Anyone tried Magicjack for telephone service?

[Erice]

I was reading the thread about Vonage, and it reminded me of a service that my neighbor uses called MagicJack.com. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, then for $40/year, you can make and receive unlimited local and long distance calls to US/Canada. It is a device that plugs into a USB jack, and you plug your "landline" phone, fax, or modem into that. If your computer is offline, or it can't get through, it records a voicemail, then converts it to a sound file and immediately e-mails it to you (he has it e-mailed to his iPhone). Sounds pretty slick. I could save enough to afford 2-3 more hours of flight time per year

My neighbor loves it. Anyone here using it? Any reports/reviews appreciated.
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SP600

 

[TangoWhiskey]

I've not tried it. I just saw a TV ad for it last week; Best Buy and other retailers are carrying it now. The price seems good (very little monthly compared to other options). Based on your description, I wonder how you'd connect it to work all the phones in your house. I can do that with Vonage (and do so). Can you, with MagicJack, or does it only work with one phone plugged into a USB device? USB device also implies I need my computer on all the time in order to make or receive calls.

 

[mikea]

I've not tried it. I just saw a TV ad for it last week; Best Buy and other retailers are carrying it now. The price seems good (very little monthly compared to other options). Based on your description, I wonder how you'd connect it to work all the phones in your house. I can do that with Vonage (and do so). Can you, with MagicJack, or does it only work with one phone plugged into a USB device? USB device also implies I need my computer on all the time in order to make or receive calls.

You are correct sir.

There's no reason any device that works with one phone won't work with 5, subject to it being able to supply enough juice for the ringers, but aht's a non-issue on current phones with electronic ringers.

One thing to consider is you still need to pay your $30-$50 a month bill for Internet service.

I'll also lay money that the low, low, low rate gets quietly raised in the future.

You can use Vonage or Skype as easily without having to pay the enormous bill for the infomercials.

http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DPH-50U-Skype-Phone-Adapter/dp/B000E39V9O?tag=thepilotcast-20

 

[RJM62]

I have one, and so do some of my friends. Some of them swear by it, and others hate it.

My experience? Absolutely horrid sound quality (squeals like a banshee creening for the dead), not very dependable (I'd say it works maybe 80 - 90 percent of the time, with a lot of call drops when it works at all), and includes some (apparently) advertising-related files that, so far, just call up the company's own banners.

On the other hand, it's only $20.00 a year; so I maintain the account and give that number to people I don't care to hear from, anyway (banks, department stores, questionable outfits I order from online, the IRS, etc.) but who demand a phone number. It sits on my desk, unplugged, most of the time, and I never check the messages.

It also comes in handy when my lady friend's grandchildren are visiting. I just plug it in while they're here, and then they can yap all day with their friends out-of-state and it doesn't cost me anything.

-Rich

EDIT: Yes, you have to have the computer running all the time for the thing to work. As for multiple phones, because it's USB-powered, I'd hesitate to try it unless you have it in a powered hub.