Solved Anyone with MagicJack experience ?

[DavidE]

I've heard and read mixed reviews about MagicJack (MJ).
How is it for reliability, quality, etc. ?

From what I've read a good internet connection is needed for "quality" service with MagicJack.
What does that really mean ???
Is it the internet connection speed, or what other factors do i need to consider ?

I've been having ISP problems for the last month or so.
I have att Uverse "triple play" - Internet (15 Mbps down), Phone, and Television.
Lately Uverse has been going out for hours or days at a time ...
Yup, I've called and reported my problem ...
They have sent techs to my house, drilled holes, rewired, new modem, nothing so far fixes my problem.

I "think" i need a landline phone, and Uverse is not reliable for me now.
I'm rethinking my need for landline/cell phone ...
Should i get MagicJack and an "emergency" cell phone ???

I'm 65 years old and most people I help are senior, 60-90+ years old.
They are not technical and often poor vision/hearing, etc.
Helping friends and family using Teamviewer and a speaker phone is important to me.

I can switch to Time Warner Cable, or the new guy in my neighborhood (North State Communications).
North State has gigabit internet, but i don't know anyone that has experience with them.
They would have to lay cable from the street to my house, drill holes and do whatever to "wire my house".
I really don't want more holes and wires, etc.

My current Uverse internet service works or it doesn't.
When it works, it works fine, when it doesn't work, nothing works ...

Is 15 Mbps down (Uverse) good enough for MJ, or is a slower TWC good enough, or is North State gigabit network a good bet ???
I'm not a gambler, but i do luv watching the old Maverick westerns

 

[DocBrown]

I have been using 2 different ones for several years, now. Great for Long Distane US calls & faxing.
Sometimes they drop the call, but maybe the fault of the ISp, or internet speed, glitches, etc.

It has been worth it in the savings of $$$$$$$$$

 

[A Guy]

I have been using it a while. But it stopped working. I rarely use my home phone, and since it stopped working, it emails me any messages that come in. Since I like that, I never looked in to why it stopped working. When it did work, the connection and quality were good. You wouldn't know it wasn't a hard line. A Guy

 

[DavidE]

Thanks for the replies and help !
I'm going to pick up a MJ and test it.
I just need to get my internet working reliably before i test MJ ...

Good news is since the latest tech did his magic, i haven't seen where my ISP connection went down, apx 20 hours now ...

As i was without service for apx 60 hours last weekend, they taught me an expensive lesson.

They charge me for 24/7 service, but if i have a problem "off business hours", no support technician is available to fix the problem for me "a home user". That's how i get help spending $200+ a month for their service.
I also learned the only thing i really missed on TV was Golf Channel tournaments.
$100+ a month for that isn't worth it ... i get 350+ channels now ...

 

[ThrashZone]

I figured they were just snake oil or something :/
Hell I don't have a wire phone anyway

 

[DocBrown]

I have been using it a while. But it stopped working. I rarely use my home phone, and since it stopped working, it emails me any messages that come in. Since I like that, I never looked in to why it stopped working. When it did work, the connection and quality were good. You wouldn't know it wasn't a hard line. A Guy

Bill, on their website, you can get a LIVE CHat. I had to do this once or twice. They give you a link to click on and it updates the FIRMWARE in the MagicJack unit. Then it starts working fine again. Yes, I get emails that somebody left a voice mail message. Then I can play it in windows media player. I have to make sure my speaker icon is NOT muted

 

[DavidE]

Bill, on their website, you can get a LIVE CHat. I had to do this once or twice. They give you a link to click on and it updates the FIRMWARE in the MagicJack unit. Then it starts working fine again.

Thanks Doc for that tip, much appreciated

 

[DavidE]

My broadband service went out again.
I pay $200+ a month, and this is what i put up with.
4-5 techs in the last month, rewired my house, new cable laying from the "pedestal to my house", ...
Another one due by 8pm today ...

 

[Laith]

It's pretty awesome, me and my dad uses it to call siblings in the USA.

 

[GokAy]

Hey David, sorry to hear you have problems. Do you guys use a phone line-data filter in the US? Did they change your port on the DSLAM device?

Out of curiosity, 200 USD? Really? What's the break-up of that amount?
Here in Turkey (less developed):
- cable tv 300+ channels: 4.5 USD
- cable Internet 100/4 Mbps (250 GB quota): 50 USD
- landline phone: 7 USD + what you speak
Technical service is free

I guess services may be more expensive there due to minimum wages and whatnot but still... How much are the rates for the alternatives you mentioned?

 

[DavidE]

Thank you Laith and GokAy.

When i had DSL i had a splitter on the phone jack that split the signal for phone / internet, if that's what you mean by filter.
With Uverse i don't have those splitters.

If the DSLAM device is the "switch box" in my neighborhood, yes they did change the port for me, more than once i believe.

I have the phone jack on one side of the room and the internet (gateway) jack on the other side of the room.
From what i learned i need to get a phone jack next to the gateway (router) as magic jack needs to connect to both.
That's some re-wiring i'll have to somehow do.

I get about 350 TV channels and probably don't use more than 20.
I pay for 12Mbps Down / 1.5Mbps Up, although lately I'm getting 15 down / 2 up.
Unlimited internet and phone usage.

 

[GokAy]

Yes, splitter forgot the proper term. But it is only good for DSL, and DSLAM I know is used in DSL infrastructure. No idea what it would be called in, say, cable. Your connection is cable now? I guess I was fooled to believe you had DSL from the screenshot in post #8.

 

[DavidE]

Ah, yea that message is misleading.
I have Uverse now which is at&t Fiber Optic.

 

[bigmck]

DavidE -- I have been thinking about switching from the Dish Network to AT&T. I already have AT&T internet and phone so I would qualify to the Triple Play. -- I saw all of the specials on the AT&T website. They never did list the normal price. Is your bill above the normal with no specials or anything. I am guessing it probably is as $200 is about what I pay now for the Dish and my AT&T phone and internet combined. Thanks,

 

[Laith]

I don't quite understand.

You are using a smartphone and have a ethernet only router?

 

[DavidE]

DavidE -- I have been thinking about switching from the Dish Network to AT&T. I already have AT&T internet and phone so I would qualify to the Triple Play. -- I saw all of the specials on the AT&T website. They never did list the normal price. Is your bill above the normal with no specials or anything. I am guessing it probably is as $200 is about what I pay now for the Dish and my AT&T phone and internet combined. Thanks,

Hi Jim,
Yes, those are normal prices, no specials/discounts/etc.
They use to have normal prices listed on the website.
I looked, and just like you, i couldn't find the normal prices now.

 

[groze]

If you have inside wiring maintenance on at&t, I can't remember what it called. There is a certain type of box they may need to be added to your phone line if you have an old landline line system but I can't remember what it is called. I am assuming uverse uses the phone line to deliverer the internet signal.

The box is used to determine what the phone company responsible for and what you are responsible for. The box could be on the inside but they usually put it on the outside. You would actual be able to test this at the box yourself to see if it the inside wiring or the outside wiring by plugging a landline phone in.

 

[bigmck]

DavidE -- I have been thinking about switching from the Dish Network to AT&T. I already have AT&T internet and phone so I would qualify to the Triple Play. -- I saw all of the specials on the AT&T website. They never did list the normal price. Is your bill above the normal with no specials or anything. I am guessing it probably is as $200 is about what I pay now for the Dish and my AT&T phone and internet combined. Thanks,

Hi Jim,
Yes, those are normal prices, no specials/discounts/etc.
They use to have normal prices listed on the website.
I looked, and just like you, i couldn't find the normal prices now.

Thanks, for the reply. That helps.