Magic Jack Alternative

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 4:46 pm

Well, I have trouble with my magic jack. So many classic symptoms that keep popping up, that I'm looking to find another service. Quite frankly it's embarrassing.

I'm looking for something cheap. It can be more that magic jack just not too much more. It has to be easy to set up as well. I got a invite to something called Google Voice. I don't know it that helps things? I just want something that works right and works even if my computer was off. That would be nice but it's not a major requirement. I hear good things about vontange; however, they are way too much.

Any good ideas?

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:25 pm

Here's a good starting point http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/what ... -t206.html there are tons of choices.

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:04 pm

Well, is Skype a good alternative to magic jack? I'm not educated in all the therms and ways of, Voip but it seems that I can get a sub for $2.95 per month and buy a special phone so I wouldn't have to dial the numbers on the computer. I get unlimited incoming and out going calls in/out of USA, right? Hidden fees or taxes? Could I have my computer off to get / give calls? Do I just plug the phone into my at&t gateway router?

BTW I upped my internet service to at&t to 6.0 speed (highest) so magic jack could work better. Well it didn't. I shouldn't have bought another year with them.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:11 pm

Or there is this................

https://www.tk6000.com/

Joe Sica

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:30 pm

bitstopjoe wrote:Or there is this................

https://www.tk6000.com/

Joe Sica

too new. and it looks like magic jack. lol I don't trust it. Where's the caller ID?

Can anyone else answer the skype questions? Please

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:34 pm

Yes it does but it is ATA, no PC required. Read their forum.
I agree, it is to new to take seriously, for now...

I am pretty sure I read they have Caller ID..

Joe Sica

lcompton · Post by **lcompton** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:40 pm

Good evening, theplunger (or should that be just plain plunger?)

theplunger wrote:Well, is Skype a good alternative to magic jack? I'm not educated in all the therms and ways of, Voip but it seems that I can get a sub for $2.95 per month and buy a special phone so I wouldn't have to dial the numbers on the computer. I get unlimited incoming and out going calls in/out of USA, right? Hidden fees or taxes? Could I have my computer off to get / give calls? Do I just plug the phone into my at&t gateway router?

I recommend that you read my notes on using Skype as a replacement for magicJack. I've been using Skype in place of magicJack since January of this year and the service has functioned very well for me. Skype includes, at no cost, Skype-to-Skype calls worldwide. I have a basic Skype-Out (outbound calling) subscription, which is unlimited (up to 10,000 minutes/month) local, toll and long distance calling throughout the United States and Canada for an annual cost of USD29.50. You save two months' subscription rate when paying for an annual subscription. International calling to non-Skype telephones outside North America is not included. You will need to look at Skype's international rates to learn more about international calling to people unreachable on Skype.

A Skype-In, or DID, telephone number normally costs USD60.00/annum. However, users who subscribe to any Skype-Out service receive a 50% discount on a Skype-In telephone number bringing the annual cost to USD30.00. This means a full Skype service can be used for USD59.50/annum, which is what I paid for my first year of service.

I was able to re-use the thin client I had setup for magicJack and I purchased a D-Link DPH-50U from Amazon.com for USD7.99 after a USD10.00 rebate from D-Link. The service functions consistently well and Skype has performed better overall for me than magicJack. However, Skype is more costly than magicJack.

While Skype has functioned well for me over the past seven months, some disturbing news has surfaced that eBay, the owner of Skype, has encountered legal problems with their licensing rights to some of the core software in Skype. This development prevents me from unhesitantly recommending Skype as an alternative to magicJack. I can say that I will be watching the developments here in the coming months and that since the trial is set for sometime in June 2010 I am unlikely to renew my Skype service in January if I have an alternative that functions well for me.

theplunger wrote:BTW I upped my internet service to at&t to 6.0 speed (highest) so magic jack could work better. Well it didn't. I shouldn't have bought another year with them.

How long ago did you buy the additional year? You may be able to get a refund. Try a chat with their technical support and see if you can get the additional year refunded. I was able to get my additional five year subscription for USD59.95 completely refunded within 30 days of the purchase of the plan extension.

Good luck!

