magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

saxman · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject:

I did all the reg edit stuff with the MJ support people and the new one still won't work. It still says to plug into the usb. The old one works fine but has bad audio so I can't see why the new one won't work.

hsweiss · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:09 pm Post subject:

I wonder if the new one is bad? Have you tried it in another computer - e.g., a fresh install on a different box? Wouldn't it be nice if MJ had a diagnostic to test the dongle without putting us and their tech chat thru hours of do this, do that?

murphy · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

saxman · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject:

Well, like I said, I've been through 5 different tech support people now ans done a complete re-install of the MJ files. They have always asked me my phone number and they have all said it's ready to go. But it's not. I have no idea whats blocking it. I've shut down the AV and firewall and have no idea whats keeping it from loading.

krieg · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 23

I have been reading about all the problems of MJ, and have had a few myself. The main reason I purchased MJ was for the cheap long distance calls, BUT, I have found something MUCH better, thanks to a poster on these boards. It's called "dukadial", and it is FREE. Call quality blows MJ right out of the water, and it's FREE, not just cheap like the MJ service. Soooo, while we are waiting for this company to get it's $#!t together, I can still keep in touch with friends and family all over the country. Very Happy

rodak · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 19

Remember I said I'd finally gotten my MJ to route me through the nearby Atlanta proxy? Well, that blasted thing is determined to route my calls through Chicage! They have CHANGED the address of the Chicago proxy! I found this in my Tomato QoS Details display today:

proxy1.chicago.talk4free.com (216.234.69. Cool

5070 Highest

This address is NOT in pageman's list of proxies! I think the Chicago proxy used to be 216.234.70.8.

That may explain my poor call quality the weekend after I made the change.

az2008 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:57 am Post subject:

saxman · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:15 pm Post subject:

'That may explain my poor call quality the weekend after I made the change." Sure hope it's not a of things to comefor ya. The first year I had MJ I loved it-it worked great after I got it set up right and added the Hawking Broadband booster.The second year was good but startd to have trouble I think. It seems like it's been about a year.

rodak · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 19

Yep, you're right about it changing - I can see them adding new proxies or removing some from time to time, but I didn't know they'd actually change the IP address of an existing proxy. I mean, what possible reason could they have for doing that, except to thwart the efforts of folks like us to improve our call quality by choosing a better proxy? (I know, I know, they probably have some strange *good* reason for doing so, but it sure feels like I'm forced to go through that blasted Chicago proxy no matter what I do!)

saxman · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject:

Well I tried it all and even did a complete XP reinstall. This has all been a real test on my blood prssure, which is normally high but I take meds for it, but lately it's been probably through the roof as my frustration levels have gone ballistuic. I have been trying to get the new one to install-Yeterday it finally did but I find out I have to have a new number for the new dongle. Which is bs-they can transfer the number to the new one but now thats the big problem. So I had to go back to using my old one becaus they don't have a new number in my area cose!!!There goes my BP!

So they tewll me it will be another 10 bucks to switch numbers. I say just give me my old number-switch it from the old dongle to the new one-simple right? No-They said when registered the new one it automatically gave me a new number even though I never asked for one! Itold Dan this is a design flaw in the reg window-there should be an escape to back out that window in the event of an error or changed mind. There is none-your stuck with the number and now Rikard's trying to get the engineeres to switch it for me.I have to go with Ooma-My BP can't take this anymore. Between the sketchy calls and sketchy support, this is having a negative effect on my health and could cause me to go back to drinking! lol-just kidding on that part but it is bad for the heart to put so much pressure on it and this outfit does just that.

saxman · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:54 pm Post subject:

I have a lady friend that I would love to talk to but she hates my phone and I can't blame her. So, in the name of love, and hopefully sex, I got to get a new system that she likes. Or I never get it! I'm trying to introduce her to my dongle but the phones not doin it's part! lol

az2008 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:59 pm Post subject:

az2008 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject:

az2008 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:49 pm Post subject: Server quality (Jan 31)

I went through a bunch of proxies tonight. The results weren't very good (see below). I found a couple things that were odd:

1. There was considerable variation on a single server. My first call might be clear. The next 4-5 calls would be extremely choppy. Or, 3-4 calls were clear, and one call extremely choppy.

My descriptions below describe the majority of calls on a server.

2. I think the chop is due to MJ's echo cancellation or their low-volume squelch (those two may be one in the same). I've found certain words are more susceptible to fading and chopping. For example:

... 2a. When I say "mathematical" (pronounced quickly, but deliberately enunciating the syllables, "math - ah - mat - ah - cal" it cuts out the "cal."

... 2b. When I count from 1 to 10, it frequently cuts out the "six." I can repeat "five six" a few times and the "six" will drop (or *fade*) out.

Even if speaking random words doesn't revel much chop, those words are likely to be chopped. There were only a couple of calls where it handled those words.

====>>>> servers

Phoenix - moderate chop.

San Fran. - moderate chop.

Tampa - moderate chop.

Houston - moderate chop

Sacramento - good

Minneapolis - good

Cleveland - good

Las Vegas - moderate chop

Miami - moderate chop

Atlanta - Choppy

Seattle - Good

Washington - Choppy

New York - Choppy

Salt Lake City - Choppy

San Diego - Choppy

free2talk · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:39 pm Post subject:

Audio choppy and garbled today.I have a phone with LA area code.

Audio was good the past few days and its started to act up again.
With the setup being the same its got to be problems at their end.

Anyone else having problems with 323 area code ?

rodak · magicJack Apprentice Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 19

Not 323, but I made a call today from the 678 area code to a 770 number (both near Atlanta), through the Atlanta proxy, and the choppiness was about the worst I've heard yet.

Boy, I sure hope MJ gets their act together soon.

free2talk · Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject:

better fot last TWO days...Area code 3232 lets see how long this lasts...

free2talk · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 3:19 pm Post subject:

Back to stuttering audio.With my setup being exactly the same MJ is at it again.Anyone else having stuttering problems since friday 13th Feb .

duncanSF · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 3

"I ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-ca-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?-lo?"

Useless for voice calls. MagicJack works fine as a voicemail service and I can set it up through Skype.

gators5 · MagicJack User Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 46

For what it is worth---I have been using both MJ & ooma for the last 10 days. I just bought ooma and I wanted to compare the MJ and ooma side by side.
MJ continues to have echoes, choppy audio and an occasional dropped calls.
ooma is like Ma Bell, you pick up the phone and make a call and it works perfectly. The same when the phone rings, you answer it and there are no issuses with the quality of the audio.
Do like that ooma has name & number caller ID.
I was going to test both for 30 days, but if I continue to get similar results over the nexxt few days I will be an exclusive ooma user.

az2008 · Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:54 pm Post subject:

gators5 · MagicJack User Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 46

Kool aide is not being served, it is just one man's experience comparing MJ with ooma.

gators5 · MagicJack User Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 46

ooma doubters, youmay want to read this...
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/voip/ooma-the-fcc-backed-phone-company.html

az2008 · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:39 pm Post subject:

magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

It is all about audio