Defective Jack?

capheind · Post by **capheind** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:45 am

Has anyone received a Magic Jack with a defective jack? Everything seems to work fine when I'm using the soft phone, but there is intermittent static bursts when I plug a phone into the port on the Magic Jack. I've tried two phones (one old wired phone, a new wireless phone) and have the same issue. Two different cables as well.

Does Magic Jack have an exchange policy? I don't so much want to cancel the service as just get a replacement MagicJack to see if that resolves the issue.

(I thought it best to ask here as I've seen far to many tech support horror stories around here to want to earn one myself)

lockmaster · Post by **lockmaster** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:57 am

Its quite possible to have a defective MJ but you might want to unplug and replug the mj back into the pc a couple times. Also run the MJ update (download from their site). Try adjusting the volume levels in the MJ menu. I returned one MJ to Radio Shack and got another when I suspected the first one as defective. There can be many variables that can effect a good installation. I found in several cases it was apparently with the MJ servers. In other cases it was problems just getting the MJ and the pc talking the same language... I installed several MJs last week for friends and everything went ok; with the exception that one MJ had to be restarted after a couple days.

capheind · Post by **capheind** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:07 pm

Well I've basically tried changing everything but the Magic Jack itself, I did the update twice (once on my own, once when the tech support person insisted I try it) and it didn't resolve it. Basically its only one person complaining that she hears a clicking statick intermittently, no matter which phone I call her on, but she only hears it when I'm on a phone plugged right into the MJ and not when I use the software phone, which (to my mind) precludes the internet service from being the issue.

However I did just get off an hour long call to my grandmother and she claimed that the call quality was actually better than my cell phone. At this point MJ is replacing it, if said pesky person still complains after the switch, and nobody else does, than I'll chock it up to here ear being on the blink. Thanks though.

mberlant · Post by **mberlant** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:13 pm

Are you using the short USB extension cord that comes with the MJ? These are of terrible quality and can insert the kind of interference you talk about.

capheind · Post by **capheind** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:54 am

Actually I am.... I'll have to call her with the Jack plugged directly into the computer.

capheind · Post by **capheind** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:02 am

Which isn't actually tooo doable as my only windows PC I have doesn't have any ports that will it will fit in.. Gotta love the design decision of having the USB plug mounted flush to the box so its unwieldy behind a computer with more than one thing plugged in.

mberlant · Post by **mberlant** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:23 am

It's only a 50/50 shot of that being the problem. Since the cheapness of the extension cord is in the sloppiness of the connectors, you might try wiggling the connections to see if it helps.

capheind · Post by **capheind** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:55 pm

I think at this point I'm going to try the replacement as its only one person who complains about this, and nobody else. If they keep it up after the swap i can write them off as nuts and move on.

tony · Post by **tony** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:35 pm

capheind wrote:Which isn't actually tooo doable as my only windows PC I have doesn't have any ports that will it will fit in..

Any old USB extension cable will work. I use a 6' one so the MJ is on top of the desk.

Try a bunch of other calls to see if you can eliminate the destination as being the problem, or all destinations. A good testing number to try is any national chain store with an automated answering system (e.g, Home Depot). You don't actually need to bother anyone for a test call and the recorded message is long enough to give you an idea of the call quality.