AlaninKY · Post by **AlaninKY** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:37 am

bitstopjoe wrote:Or there is this................

https://www.tk6000.com/

Joe Sica

I just visited the site and it's new and my bet is they don't have own phone network for quality calls.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:08 am

Yes it is new, as was MJ a few years ago. Yes it needs to prove itself too, as did MJ. I am not one to be the first kid on the block with something new. I like to sit back, do some reading and keep an eye on it. Who knows it may be something which will be better than MJ. Time will tell.
AGAIN if anyone tries it for the 30 days please lets us know here how it is/was..

Joe Sica

bobvoip · Post by **bobvoip** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:11 pm

I use Vonage, but, obviously, magicJack is cheaper. On the other hand, magicJack is great for long distance over seas calls from the US to people in exotic far away places.

I read the TK6000 site, and it seems that it is better than Vonage (cheaper for sure) and is a step up from magicJack. Has anyone gotten a TK6000 yet?

I posted something about comparing mj to vonage to tk6000 on vonage-forum.com and got banned.

Please do not ban me here. I own 3 magicjacks and love the product, but, the tk6000 seems wonderful.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:41 pm

I dont think you will be banned here... I posted the orig topic on the TK6000 and I am still here...........................

Zasas sdads dsaas fffdas
a s sdfsd Wait what's happening...... I cant t y p e ARGH.................................................

Poof............................................

Joe Sica

stroths · Post by **stroths** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 3:18 pm

bobvoip wrote: I posted something about comparing mj to vonage to tk6000 on vonage-forum.com and got banned.

Please do not ban me here. I own 3 magicjacks and love the product, but, the tk6000 seems wonderful.

The user that got banned here had posted the exact same message in 30 or 40 threads in a row. It was abuse and was treated as such.

There is no issue with having an opinion here about alternatives, but just follow the rules.

momo · Post by **momo** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 5:04 pm

stroths wrote:
bobvoip wrote: I posted something about comparing mj to vonage to tk6000 on vonage-forum.com and got banned.

Please do not ban me here. I own 3 magicjacks and love the product, but, the tk6000 seems wonderful.
The user that got banned here had posted the exact same message in 30 or 40 threads in a row. It was abuse and was treated as such.

There is no issue with having an opinion here about alternatives, but just follow the rules.

what about posting a link to an already made thread?

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/the- ... t7193.html

Short of calling another Land Line, the ATA you already have could dial IP addresses directly, without even going thru your VoIP service, to another ATA and ring that phone for FREE.

The PAP2T can do it, I'm sure other ATA's can too.

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:31 pm

While I'm waiting to get something else, I hooked up the MJ into my laptop. Well I got a whole host of problems.

Just today:

Picked up the phone to see if there was a dial tone. None!!! Grrrr!
(I noticed no one was calling this morning.)

Make call hear slight echo. (sometimes I hear loud echo!) Grrrrrrrr!
(I deal with it.)

Someone calls, I don't hear them. Grrrrrr rrrrrr rrr!!!!
(this one is the most common. I really hate it.)

I call someone they don't hear me. GGGGRRrrrrr!!
(Rare but annoying)

Call drop! This one is one really sucks because they think I'm hanging up on them.

Other services research:

Vontage = too much money

Skype = doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for.

Ooma = On there forum they seem to have some of the same problems as MJ, just less. Awesome features! But to get them $13 a month and $250 for the boxes and stripped service is too much.

TK6000 = not tested. and at $90! it better work!

I'm not sure what else it out there?

Darkman90808 · Post by **Darkman90808** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:00 pm

I'm not sure what else it out there?

I know what you mean; this whole MJ thing has started me on a quest. I feel your pain about some of the heartburn experienced when it doesn't work right. I got my first one last year around February. It really was embarassing at times.

But a lot of it was my fault. That was back when you could spoof your calls so I was screwing around with settings and stuff. And the echo would drive people mad.

Right now, the two I have seem to be working quite well. <knock on wood> I've seen the posts for ooma and also seen something called phone genie but besides the $$$, I'm not willing to go through the learning curve with something else, just yet. And, as the eternal optimist, I think Dan has sold so many of the darned things, eventually the wrinkles will be ironed out.

I've read enough posts to think that if you can get your settings right, your MJ will work fine. Good luck!

momo · Post by **momo** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:46 pm

Try looking at www.future-nine.com

plans show > http://www.future-nine.com/plans.html

Darkman90808 wrote:
I'm not sure what else it out there?
I know what you mean; this whole MJ thing has started me on a quest. I feel your pain about some of the heartburn experienced when it doesn't work right. I got my first one last year around February. It really was embarassing at times.

