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Review by chgocolt 
Posted: 66 days ago
member for 4.1 years, 85 visits, last login: 45 days ago
 Chicago,Cook,IL
 $1 per month (12 month contract)
 about 5 days
 "Cheap, easy, cheap and oh yeah, CHEAP"
 "Not reliable as a primary number."
 "Great for free long distance to save cell minutes."
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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My review with 2 weeks experience.
Set-up was easy. Took the fix from the web site to make it work, but it went just as the brief instructions said it would.
Voice mail sucks if you want to record a custom message. Won't record well for me. Kept the standard message and I'm fine. Like the emailed wave files for voice mail messages.
Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 tries to get a dial tone. Also I've answered a call and it keeps ringing 2 more times for the caller after I pick it up before it will make a connection.
As long as you have solid service from your ISP the calls are fine. Even with the few short comings of the service, at $20 a year for unlimited calls to US and Canada there's nothing to complain about. It keeps me from going over my cell plan minutes if I just use it for outbound calls at home and when I'm traveling. Tomorrow I'll find out how well it works in public hot spots while I'm on the road the next few days.
I wouldn't go for the extended plan to lock in the price. I don't see it as a viable business that will be around long. I don't thing the minimal ad revenue from the client screen will make up for the bargain basement price. It will probably go the way of SunRocket sometime in the not too distant future.
Followup comments:  
DSLWvista
@sbcglobal.net | how does Magic Jack work with??? I used to have broadband but now have DSL --- Also how does it work with Windows Vista? I could not find any comments to these two differences. | |
| | chgocolt
Premium
join:2004-07-10
Chicago, IL | Re: how does Magic Jack work with??? Yes, it will work with DSL and with Vista. I believe there is a Vista patch you'll need to download from their web site. | |
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Angelc2
@verizon.net
| Re: how does Magic Jack work with??? ok, so, I currently have dsl with verizon at #20 a month for computer use and basic phone service also at about !$20 month for phopne calls. Now if i get this magic jack, can I discontinue my verizon dsl and verizon basic phone service and their bills and just use this magic jack for phone calls and computer use ??
I don't think so but am uncertain? I am assuming I will still be paying for DSL computer service and a regular phone service, plus another $20 a year for magic jack. Ok, I save long distance charges maybe? but now my life is more complex managing more complex gadgets and paying more bills. I need to know if I can discontinue the DSL service and if I can discontinue the basic Verizon telephone service also??? If I discontinue Verizon phone service and later want to reconnect or re-activate, it may cost me over $80.00 to start new service again and also loose my long time phone number. | |
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PocA
@pacbell.net
| Re: how does Magic Jack work with??? Nooo... don't discontinue your dsl! if you do so, then you won't be able to use the magic jack at all since you need an internet connection... maybe you can drop the phone contract, but I think you should try MJ first before you let go off your cellphone... | |
| chgocolt
Premium
join:2004-07-10
Chicago, IL
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Comcast
| MagicJack ran out of magic for me Returned it today with just a couple days left on my 30 day trial.
Some days it worked great, others it was awful. Had to run the "fix" from the web site several times a week. My computer would never boot properly with it plugged in so I moved it to a front USB port. Some days I would pick up the phone and it wouldn't give a dial tone. I would have to unplug it and plug it back in. Tried it on my office laptop with same results. I really wanted it to work well for travel, but it just is not reliable. Took so long to get it working at a hotel that when I got to my next stop I didn't even bother trying. I found other VOIP services (those V folks and the S guys) to be far more reliable.
MagicJack is just not ready. Maybe in a year or so. | |
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