magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Hacks

Penguin64 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 15 Nov 2010 Posts: 1

I have been experiencing this issue intermittently for the past few weeks. Until I found this forum today, I thought it was just me. I have been using MJ successfully for the past 2 years.

I have a MJ with a Toronto (Canada) phone number. I pretty much only call Canadian numbers. I mostly have inbound calls which don't appear to have the problem although to be honest I haven't been tracking the issues that closely.

I just made a phone call today that lasted over 8 minutes until I was finished with the call and hung up. About 15 minutes later I called the same number again and this time the incoming audio was cut off after 5 minutes. So it doesn't appear to be an issue based on the number you call.

I have also had an issue a few times where the incoming audio is cut off right from the start of the call. I hear the ring and then it goes silent when the other person answers. Sometimes this can happen 2 or 3 times in a row and I end up unplugging my MJ and plugging it back in to fix it. This issue has also only appeared within the last few weeks.

It sure does sound like the root of the problem is from a recent MJ update.

I run my MJ on a fast WinXP SP3 PC. My Internet connection is fibre with 20Mbps down and 5Mbps up so I know it's not a bandwidth issue.

It looks like I will log this issue with MJ and see what kind of circus tricks they ask me to perform before they concede to a problem on their end.

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

Lots of Canadians coming out to tell us they have the 5 minute limit. Are there any Canadian numbers that don't have the 5 minute limit? Here is the link to the other 5 minute limit thread

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/new-user-after-5-min-i-can-t-hear-them-but-they-can-me-t10014-60.html

If there is an Admin they might want to merge the two threads.

Insteadof · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 18

How do we get MJ to admit there is an issue? Nothing on the official web site. Has anyone that called MJ been asked for log information or been asked to work with their support folks. I get the feeling that we are being ignored. Is it really a “Canadian” issue? Is anyone is this forum based in the US?

notdeadyet · Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 7:59 pm Post subject:

BrentOwen · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 18

I thought that I had fixed the problem by reinstalling Magicjack, but the 5 minute limit is back. It is not always exactly 5 minutes, but never less than 5 minutes. Very annoying

peterd2010 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 16 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

Here's the facts as I know them:
1) The problem began about a month ago (after 4-5 months of no problems)
2) Most calls (more than 90%), maybe ALL calls, initiated by the phone connected to the MJ unit result in the other party's incoming audio being dropped after five minutes. they can still hear me, but I can't hear them.
3) Incoming calls are NEVER affected.
4) I haven't done much testing with non-Canadian #s because I don't call non-Canadian #s a lot so I'll say "local (areas code 204) numbers I call"are affected, and I suspect that others numbers are affected as well.
5) NONE of the countless hours of changes to firewall and security settings, disabling virus software, updating Magicjack, changing DNS entries, or rebooting router or PC have done a single thing to fix the problem.

I believe that MJ support can't admit they don't know what the issue is so they waste your time making you jump through one desperate tech hoop after another until you get tired of it or run out of time and then they figure it's fixed. Clue: IT'S NOT!

magicJoke26 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 5

Same problem here (705 area code). I spent hours trying everything on my end (until I found this thread). Definitely the problem is on their end. We should all flood their chat support daily until they acknowledge they have a problem.

mzteek · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 18 Nov 2010 Posts: 7

I have a 204 area code in Canada and am having the same 5 minute out going call limit. I have tried the following to no avail other than fustration:

Unplugged the moden, MJ and everthing that could ever need resetting
ran countless upgrades
made numerous port exceptions
adjusted the audio settings
diabled / removed the outlook addon
unistalled
ran a resistry cleanner
and finally reinstalled it
and............
still a 5 minute max on out going calls!

I am stumped and don't know what to try next. I can't spend another minute online with MJ tech support!

I am also getting busy signals, network problem msgs and am not able to call forward my MJ to my cell phone.

Dose anyone have a suggested way to resolve this other than pitching it in the trash?

Thanks!

Insteadof · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 18

Other than call them everday and ask when it going to be fixed I have nothing to add. It isn't anything with your system/settings it is an MJ issue and they need to come to the table. I guess bad press is the only thing left.

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/who-is-limiting-my-calls-to-canada-to-5-minutes-t10158.html

Someone started another thread on this Canadian 5 minute limit.

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/five-minute-limit-for-canadian-subscribers-t10151.html

I feel so bad and embarrassed for recommending the MJ to my friends.

