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 Review by tvtek 
UPDATED: 4 days ago
member for 5.7 years, 330 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Concord,Contra Costa,CA
 $1 per month (12 month contract)
 about 5 days
 "Easy set up"
 "Have to have a PC running at all times"
 "Outstanding price"
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I ordered the Magicjack device because I was getting rid of our POTS line and I figured this would be ok to gamble the 40 dollars on. Once I received the device I went through the setup which included downloading the softphone software and then choosing a phone number. There was several dropouts in the voice outgoing and receiving which was annoying but after having Vonage before nothing unusual to me. I found the ports that Magicjack uses and opened them up on my D-Link router and so far the call quality has improved. My wife has in fact called the Philippines several times using the Magicjack with no issues at all. So for 19.99 a year to renew I think I will stick with it for now. I have had it for 10 months to the date now.
Update 11/16/09: I am now in my second year of using Magic Jack. My wife uses it to call the Philippines at least 2 times a month. While the international rate to the Philippines may not be the best, I sure can't beat the cost for US and calls to Canada.
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Review by ChuckIL9
UPDATED: 37 days ago
member for 4 years, 1094 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Peoria,Peoria,IL
$3 per month (12 month contract)
about 5 days
"Low Cost, Cool Gadget"
"Software Compatibility, Computer Must Be Running"
"Seems to be better than it was 2 years ago."
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4-Oct-09 Update:
My brother in-law was cleaning the house and found the magicJack I gave him almost 2 years ago. I decided to take a look at some of the forums, and noticed things were pretty quiet regarding the device that frustrated me 2 years ago. So for another $19.95 I decided to give it a try again (my primary VOIP service is stable and satisfactory, so it was time to play with something again). I have to say, things seem to have improved. I first had to renew my license, and while at it, noticed that magicJack now had a local number for me. I changed my number to local one, plunked down my $19.95 and plugged the sucker in. The software updated, but I had an error 400, so thought rebooting might fix things...it didn't. I looked on the magicJack forum and saw another person had the same problem and a refresh of his account by magicJack support seemed to fix things. I initiated a chat session and within 10 minutes my account was refreshed and I was in business (support was actually helpful and prompt this go around). So I've been trying things out for the last week, and have to say, the service has been stable and altogether satisfactory (although it's only been a week). I did have a problem plugging it into a computer that I originally tried the magicJack on 2 years ago, in that the message said it would receive an update in 60 seconds, which never happened. I manually updated by going to the magicJack website, and that too worked and I was in business in about 2 minutes. After 40 or so calls over both wired broadband, and a 3G card, the service seems to work well. Pleasantly surprising! I'll update more after 6 months, but so far, so good for basic phone service and voicemail.
Original Review:
I bought a MagicJack because it looked like a cool little device that could save a lot on long distance bills. I already have a VOIP provider that I am happy with, but I thought if this gadget worked out I could dump them and save a lot of dough. The first thing I found is that the install didn't go as smooth as I would have liked. My computer is loaded with video and audio editing applications, and the MagicJack didn't seen to like what was on my system. After playing around a while, I was able to get it to work for a few days in a row, but then the softphone would die, and I would get frustrated. If the computer rebooted, it would hang unless I removed the MagicJack. Even when it did work, I would frequently get the "all circuits busy" message when calling during peak times. After a while I gave up and gave the device to my brother in-law, who didn't have much better luck than me. Right now I think it's sitting in a drawer somewhere. Best of luck to them, and I hope they get things worked out. It just wasn't worth saving $200 a year on VOIP bills at the cost of reliability. It seems that there are customers who have the device working with little issue, so I don't know that my experience is typical. Take it for what it's worth, another anonymous opinion on the internet.
Followup comments:  sabresfan
Sabresfan
join:2009-05-03
Hope Mills, NC
| Good review You give a very fair review of this service in my opinion. It's not for everyone but if you have another line as your primary then MJ is a great second line. The call quality on MJ has improved in the last six months and they finally offer the option to port your number out. No porting in yet but this would not be something I would recommend to people with a number they have had for a long time. | |
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 Review by quatra
Posted: 52 days ago
member for 6.4 years, 1797 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Matthews,Mecklenburg,NC
$1 per month (12 month contract)
about 4 days
"Cheap!"
"Not 100% reliable"
"Get it! What have you got to lose?"
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This is a great product. $20/yr I believe they offered you an extra 4 years for $5/year just ridiculously cheap. I did have to hack it to get rid of the popup screen that would interrupt my gaming everytime someone called (but now I don't have easy access to the PC interface but don't really care - it's just a phone to me).
