Advanced Call Forwarding

[helocentric]

Is there any way to configure Magic Jack to forward selected numbers to my cell phone and have all other calls go to voice mail?

[tony]

Is there any way to configure Magic Jack to forward selected numbers to my cell phone and have all other calls go to voice mail?

I don't think it's possible with the user setup you get with MJ. You'd need some other forwarding service to filter calls first. Calls you want to your cell phone get forwarded, others to a voice mail service.

One option is to have MJ forward all calls to your cell then you screen calls based on the caller ID. Some cells let you assign different ring tones to different caller IDs. You can filter based on the ring tone. Maybe silent ring on the numbers you want to go straight to voicemail.

How much filtering do you plan/need to do anyways?

[helocentric]

If there is any possible way I would like the calls to be filtered before they get forwarded on. My goal is to eliminate my personal cell phone, and have 90% of my calls go to voice mail and the remaining 10% of calls I want forwarded to my work issued cell phone that I am authorized to use for limited personal calls.

I want it to be able to filter out all of the calls from telemarketers, creditors, etc, and only forward on the calls originating from my "approved callers" list.

[az2008]

I want it to be able to filter out all of the calls from telemarketers, creditors, etc, and only forward on the calls originating from my "approved callers" list.

You could probably do it with a tool like this: http://www.voicecallcentral.com/advancedcallcenter.htm

You'd have to have a dedicated, always-on machine (a thin client or laptop using a flash drive to reduce electricity costs). That tool uses a modem or special telephony card (see requirements). You'd connect the phone jack out of the USB device into the device it uses.

Mark

[helocentric]

Thanks! That looks like it will probably do the trick. I will have to pick up a spare phone cable (can't believe I cant find one laying around) to make all of the connections, and then I will give it a try.

It doesn't make mention of it, but it seems that it would need a second phone line for this to work? As one call comes in on the MJ number, if its approved to be forwarded on, it would essentially place that call on hold, dial out to my cell on a second line, and then connect the two calls together, or is there something I am missing that would allow it to do this on the one MJ line?

[az2008]

It doesn't make mention of it, but it seems that it would need a second phone line for this to work?

I didn't look at it that closely, but you're right. The "call forwarding" feature seems to just be an email notification which may include the voice message. Not real forwarding.

But, you could google for call-forwarding software. Maybe also look at "asterisk" (an open source telephony software). Depending on how motivated you are, there is probably a way to do it. But, then you probably get into problems with MJ's ToS (bypassing the softphone).

Mark

[VaHam]

Maybe also look at "asterisk" (an open source telephony software). Depending on how motivated you are, there is probably a way to do it. But, then you probably get into problems with MJ's ToS (bypassing the softphone).

Mark

While it is a messy approach you could use MJ hosted on a standalone (i.e. Thin Client) and use the RJ-11 side of a MJ as as trunk into Asterisk just as you would a POTS line.

Messy but doesn't break the TOS.

[ng12345]

look at grandcentral.com

it can filter and forward to a specific number based on who is calling, etc.

it would require you to ask people to dial a different phone number than the one you currently have