Insteadof · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 18

I don't know what a refresh is but things have been running Ok for the last few days. I call them everyday to see if there is an update.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Aram'
Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK43605061036X
Aram: Hello, how may I help you?
Me: Is there any update on the issue where the call is limited to 5 minutes?
Aram: No, May I have your magicJack phone number please ?
Me: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Aram: Please wait while I check that for you
Aram: Thank you for waiting...
Aram: Please run the latest upgrade below
Aram: http://upgrades.magicjack.com/upgrade/upgrade.exe
Me: Is this any different than the one I was given Monday. I have run it everyday and still get the problem.
Aram: I will be right with you.
Aram: Do you have active anti-virus or Internet security suite in there ?
Me: yes. Symantec anti-virus. It has been running along with MJ since March without a problem until the update a few weeks ago. Oh the other system has McAfee and also has the problem
Aram: Can you locate the firewall on it ?
Me: What I really need to know is if it is a known problem and it is being worked by MJ. I can live with that.
Me: I have been through all the firewall settings with other "chat" people. All is fine.
Aram: Hold on.. let me check your account again
Aram: Thank you for waiting..
Aram: There's no problem on your account, I already refreshed it also, Please monitor your mj within 24 hours. If you still having the same problem, please do not hesitate to chat us back here
Me: Thank you. Bye for now.
Aram: You're welcome
Aram: Is there anything else I may help you with today?
Aram: I have not heard from you in a while. Do you wish to continue this chat session?
Me: sorry, no I'm finished. Do you think that a "refresh" of the account has anything to do with the issue?
Aram: Yes, but if you still having the same problem, please do not hesitate to chat us back here

Now, the MJ has been work 100% for the last 3 days. The first call after this call to them failed. THe next call lasted 12:35 before I ended it.

Insteadof · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 18

Well, after working all week they "refreshed" my account and the last 3 calls went for 5 minutes and died. What a bunch of clueless twits. Back to the chat to get another refresh and hopefully I will be put on a working server.

Insteadof · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Posts: 18

Just got off Chat yet again. An interesting session. Seems like the agent knew all about the issue and had me enter a DNS address. Make sense.

Please wait for a site operator to respond.

You are now chatting with 'Nataie'

Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK43605070006X

Nataie: Hello, how may I help you?

Neil: please have one of your managers view this chat. This is my 10th call this week.

Neil: I called about the 5 minute problem earlier today.

Neil: Things were working fine all week and I wanted to know if there was a fix.

Nataie: Your call cuts after 5 minutes, is that correct?

Neil: YES!!!!

Neil: the person reset my account and now every call cuts out

Nataie: Do you want me to transfer you to the higher level of support>?

Neil: here is the call from today!!!Please wait for a site operator to respond. You are now chatting with 'Aram' Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK43605061036X Aram: Hello, how may I help you? Me: Is there any update on the issue where the call is limited to 5 minutes? Aram: No, May I have your magicJack phone number please ? Me: xxx-xxx-xxxx Aram: Please wait while I check that for you Aram: Thank you for waiting... Aram: Please run the latest upgrade below Aram: http://upgrades.magicjack.com/upgrade/upgrade.exe Me: Is this any different than the one I was given Monday. I have run it everyday and still get the problem. Aram: I will be right with you. Aram: Do you have active anti-virus or Internet security suite in there ? Me: yes. Symantec anti-virus. It has been running along with MJ since March without a problem until the update a few weeks ago. Oh the other system has McAfee and also has the problem Aram: Can you locate the firewall on it ? Me: What I really need to know is if it is a known problem and it is being worked by MJ. I can live with that. Me: I have been through all the firewall settings with other "chat" people. All is fine. Aram: Hold on.. let me check your account again Aram: Thank you for waiting.. Aram: There's no problem on your account, I already refreshed it also, Please monitor your mj within 24 hours. If you still having the same problem, please do not hesitate to chat us back here Me: Thank you. Bye for now. Aram: You're welcome Aram: Is there anything else I may help you with today? Aram: I have not heard from you in a while. Do you wish to continue this chat session? Me: sorry, no I'm finished. Do you think that a "refresh" of the account has anything to do with the issue? Aram: Yes, but if you still having the same problem, please do not hesitate to chat us back here

Nataie: One moment please...

Neil: Please,,, it worked fine for 6 months and now this after me telling 4 other people to buy it

Nataie: Thank you for waiting

Nataie: Is your MJ device plugged in right now?

Neil: yes

Nataie: Are you able to see your dial pad on your computer screen right now?

Neil: yes

Nataie: Please follow these steps:

Nataie: Please click the Windows “START” button and select “Control Panel” ( if not in Classic view; click “Switch to classic view”).

Neil: are you going to tell me to look at the firewall AGAIN???

Nataie: We will add DNS for your magicjack

Neil: OK in the control panel

Nataie: Please double click “Network Connection” and tell me your active connection.

Neil: it is Local Area Connection Broadcom NetLink

Nataie: Now please right click on the “Local Are Connection” and select “Properties”

Neil: done

Nataie: In the box under “This connection uses the following items:”, please scroll down and look for “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” the double click on it.

Neil: done

Nataie: In there, please check the little circle that says ”use the following DNS Server address”. In Preferred DNS Server type in: 67.90.152.122, in Alternate DNS Server type in: 67.107.71.186 click OK and OK.

