customer service to their Department of Loyalty. They apparently had not heard of this which I found hard to believe but the lady I was talking to certainly sounded impressed and even a little nervous as it became quickly obvious I could virtually eliminate my monthly telephone costs. I was told I could probably expect a call regarding a reduced rate but I doubt if they'll be able to match the kinds of savings this might yield.

At first Telus told me they might have some issues with providing me an Internet connection especially if I was going to use it to make my phone calls but after I mentioned we could always go back to our cable provider they said they'd be happy to keep providing that service. I also found out I can transfer my existing telephone number which is nice. I'll probably transfer it to my cell-phone if do.

[M.Dancer]

too good to be true ususdally is.

I've heard of stuff that sounds like this, and I believe they were scams and or piggy backed on other people signals. Whether Jack is the same, I can't say,

[AngusThermopyle]

Actually when I read the thread title I thought it was going to be about some wonderfull new jacking system. We used a unified jacking system on the last building we moved. Its really neat, 16 big jacks operating in unison and controlled by micro processors.

As for this system I have no idea. Personally I use Skype once in a while and have no complaints, but I don't use it very often.

[Riverwind]

Has anyone tried this Magic Jack or have any comments or experiences they'd like to share about VOIP in general? I 've heard both good and bad things about Skype and Vonage but not much about this new device. It looks like a pretty attractive option during these cost cutting times.

MagicJack offers nothing more than Skype with a yearly subscription ad a jack that allows you to use your existing phone instead of a headset.

VOIP sound quality is a crapshoot. It is often ok but sometimes the calls are so noisy I switch to a land line. Also most ISPs only have 90% reliability. If your ISP is down you can't send/receive phone calls. Same issue during power outages (land lines still work during power outages).

You also need to factor in the cost of leaving your computer up and running 24/7 (you would have to disable hibernation if you want to recieve calls at night).

Edited November 8, 2008 by Riverwind

[GostHacked]

VOIP was pretty crappy when it was first introduced. And due to the unreliability of it, VOIP could not get to 911 emergency services. The technology has improved so much that 911 services are offered through VOIP.

I know many people who have VOIP with Rogers here in Ottawa, and the sound quality is the same as your regular land line. Also, when VOIP is installed, you can get a seperate device/modem for the VOIP, this won't mess with your Internet traffic, and since they are on two different modems, one can go out, and the other can stay up. From the Rogers end, it is two seperate systems pushing the signal down the pipe. But the possibility of both going out is there. I'd say VOIP is more reliable than cell service .