Bad points: Occasionally when calling someone they can't hear me - I have to call back and then it works fine. Also like any other VOIP service it uses your internet connection if you are doing lots of uploading/downloading it can cause voice quality issues.
Good points: Cheap! The last time I had a voip home phone it cost $300/year. The time before that traditional land line ran me well over $500/year. This one is $20/year. Wow. Everyone in my family does have a cell phone but I like being able to call home and I like for my teenage daughter to not use her cell phone  .
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 Review by W8ASA
UPDATED: 52 days ago
member for 9.3 years, 3741 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Dayton,Montgomery,OH
$2 per month (12 month contract)
"Ease of use, $$$ $aving$"
"None So Far"
"Pretty Cool!"
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Update 29 Sept 2009: I just returned from two weeks in Italy, and MJ performed
almost flawlessly! One call had some echo, so we just called back and it was
just like a local call, as were the other 50 or so calls we made from my laptop
over there. The Italian hotels don't have great connections, but once I turned off
automatic DNS server detection and went to the 4.XXX ones, my connection speed
increased dramatically.
My son bought me an MJ for Christmas. I installed it in less than ten minutes, including getting the phone number assigned! Wow! That was fast! Voice quality is good with a headset/microphone, and fair with my laptop's builtin speaker and microphone. All the features seem to work fine. I could switch between the headset and laptop microphone easily.
I will use it to replace my Vonage UT Starcom Wi-Fi phone, which has become difficult to use because it doesn't support authentication.
I will probably only use MJ while I'm travelling overseas, and I can't wait to give it a test from Paris.
Followup comments: 
bubba41341344
@bunge.com
|  READ THIS!
1: Never buy ANY free 30day trial on ANYTHING!!! Get MJ from QVC, Circuit City etc... Then you have a hassle free return. ALL 30 DAY FREE TRIAL AND GIVE US YOU’RE CREDIT CARD NUMBER Company’s will set on your money and give you the runaround, duh. Your and every other sucker’s money is letting them make interest off it. They ALL will bite you in the azz with the fine print. DON'T DO IT!
2: For the people that think that thing that comes out after you press the button on the front of the computer is an automated cup holder, you’re too stupid to use this product. Hell, they probably have trouble operating a light switch and flushing the toilet. If you are a 1 on the (1 - 10) Tech Savvy Scale, save us the drudge of reading your negative post and don't even think about getting this product. It's way, way, way over your head. Go play with the light switch or something. MJ is a startup company running on a shoestring. It’s $40 dollars! It’s $40 dollars! It’s $40 dollars! It’s $40 dollars! It’s $40 dollars! What do you expect them to do, send a tech to your house? Come on people get real. If you can’t make it work then return it to Circuit City or QVC etc… Oh, you did the 30day free trial thing? DUH… you deserve the hassle. Just don’t bore us with your post.
3: Paranoid people get up in the morning; check the weather etc… on Internet. Hello! Your ISP tracked what you did and the Weather web cookie and all the other cookies did they’re thing. Picked up your Cell phone and made a call, Hello! Your phone service tracked and logged your call, they also knew you were home because of the built in tracking system. Got in your car and stopped at intersection, got your picture taken by traffic cam. Somebody knows where you were at the time of day. Stopped to get gas, restaurant, shopping swiped your credit card, God only knows how many people got this information on what you bought. Went to work and your employer tracked every keystroke, oh and don’t forget to smile for the candid camera. I looked your name up in the White pages and Goggled Earth your address, WOW! You got a really nice house dude. Maybe I’ll pay you a visit and spy on you. You think MJ gives a rip about the above information? They just want to know local information so they can push you the latest add special from the local pizza place. Unless you live in a cave, get a life because this is your life, you’re just too stupid to recognize it and all the bitching in the world is not going to change it. Install this on an old Pc, stick in the closet, plug in a wireless phone and forget about it. Now it’s out of site and out of mind. Just like all the above listed things you ignore every day.
4: This DOSE NOT and SHOULD NOT replace you’re your phone system. Analyze what it can and cannot do for you. If it makes business sense then get it. If not, DON’T slam this product because it doesn’t meet your needs. This device saves me and millions of people like me lots of money.
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Review by brawney
Posted: 56 days ago
member for 7.7 years, 2223 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Frederick,Frederick,MD
$1 per month (12 month contract)
about 1 days
"Cheap!"