Neil: ok done

Nataie: Close that window

Nataie: Please restart your dial pad, click Menu>advanced users>restart

Neil: ok it shut down and restarted ok

Nataie: Try to place a test call

Neil: doing it now to my cell beside me

Nataie: Alright

Neil: connected and waiting

Nataie: okay

Neil: sorry for my anger. It is very frustrating as this has worked for months, then the updgrade

Nataie: Yes, I understand what you feel Neil

Neil: if MJ would just send a message to acknowledge the problem then I can live wiht the fact that it is broken and you are working on it

Neil: 1:50 into call

Nataie: Alright

Neil: 3:00 and OK

Nataie: Okay

Neil: ok!! past the 5:00 mark.

Nataie: Great

Nataie: How was it?

Neil: not sure if this is the full solution, but a lot of people at http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/5-minute-limit-t9646-45.html would be happy to know it.

Nataie: Alright

Neil: thank you for your help I will continue to monitor. As I said, sorry for the anger, but I recommended the product and it stopped working

Nataie: Alright

Nataie: That's okay Neil I understand you

Nataie: Is there anything else I may help you with today?

Neil: No do I just leave the entry and consider it a fix?

Nataie: Yes Neil

Neil: thank you. Bye for now

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

Well Neil this works for me too for now. I can call out over the 5 minute limit without getting cut off. I ended my call by hanging up at the 6 minute mark and it was still working at that time.

Thank You

BrentOwen · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 18

OK, I had a chat session too and they gave me the same instructions. I just set the DNS as per your chat (and mine). They also asked me to open up some ports but I have not done this yet. So far I made only one phone call, and it worked fine. My call was for 10 minutes without any problems.

I will keep everybody informed if this continues to work.

It would have been nice if they emailed us to let us know that they are having a problem in Canada. They just made a lot of angry people and lost a bunch of customers to NetTalk.

asperger · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 11 Nov 2010 Posts: 8

insteadof said "As I said, sorry for the anger, but I recommended the product and it stopped working "

I think that using magicjack dns servers is even worse than not being able to make call that last longer than five minutes; if you regret recommending magicjack in the first place, don't compound that regret by advising the poor suckers who followed your advice into bastardizing their internet connection as well.

Like you, i also regret my whole magicjack experience, but there is no way i'm ever going to route my dns queries through magicjack servers.

bitstopjoe

BrentOwen · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 18

I have MJ running on a separate computer that is only used for MJ. Will setting up the network connection using the DNS servers that MJ suggested affect all of the computers on my network? Also, does opening the ports they suggest also degrade my network security.

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

Well that didn't last long. Today I am back to the 5 minute limit with my Canadian number. When I changed to the setting Preferred DNS Server type in: 67.90.152.122, in Alternate DNS Server type in: 67.107.71.186 it only worked for one call. Then I registers and setup with OpenDNS and still have the 5 minute limit.

split01 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 21 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

same thing for me... 5mins exactly...

I made some tests with different providers. I've noticed this happens only with bell! I can talk over 5,10,15min with rogers and telus.

How about you guys?

asperger · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 11 Nov 2010 Posts: 8

chucky365 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2010 Posts: 16

jerry west · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 19 Nov 2010 Posts: 9

I can't take credit for this, as I read it somewhere else, on another thread, but it has worked for me and now my MJ is working normal - no more 5 min. call drops.

1. Get the uninstall majicjack.exe from the MJ website, and uninstall the software from your computer.

2. after the uninstall in done, wait 5 mins, and plug in the MJ, without the phone cord attatched. The Mj will start up and re-install itself.

3. connect phone cord and try a test call. It has worked for me without fail and have been using it for 3 days now very suceesfully.

Good luck....................hope it helps

split01 · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 21 Nov 2010 Posts: 4

jerry west,

never found uninstall magicjack.exe on MJ website... Do you happen to have a link? I would like to try your solution. Thanks!

tsmith · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:32 pm Post subject:

When you're on the MJ website, click on FAQ near the bottom of the page, on the next page do a search with "uninstall" as the keyword. Then click on "How do I uninstall magicJack from my computer?"

jerry west · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 19 Nov 2010 Posts: 9

when i uninstalled and then reinstalled, the MJ worked fine for 3 days, then the 5 minute cut began all over again.

i spent time on the chat line with different techs, changing the ports on my router and other tricks, and sometimes i get to call as normal, other times the 5 minute cut returns.

this seems to be a software problem that came about a few weeks ago, and the big guys at MJ need to send out a upgrade fix.

rbsmith2000 · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 11

What really increased the reliability for me were these, especially after a software upgrade destabilized it:

Replace Norton AV with Microsoft Security Essentials
Remove ALG support (all 4 versions) from my router - I was really surprised by this.
Prioritize background tasks over applications.

My PCs are dedicated, aging laptops. Low CPU and low memory (by design). I suspect that CPU power and memory are 'brute force' solutions for other problems. Try those changes and see.

eddiemcm · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 3

I have 5 minute block on calls using AT&T DSL.When I use the
Realtek software that came with my USB adapter to access internet,
there is no 5 minute block.I always thought that this problem was
because I was connected to an overloaded MJ server.Does anyone
have any insight on this?

eddiemcm · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 3

I replaced my DSL modem and have had no more 5 minute
blocking stuff-hmmm...