If you are a late night TV viewer you most likely have seen the commercials for MagicJack. Like so many late night pitches, the claims seem a bit far fetched. The ads promise free domestic and international long distance calling, no monthly phone bills, free voice mail and you can keep your current number. It does sound like magic.
Well, it is not “magic” since you do need to use the phone “jack.” Nevertheless, for some the MagicJack could save you money on your monthly phone service and long distance calling. It is a small device that plugs into your home broadband Internet connection and allows you to make virtually free phone calls to and from anywhere in the US and Canada by using the Internet rather than the traditional Ma Bell networks. You can call back to the US from other countries for free using your computer and the MagicJack but calls “to” countries other than the US and Canada are not free.
MagicJack is one of several products that use VOIP technology. (Voice Over Internet Protocol) The first year will cost you about $40 and each year thereafter about $20. So it can be a great deal. There are a few things that you need to understand however.
First of all, the low annual cost is somewhat overstated since you do need to have high speed Internet access in your home. So to really compare your savings over a traditional telephone line from Cincinnati Bell you need to factor in the monthly charge you are paying for Road Runner or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL service.
Another potential downside, especially in our area that has way more than our share of power outages, is that if you loose power, your phone will not work. In the dark ages before mobile phones, this could have been a real issue. Now, since many of us have one or more cell phones, losing the landline is much less of an issue.
Like many VOIP services, you will need to register your address and phone number with your local 911 service so they can identify the location of a call coming from a number associated with your address. This is very important and the MagicJack user’s guide will take you through this process.
The package comes with free directory assistance, free call waiting and free voice mail. While I have not installed it myself, others indicate that it was mostly painless. You can plug in multiple phones as well as the base station for your cordless phones.
When MagicJack was first introduced, it required that it be connected to a computer and that computer needed to be powered up 24/7 for the phone to work. That was a major downside. The new version, called the MagicJack Plus, does not require a computer and can be plugged into an 110v outlet.
The bottom line is that, unlike many late night offerings, this product works pretty much as advertised. It isn’t for everyone, but it may be worth a second look for many.
Showing posts with label magicJack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magicJack. Show all posts
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Internet Based Phones Not For Everyone
Just when many of us are getting comfortable using our mobile phones to make calls instead of using the old hard wired land line from “Ma Bell,” another digital twist to this simple task surfaces. I am referring to making phone calls, from your home or cell phone, using the Internet instead of traditional phone networks. The technical term of this technology is “Voice Over IP” or “VOIP” (voice communication using Internet protocol).
The traditional hard wired telephone networks have not changed in basic design for years. They are based on having a dedicated wire going from a central office to each phone on the network. You have a wire connecting your house to the network and all your neighbors on the street have separate wires as well. Voice over IP uses the Internet so your calls and your neighbors’ calls and your kid’s Facebook posting and that YouTube video you are watching and that email being sent to your good friend in Estonia are all sharing the same Internet.
You may have read that Google is the most recent competitor to enter this burgeoning market. Watching late night TV you will see several others. There you will find promotions for magicJack, Vonage, Skype and others. While they are all a bit different, they have in common the use of the Internet for the backbone of the service.
As you consider using one of these services there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you must have a high speed Internet connection available. In our area for most of us that means you need RoadRunner from Time Warner or ZoomTown from Cincinnati Bell. Also, you must have a computer connected to the Internet and running 24/7 to use the services.
The next important things to remember is that these services are not all the same. For example, magicJack allows you to use the regular telephones in your house to place and receive calls from any phone, traditional hard wired, mobile, or VOIP in the world. Skype uses your computer’s microphone and speakers rather than a traditional telephone handset.
Some of these services are free, others charge for all or some of the features. If you make lots of international calls, there are significant savings. If you like to make video calls to family and friends, some of this technology is wonderful. There is no question that all of our communications will one day flow over the Internet; much of it does already. In my opinion, for the vast majority of us the traditional phone and the mobile phone system is just fine for now. They are inexpensive, reliable and easy to use.
The traditional hard wired telephone networks have not changed in basic design for years. They are based on having a dedicated wire going from a central office to each phone on the network. You have a wire connecting your house to the network and all your neighbors on the street have separate wires as well. Voice over IP uses the Internet so your calls and your neighbors’ calls and your kid’s Facebook posting and that YouTube video you are watching and that email being sent to your good friend in Estonia are all sharing the same Internet.
