hello all
i have been looking to change my home phone to magic jack. but thought i would check here frist.
does anyone here use magicjack. and and what do you think of it do you have any prolbems with it.
thanks for your in put.

I've played with several VoIP appliances -- some thoughts...

MagicJack (original) - not usable for a home replacement as it needs to be connected to a working computer to operate.

MagicJack+ - Viable, Pros: you can port your existing phone number to it for a fee, supports 911 signalling. Cons: Draws power from a USB wall wart which is a bit of a loose connection, it's been reported that MJ has limited "free" calling to more expensive call locations like AK & HI. $30/year after first year but can buy 5 years for $100.

NetTalk Duo - Viable, bit pricey at $30/year after first year, can port existing #, e-911 friendly, but I had more problems than most with calls not going through or dropping.

Obi 100/110/220 - Can't port existing number and does not give 911 location but is still my favorite of the bunch, it uses Google Voice as the backbone for free (at least for the rest of the year, who knows in the future) and call quality has been good even internationally. Love that the voice mail can send you an e-mail with reasonably transcribed text along with an audio file (but can't confirm how well it'll do if you have a friend who speaks pidgin)

Ooma - Probably the best voice quality, but a pricey box -- I also have concerns that if they don't maintain sales growth they might be under financial pressure to stay afloat.

That said, based on your nick one thing you really have to check is that all these providers can give you an 808 area code as some don't offer them since it costs them more money.

There are better solutions, and for a fee you can get everything (and more) that the phone company offers in a VOIP solution. Problem is for each new feature and dependability the costs start creeping up, and everything is based upon your internet connection.

Magic Jack is on the low end of the cost scale, and being the low bidder it has the most limitations. I agree with Zarf4 that the Obi is a strong contender. I have one that I use for my fax line, as I found it to be insane to spend $30 a month for the infrequent faxes that I send and receive, as I could buy the box for just a little more than one month's old phone bill. I've been using it for about a year and have been very happy with it. It interfaces with your Google Voice, but also allows you to use a SIP service, so if Google Voice goes away, starts charging too much, or whatever you have another option. Also you can port your existing number to a SIP server that will then be your new phone company. I haven't done this so can't vouch for any company, but there are quite a few and they offer as much or as little service as you want, some even offer 911 and a block of long distance, domestic and international minutes each month. Again you can buy whatever you want, and it is cheaper than your local phone company.

Another option would be to get a cordless home phone that has bluetooth. This will allow you to use your cellphone as your home phone. I've seen some inexpensive multi handsets that allow you to do this. You could also use an Obi, with the bluetooth cordless phones. This would give you 24 hour access to your Google Voice number, and a home phone when you aren't there with your bluetooth cellphone. With your cellphone attached you could also have 911, provided your cell provider offers it, and if your internet is down you still have a working phone.

Another thing to remember is to put all of this on battery backup so when the power goes out you still have a phone. I have my cable modem, router and Obi box all on a UPC. Of the three the wireless router draws the most power, especially when it is in use. I wouldn't even consider switching over to VOIP unless you get a UPC for all the devices. A consumer grade box is fine, just make sure it has enough juice to power the equipment, for at least an hour - for a long outage you can power it up when needed, but when it's off you can't make any calls.

You are saving at least $30 a month, but you are going to have to buy some hardware and maybe a small monthly service fee, so be smart and use a little of the money you are saving to make a system that is dependable. With a little research it really is simple to give your local phone provider the boot and get more features at a much lower cost. If your internet isn't dependable, and relatively fast, then you need to remedy that issue before you switch to VOIP.

For a second line it is a no-brainer, as you will find out very quickly if there are issues, and still have a landline. But like computers in general you need a backup if it is your primary phone.

It's a few years old but there may be some good info in this thread that still applies

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...magicjack.html

thanks lot of info there i did not know you can get a cordless phone with bluetooth. thanks ctuttle that's another option that i will check into.