"Needs computer, software intrusive."
"Works pretty good considering how cheap it is."
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We use it as a 'spare' phone line. We were able to get a local incoming number. MJ works pretty darn good considering the cost. It is what it is, a really cheap VOIP service. I mean really cheap. So don't expect too much from it.
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Review by Sarentack
UPDATED: 77 days ago
member for 1.7 years, 96 visits, last login: 75 days ago
Lumberton,Lamar,MS
Contract price not specified. (12 month contract)
about 3 days
"$20 a year, easy to install, works like a phone service"
"lack of phone numbers, tech support."
"Its worth getting only if your internet connection is always stable"
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Its worth the money especially if you call LD. I plan on replacing my landline service with it because my connection is stable all the time, no problems with it so far.
The downside to the magicjack is not the device itself, but actually finding a good standalone internet service, cable may not be ideal but it all depends on where you live to. DSL seems to work best with MJ.
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Review by RDHeinz
Posted: 78 days ago
member for 2.9 years, 66 visits, last login: 1 days ago
Long Beach,Los Angeles,CA
$1 per month (12 month contract)
about 3 days
"So Cheap"
"If your ISP has poor quality your phone service will suffer"
"Try not to be influenced by the incredibly unrealistic expectations of others"
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I had landline Verizon and slowly but surely they were changing their billing to add more charges for any little thing. My charges were in excess of $30 a month with NO long distance calls. I had just upgraded my Charter TV to add a 5MB Cable connection. In May of 2008 I ordered the MagicJack online by credit card and it arrived in about 3 days. It installed and I had my new telephone number within 1 hour. All calls within the US and Canada are free. I used MagicJack for about a month and was satisfied with the performance. I terminated Verizon. To date my savings are 12 months times $30 minus $20 for the MagicJack and $20 for the first year service. That is a $320 saving. I purchased the next 5 years of service for $60. That works out to be $1.00 a month for the next 5 years.
The service has had some echo and voice quality problems that I think are related to my Cable service. I have monitored my line and I see the fluctuations, which coincide with the bad quality. I had one occasion in which my MJ failed to install. I contacted their On-Line customer Service and was back within one hour.
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 Review by Gork
UPDATED: 82 days ago
member for 8.1 years, 1325 visits, last login: a few hours ago
Bountiful,Davis,UT
$4 per month (12 month contract)
about 7 days
"GREAT value"
"Reliability & call quality improving, but has a ways to go"
"If you don't mind dealing with some bumps, this is a great value"
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I couldn't really rate tech support - I've never contacted them. The biggest problem I have is that the computer has to be on to use this service. And not only that, the software has been very buggy for me and has interfered with other applications I run on the computer. I have ordered a cheap sub $100 computer to just run magicJack to combat this problem. I'm somewhat computer savvy and the "cost to problems ratio" has been more than worth it to me, especially since I have seen constant improvement. And honestly, the problems are nowhere as much of an issue as those I had with Vonage when I joined up with them when they had only been around for about six months.
Problems with the quality of the service/connections I've had: 1) Software updates itself then doesn't work until I manually restart it; 2) rogue DTMF tones (seems to have been fixed with a recent update); 3) A few times a week someone will call but the call doesn't come through; 4) Calls drop 2-3 times per month; 5) Though not often, the sound quality when connected goes to pot; 6) It almost seems like the service is half duplex instead of full. While this is not the case, I can rarely truly hear what the other party says if I'm talking and vice versa. It works well enough to know they said SOMETHING though.
I use MJ for my only phone line and for $20/yr ($50 for the first year) it's more than worth the price. Would I pay $20 or even $10 per MONTH? No way. But for the price, I'm happy.
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 Review by r81984
Posted: 94 days ago
member for 8 years, 2017 visits, last login: a few hours ago
St John'S,NL
$1 per month (12 month contract)
"Clear calls, works great in Canada to have a US number"
"Must have it connected to a USB port on a computer"
"For $20 a year, nothing beats it."
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I use magicjack when I travel to Canada for work. $20 a year to stay in touch with family and friends in the US.
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Review by po1retired
Posted: 98 days ago
member for 9 years, 467 visits, last login: 14 days ago
Avondale,Maricopa,AZ
$1 per month (12 month contract)
about 1 days
"Cheap Cheap Cheap"
"Night time calls will make you think your inside hell trying to call out"
"If you have a cell and you want another line just to trim excess minutes off your monthly total then MJ is the answer."
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Best $20.00 I ever spent inside the US!
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