Magic Jack

My old boss has it, at work at least and i think it works fine.

Hi DixieChick,
I bought a MagicJack this summer while in Vermont. It works with your high speed internet connection of your computer.
VOIP it is called....voice over internet protocol......You plug the MagicJack into your USB port, and then plug your phone into the MagicJack. They assign you a phone number depending on your location. Set up is pretty easy.
I thought it would be hokey, but it actually worked. I was able to call all across the US, Canada, and STX !!! (all for $39.99 for the MagicJack and first year of service. After that it is $19.99 a year!!).
I don't know how it works on STX....do not have an internet connection right now.
But....they DO work!!
Hope this helps....a little !!

It works OK depending on your Internet connection speed. Skype works just as well, and it's free -- you just have to download software and have a headset that plugs into your computer. To me it's not worth $40 to have the ease of plugging in a real phone.

you can get a phone number with Skype so that people without Skype can call you. You can also call phones and cell phones for about 1 cent per minute. It is better than Magic Jack. IMO

thanks all.
Robby we will probably buy ours in vermont as well. where in vermont were you???

You can make phone calls through skype? we have that already.

Yes, you can make and receive calls through Skype -- if the other party is not a Skype user, as Robby mentioned, it's 1 cent per minute. I like the flexibility of having a phone number for my inbound calls to Skype, too.

I thought that you could not get a 340 number, however.

billd

no 340 numbers available

http://hubpages.com/hub/Magic-Jack----The-Things-They-Will-Not-Tell-You-Before-You-BuyB

I have looked at MJ but decided against it for various reasons. MJ is allowed by it's terms of service to 'take control of your computer'. The system , of course, does not work unless your computer is on. However, many people are quite happy with it.

I have used a MagicJack on the East end of STX with BBVI and it works fine. You can take it anywhere in the world there is an internet connection and make both outbound and receive inbound calls. Have used it in Panama, Sweden, Greece and the UK. If you don't plug a phone into the RJ-11 jack on the device it works through the microphone and speaker on your computer.

Doesn't work any better than Skype, but to get an inbound number on Skype costs you 50 euros a year. Unless you call computer to computer Skype costs you varying amounts per minute. MagicJack gives you unlimited free calls to anywhere in the US and Canada for the $19.95 annual fee.

With MagicJack to work your computer most be on line. If it isn't your call goes to VM and you can set it up to send a notification to your e-mail.

Skype can be made to work with your I-phone so if your traveling you can use it either on 3G or at a WiFi hot spot.

Jim

Hey DixieChick,
I am from Putney / Brattleboro.
And you??!!

I have tried Magic Jack; an uncle of mine gave me one he had.

http://www.speedtest.net/ will test the speed of your Internet connection. I just tested mine, again, and today it sits at: 23.27Mbit per second download, and 0.98Mbit per second upload. Last time I checked it was around 0.4Mbit per second upload, and was at that when I tried Magic Jack.

The problem I had was with playing online games and having a phone call at the same time - the game would stutter and the call would stutter.

Also, as others have mentioned, you must have your computer (the one that has the Magic Jack plugged into it if you have multiple computers) on at all times. If you live in the USVI, you should have a UPS (when I sold systems working for Peter de Blanc, he would not warranty a computer without a UPS) to deal with power outages. This is important, because if your computer shuts off, it has to be logged into for the Magic Jack to work.

I suppose with a minimal upload rate of 1Mbit per second, it would work fine with online games, but I do not want to re-register and pay for the Magic Jack I have to test this *-)

My advice is to do what we have done: dump the land line and use cell phones exclusively.

If they had a 340 number I think Innovative would lose many customers. They simply charge far too much for the service they give.

INNOVATIVE I HOPE YOU HEAR THIS!!!!!!!

Waiting for the day that they have a 340 number.

billd

robby we have cabin on lake champlain. grand isle vt.