Outgoing call quality

Bigal1965 · Post by **Bigal1965** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 11:55 am

The problem I am having is that when I make a call (or receive, too, I think) I can hear the other person just fine, but they say that I am often "broken up".
I have a new computer that is pretty fast, plenty of memory, etc. I've got a 12Mbps cable connection. I'm using an external POWERED USB hub as well. I don't think that the computer hardware is the problem

I'm running Vista and I did install the updates. Has anyone had good incoming call quality, but poor outgoing call quality? BTW, my upload speed is approx 1 Mbps, so I don't think that the internet connection is to blame.
I have tried the following:
1. making background programs a priority
2. In task manager making a MJ.exe "high priority" instead of Normal
3. Using a powered USB hub.
4. It has done the same thing with 2 different computers, so I am really leaning away from blaming computer hardware here.

My next step is to take the router out of the equation and see what happens. Maybe need to open up more ports??? Currently the internet connection has to go through my wireless router before it goes to my desktop where the MJ is plugged into.

Any help would be most appreciated. I have searched these forums fairly well and haven't seen anything that really approaches my exact issue. Thanks in advance for your help.

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 12:32 pm

If you remove the router and the call quality has not improved try switching the proxy server your MJ connects to. Some servers are good and some are oversold causing poor call quality. Here's a link to the MJ wiki http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack it has the directions for this. The easiest way I have found to tell the proxy server you connect to is to download and run wireshark. Make a phone call and then see what server your MJ connects to. Follow the instructions in the wiki and this way you can eliminate wether the problem is on MJ's end or on your end.

Alpman · Post by **Alpman** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:38 pm

Does your router happen to be a Linksys WRT54G? If so, a reflash to the newest firmware should fix the call quality problem. Same router/firmware issues with calls being dropped as well. Do a search for details...

groverwood · Post by **groverwood** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:07 pm

I am running into same problem. I've tried on 2 computers and it's unusable. Incoming sound is fine, but outgoing is totally garbled. This setup has worked fine for over a year, and all of a sudden, this week, it's been unusable, especially today.

I tried the magic jack on another computer, and same problem. So I'm going to wait a few days and see if things get better 'all by themselves'. I don't think there's anything wrong with MY setup

cell14 · Post by **cell14** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:42 pm

I have experienced a similar problem in the last several days. Neiher my hardware, nor the server or router are the problem ( at least not to any higher extend than in the past ).
I cannot tell whether the Vista upgrades are to be blamed, i will have to try it next week on a XP machine.

groverwood · Post by **groverwood** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:02 am

I spent what seems like 6 hours on 'chat' with 3 different 2nd-tier support people. They ran me through every imaginable 'fix' but nothing made any difference. I installed the magic jack on a different computer and the behavior was the same. I'm convinced that there's something going wrong on Magic Jack's end. My setup had been working great for over a year, and all of a sudden it stops working. No software changes on my machine caused this.

It would be interesting to hear whether others out there are having the same problem. I suspect they've got servers overloaded or internal software issues but I can't prove anything. All I can do is CHAT, and keep trying hopeless 'fixes'.

I'm going to give it a week and see if things magically fix themselves.

groverwood · Post by **groverwood** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:24 pm

followup:
After hours upon hours of no luck, I tried making a call through the softphone itself, rather than phone attached to usb dongle. The sound quality was fine. So that led me to suspect the magic jack dongle or the usb hub that it was attached to. I unplugged the powered hub from the power source (but kept plugged into back of computer). Call quality improved - as surprise as I wouldn't have expected this. Then I plugged magic jack dongle directly into usb port on my laptop (this was 1st time I could actually attach magic jack directly to computer rather than through a hub). I tried it and call quality was good. So that led me to suspect that usb powered hub was the culprit. I went out and bought a new usb powered hub, and call quality is now back to 'normal'. I bought that hub on ebay from Windmill Trading last year, and it's served me well, but it must have gone bad - even though giving the appearance of working.

So I'm back up and running. I spent about 6-8 hours with magic-jack chat trying "everything". Problem turned out, once again to be the usb connection, and solved with powered hub, only a different one this time.