But a lot of it was my fault. That was back when you could spoof your calls so I was screwing around with settings and stuff. And the echo would drive people mad.

Right now, the two I have seem to be working quite well. <knock on wood> I've seen the posts for ooma and also seen something called phone genie but besides the $$$, I'm not willing to go through the learning curve with something else, just yet. And, as the eternal optimist, I think Dan has sold so many of the darned things, eventually the wrinkles will be ironed out.

I've read enough posts to think that if you can get your settings right, your MJ will work fine. Good luck!

kidbyte · Post by **kidbyte** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:59 pm

You might try www.voipo.com. Fairly cheap.

Kidbyte

theplunger wrote:Well, I have trouble with my magic jack. So many classic symptoms that keep popping up, that I'm looking to find another service. Quite frankly it's embarrassing.

I'm looking for something cheap. It can be more that magic jack just not too much more. It has to be easy to set up as well. I got a invite to something called Google Voice. I don't know it that helps things? I just want something that works right and works even if my computer was off. That would be nice but it's not a major requirement. I hear good things about vontange; however, they are way too much.

Any good ideas?

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:46 pm

I'm seriously looking at the Ooma Telo. I'm hearing very little negitive things about Ooma. I read they should be out in Aug. but, I also read they are just now sending them out for beta.

While I wait I would love to get MJ to work. Maybe a little? I can deal with the echo and a few other things but, I really need it to work if someone is trying to call. 1. They can't get through (the phone doesn't ring.) 2. The phone rings and I can't hear them. (They might hear me and/or they hear nothing as well.) Now the MJ does other bad things but those two are major.

fulcrum · Post by **fulcrum** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:39 am

I was thrilled when I first bought Magic Jack, but WOW, its been 3 months now, and the quality keeps getting worse and worse. First the beeping started, and then the call quality began to degrade. Now even if I reboot my computer and update the software for the dongle, it only takes 2 or 3 mins into a conversation before the other party says I'm breaking up.

Anyway, now I've purchased the Ooma phone system for $200 at Costco (special promotion through Aug 31st). It gives me all the same features I had with Vonage, but with $0 telephone bills for life.

I know people will balk at the price; I know I did, but its price keeps dropping. I realize that $200 buys 10 yrs of Magic Jack service, but that is also 10yrs of head aches and frustration, and explaining to everyone you talk to every time you make a call that its Magic Jacks crummy service. So I decided to buy Ooma, and so far it is as good a Vonage.

Since many stores are now selling it... (i.e. Walmart, Best Buy, Radio Shack, and Costco) you can buy one, try it out, and if you don't like it, then return it to the store. Costco has a 90 day return policy.

Its a better deal that what Majic Jack gave me when I ordered it on-line, as I wish I could return it, but sadly my understanding is that those who have tried don't get their money back. So anything store bought is a awesome as it can be returned.

And no I didn't wimp out on Magic Jack, I tried all the suggestions to make it better, even splicing in a resistor to get the Caller ID to work. Why in world should a customer ever have to splice a resistor into the phone line... that is what makes Magic Jack junk.

Anyway the Ooma system was as easy to set-up as Vonage, and displays the Caller ID and Caller Waiting ID the same as Vonage with all the extra lines of information. No splicing.

Anyway my wife is thrilled, which in my book, and probably several others out there is gold... if it passes the wife test, then it is good. I'm guessing that most of the people who have Magic Jack are men like me, as women would ditch it in less than a minute as soon as a problem becomes apparent. Women typically won't mess around with junk, and the reason we had the MJ garbage for 3 months is I kept telling my wife that eventually MJ will figure it out, and we were utilizing good work arounds... yeah I was only fooling myself.

Ooma is the way to go... stop those head aches and explanations to everyone you call.

