AFAIK you can not use MJ on your mobile phone. I wish you quote who ever said using MJ on his/he cell phone.

For fax, better get an online fax service. VoIP, Magic Jack or not isn't fully compatible with fax. You may get away with a few fax but sooner or later you will get failed faxes. Online fax is cheap and the one I use with Onesuite is just $1/month for unlimited receiving. Outgoing fax service is available too.

Nope. My guess is "not gonna happen". Too many legal/spectrum issues.

There was some announcements and news articles that they were actually working on a femtocell device. You can find the articles if you search a site like engadget.com, just search for "magicjack". This would be a different MJ device than the current MJ device that just provides a phone jack and uses your computers internet connection.

You can actually buy a femtocell device from AT&T if you have service with them, but even though they use your internet connection, calls placed/received using AT&Ts femtocell still use your minutes.

-David

Most of the wireless services offer femtocells. I have one for Verizon -- works the same as what you've described of AT&T's.

Everyone else's femtocells also have a GPS chip in them and you can't use the unit outside your coverage area.

I've use the AT&T one outside my calling area, on the east coast before. I know it won't do 911 calls properly, but the calls still come through.

It's not limited to being in your calling area. It's limited to being in an area where AT&T offers service. You couldn't take it to England and use it there, for example.

Personally, I like T-mobile's approach: build the capability into the phone to make calls over any wifi network that can connect to T-mobile's VOIP servers.

So whats the advantage of using Femtocell? Better signal? But is it cheaper for end users?

At least with Verizon, it makes no difference in price. However, my femtocell allows me use my cellphone in my apartment where I would otherwise have no signal.

Coverage area might not have been the best term, but your carrier has to have a license to operate where you are receiving a signal.

I just ordered OOMA. Its similar to magicjack for connects to your router so you dont need to have a computer on! Quality is better. No monthly fee but the equipment costs $175

I picked up an Ooma on woot.com for $125. It does appear to have better sound quality than MagicJack, though I've been using MJs happily for a couple of years now as my sole landline telephone (and for travel). The one advantage of MJ over Ooma is voicemail-to-email -- the service is free on MJ, but is part of the $10/month "premium service" on the Ooma. One nice feature of the Ooma is the ability to answer your cellphone over the Ooma phones in your house, though it requires use of the Ooma handset.

Okay so Ooma is like Magicjack but doesn't need a computer and it is also more expensive?

Ooma and MagicJack are both VOIP phone systems. MagicJack has a yearly subscription. Ooma is completely free. MagicJack needs a computer (I use mine with HP thin clients). Ooma does not. MagicJack's customer service is, for all intents and purposes, non-existent. Ooma's is somewhat better. MagicJack can't power a whole-house wired phone system (multiple phones on house wiring). Ooma can. MagicJack offers free voice-mail to email. Ooma requires buying the premium package (9.95/month). Ooma will also let you answer your cellphone via your house wired phones (using BlueTooth), but that's also part of the premium package. MagicJack voice quality varies and sometimes experiences echoes. Ooma has better voice quality and no echoes. MagicJack may or may not work with fax machines. Ooma usually works with fax machines.

Okay?

MJ is far from perfect. I use it as my "line 2" for my family to use on the days that I work from my home office. My work calls all go through Avaya and my POTS line when working at home.

My MJ is plugged into my file server in my basement for 24/7 service.

My wife has faxed out through MJ several times without problems. That was a surprise to me.

I beat the single phone issue with MJ by connecting a single base station for my 4 Panasonic cordless phones.

We now make all of our outgoing personal calls (except international - those use Google Voice) through MJ.

Call quality ranges from very good to sometimes poor.

I'd hate to not have a POTS line in addition to MJ.

ooma isn't really "free" anymore. They don't charge more for the phone calling services, but most customers WILL pay about 25-30$ a year for taxes and regulatory fees.