You may have read that Google is the most recent competitor to enter this burgeoning market. Watching late night TV you will see several others. There you will find promotions for magicJack, Vonage, Skype and others. While they are all a bit different, they have in common the use of the Internet for the backbone of the service.
As you consider using one of these services there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you must have a high speed Internet connection available. In our area for most of us that means you need RoadRunner from Time Warner or ZoomTown from Cincinnati Bell. Also, you must have a computer connected to the Internet and running 24/7 to use the services.
The next important things to remember is that these services are not all the same. For example, magicJack allows you to use the regular telephones in your house to place and receive calls from any phone, traditional hard wired, mobile, or VOIP in the world. Skype uses your computer’s microphone and speakers rather than a traditional telephone handset.
Some of these services are free, others charge for all or some of the features. If you make lots of international calls, there are significant savings. If you like to make video calls to family and friends, some of this technology is wonderful. There is no question that all of our communications will one day flow over the Internet; much of it does already. In my opinion, for the vast majority of us the traditional phone and the mobile phone system is just fine for now. They are inexpensive, reliable and easy to use.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Not Magic But It Works
It may not be “magic” since you do need to use the phone ”jack.” Nevertheless for some the “magicJack” could be something that can save you money on your monthly phone service and long distance calling. Perhaps you have seen the advertisements about this product which has been around for about three years. It is a small device that plugs into your home computer and allows you to make virtually free phone calls to and from anywhere in the US and Canada.
magicJack is one of several products that use VOIP technology. (Voice Over Internet Protocol) The first year will cost you about $40 and each year thereafter about $20. So it can be a great deal. There are a few things that you need to understand however.
First of all the low cost is somewhat overstated since you do need to have high speed Internet access in your home. So to really compare your savings over a traditional telephone line from Cincinnati Bell you need to factor in the monthly charge you are paying for Road Runner or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL service.
Another potential downside, especially in our area that has way more than our share of power outages, is that if you loose power, your phone will not work. In the dark ages before mobile phones, this could have been a real issue. Now, since many of us have one or more cell phones, losing the landline is much less of an issue.
While they promise that you will be able to use your current telephone number with magicJack service, it is still not possible so you will get an new 10 digit number. Anyone calling you will need to use this new number; some friends may be confused as it looks like a long distance number even though they are next door. I don’t see this as a big issue since we seem to be getting used to the fact that the area code, once an indicator of your geographic location, is no longer a telltale place marker with the proliferation of mobile phones.
Like many VOIP services, you will need to register your address and phone number with the 911 service. This is very important and the user’s guide will take you through this process.
The package comes with free directory assistance, free call waiting and free voice mail. While I have not installed the software myself, others indicate that it was mostly painless. You can plug in multiple phones as well as the base station for your cordless phones.
One major downside I see is that you must have your computer on 24/7. This seems to fly in the face of our need to conserve energy.
magicJack is one of several products that use VOIP technology. (Voice Over Internet Protocol) The first year will cost you about $40 and each year thereafter about $20. So it can be a great deal. There are a few things that you need to understand however.
First of all the low cost is somewhat overstated since you do need to have high speed Internet access in your home. So to really compare your savings over a traditional telephone line from Cincinnati Bell you need to factor in the monthly charge you are paying for Road Runner or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL service.
Another potential downside, especially in our area that has way more than our share of power outages, is that if you loose power, your phone will not work. In the dark ages before mobile phones, this could have been a real issue. Now, since many of us have one or more cell phones, losing the landline is much less of an issue.
While they promise that you will be able to use your current telephone number with magicJack service, it is still not possible so you will get an new 10 digit number. Anyone calling you will need to use this new number; some friends may be confused as it looks like a long distance number even though they are next door. I don’t see this as a big issue since we seem to be getting used to the fact that the area code, once an indicator of your geographic location, is no longer a telltale place marker with the proliferation of mobile phones.
Like many VOIP services, you will need to register your address and phone number with the 911 service. This is very important and the user’s guide will take you through this process.
The package comes with free directory assistance, free call waiting and free voice mail. While I have not installed the software myself, others indicate that it was mostly painless. You can plug in multiple phones as well as the base station for your cordless phones.
One major downside I see is that you must have your computer on 24/7. This seems to fly in the face of our need to conserve energy.
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