Fulcrum

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:05 am

I have no doubt's that ooma is a superior product but
i could not justify $200.00 plus dollars on a device that if it breaks or the company goes out of business I'm sol. At least with MJ it's $40. I got one for even less by getting my prescriptions filled at cvs and got an $11 in store coupon. Even if MJ goes under you can still use the dongle with skype. If the ooma hub could ever be programmed or unlocked and used with another provider then I would go for it but I don't think thats gonna happen. Ooma has a ton of great features but googlevoice is doing it for free. MJ has it's problems but it's running about as smooth as I have ever had it now. Even the beeps are gone for now.

samarai · Post by **samarai** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:47 pm

As I said in an earlier post - I was tired of waiting for MJ to allow porting. I was paying almost $100 a month to ATT. I ported my # over to VOiPVOiP.com for free. Now I pay less than $8 a month for #s forwarded to my GV #. The calls are consistently high quality(after adjusting the codec in the ATA to a lower speed for VoIP). At first I ported to Voipvoip.com just to have a place to park my bs number until MJ allowed porting. I will stay with them after MJ porting is possible because of the higher quality of the VoIP service.
By the way - all of my telephone (3 MJs & ATA) and Internet services are done via Verizon through an aircard. I wanted the portability to use the service at my home office, RVing and at a lake house.

msiam · Post by **msiam** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:23 pm

Sam.. How did you get your ATA to work on a Verizon AirCard??

samarai · Post by **samarai** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:18 pm

msiam - The aircard connects to a Cradlepoint router that connects to a 24 port switch. The router also has WiFi. I just plugged the ATA into the switch and throttled the codecs down. MJ and ATA phone work great.

TwitterHoax · Post by **TwitterHoax** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:01 pm

There are actually sites out there buying back magicjacks and offering better phone service now,.

I haven't found one as cheap as mj though,. not even Lingo.

Darkman90808 · Post by **Darkman90808** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:40 pm

Going into my second year, and I still love my little bundle of joy. I have a Samsung Omnia that locks up regularly, sends calls into VM on the second ring, and cost me a bloody fortune. I may get off my inertia one of these days and look into an alternate VoIP solution, but for now, my MJ continues to save me $$$, with no muss, no fuss.

Okay, let's be realistic. Sometimes there's a little muss and fuss. But not much.

cell14 · Post by **cell14** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:13 am

. I may get off my inertia one of these days and look into an alternate VoIP solution

A waste of time for now, unless you want to spend significantly more. Additionally, most of the interesting looking stuff out there is beta or otherwise very new/unproven and you do not know who is going to be there a year from now on. The last thing I need is another change of phone numbers or more bills.

stroths · Post by **stroths** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:31 am

I am still using SIPgate and loving it so far. It has nice features which work well for me.

My wife needed a VOIP line for her business line and I needed something a little more seasoned and highly rated with proven reliability. I looked around online and did a lot of research. The name that kept popping up was CallCentric. The dsl reports website/forum has a VOIP section that rates different VOIP providers. Callcentric had extremely high ratings, so I got her setup on it and they are really nice. http://www.dslreports.com/comment/3050/66868

If you want to use them with a residential plan, look for their dirt cheap DID plans if they have it in your area. This gives you unlimited inbound calling for $2.95/mo plus $1.50/mo 911 fee. Outbound is $.02 a minute just like SIPGate.

They do not offer phone support, but instead do it through an online ticketing system. Their response time is great as I had questions after I signed up and had responses back very fast and they were knowledgeable. Not like the crap you get from MJ's chat support.

There are cheaper ones out there, but not as reliable and highly rated as Callcentric.

solearth · Post by **solearth** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:15 am

Voxox has unlimited calling for $2.45 a month. They have support for a SPA 2102 ATA.
The initial tests were good, but later I heard a voice saying "password invalid". I received an email that customer service is fixing the problem.

theplunger · Post by **theplunger** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:12 am

I ended up not getting Ooma. The price tag is just too much. I'm back at square one looing for a MJ replacement.

The last time I was trying to fix a MJ issue it lost all my contacts. I need go drop this damn thing in a volcano.

RobQ · Post by **RobQ** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:38 am

Why not try Nettalk? It cost 100 dollars for life. I had it for almost a month now and call quality is better than MJ. I still have MJ as another line for back up.

linkaccounting · Post by **linkaccounting** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:32 pm

I think it is important to have the server near where you live. I had a VOIP service ( Packet8) and the voice quality was not good because their servers were in San Jose, California. THis just my observation.

jsherk · Post by **jsherk** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:21 pm

Here a possible temporary option for porting your number in the meantime:
http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/loca ... t8395.html

norml jack · Post by **norml jack** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:12 pm

First time I heard of vontange, they new? I can't find their website.

jsherk · Post by **jsherk** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:26 pm

I can't find anything on Vontange, but if you mean Vontage, then it is really Vonage... found this on google:

Code: Select all

Vontage.com is the online division of Vonage, a phone service company.

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