At least I know, after spending all that time on chat, that I have every possible setting optimized for magic jack on that computer.

groverwood · Post by **groverwood** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:27 pm

oh yeah, and you're all asking why didn't I just plug the magic jack directly into the computer? When I do that, my computer says device malfunction, no matter which usb port I use. My computer just doesn't work with the magic jack by itself - I need a hub in between the magic jack and the computer. Maybe all my computers don't need that, but the one I use for magic jack (Dell Optiplex 745), Win XP - that computer needs it.

closer · Post by **closer** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:38 pm

Ive had choppy outgoing quality ever since i got this mj less than 60 days ago. I thought it was the dongle, so i installed mj onto my laptop. nothing, it is not the dongle! I am calling from Toronto, Canada

Im running xp with 3gigs of ram, 2ghz cpu and plugged in directly into the internet via a cable modem. no av, no internet security and also running mj as a service. my speeds are 10megs download and 1 meg upload. my jitters are fine as well, i think it was 1.6 or something like that. ive gone through all of the toggles with a router (wired and wireless) configurations.

my only chance to save my mj relationship is by changing the proxy server manually. i emailed that dan guy to change my server, but still nothing.

anyone else?

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:15 pm

closer wrote:Ive had choppy outgoing quality ever since i got this mj less than 60 days ago. I thought it was the dongle, so i installed mj onto my laptop. nothing, it is not the dongle!

Im running xp with 3gigs of ram, 2ghz cpu and plugged in directly into the internet via a cable modem. no av, no internet security and also running mj as a service. my speeds are 10megs download and 1 meg upload. my jitters are fine as well, i think it was 1.6 or something like that. ive gone through all of the toggles with a router (wired and wireless) configurations.

my only chance to save my mj relationship is by changing the proxy server manually. i emailed that dan guy to change my server, but still nothing.

anyone else?

I'm running MJ on an old Compaq Evo laptop XP SP2 with 128 MB of ram, 697 Mhz cpu with 748kbps down and 121kbps up. Try going to the MJ wiki http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack it has good directions explaining how to change the proxy server your MJ connects to. I do this with both of my MJ's. One is set for the Atlanta server and the other for the New York server. Both are known to have problems and are oversold. Here are some old threads with some great info for this also http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/atla ... t4937.html & http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/mj-w ... t4651.html & http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/sele ... t4287.html I saw the call quality improve greatly after getting off the Atlanta server with my first MJ. If your set for an overloaded server the calls can be very choppy and it does not matter how good someone's computer is or how fast their internet connection is the calls can sound terrible. I was ready to throw MJ in the trash can until I learned how to do this. Good luck and keep us updated.

closer · Post by **closer** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:16 pm

Here are the list of proxy servers that i have blocked:

67.88.10.198 proxy1.cleveland.talk4free.com
66.104.96.198 proxy1.columbus.talk4free.com
67.88.11.6 proxy1.pittsburgh.talk4free.com
216.234.79.8 proxy1.miami.talk4free.com
67.88.84.6 proxy1.houston.talk4free.com
67.91.96.134 proxy1.memphis.talk4free.com
67.90.16.6 proxy1.tampa.talk4free.com
216.234.67.8 proxy1.philadelphia.talk4free.com
216.234.69.8 proxy1.chicago.talk4free.com
67.90.152.70 proxy1.nashville.talk4free.com
67.109.32.70 proxy1.sacramento.talk4free.com
64.1.213.70 proxy1.sanfrancisco.talk4free.com

Here are some new ones I have found:
12.69.64.8 dallas
216.234.66.8 palm beach
69.67.185.8 ???

currently im on the denver proxy server, and it does not seem like there is any difference whatsoever...is there something im missing?

what are the other canadian folk doing? btw im on the cogeco internet system

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:00 pm

Have you pinged any of the servers to see if there's any packet loss and the average time it takes to complete. You can also test your internet connection at http://www.pingtest.net/ and it will grade the quality of your connection for voip. The best thing to try for is to connect to a server that gives you the lowest ping times with the least amount of packet loss. This will increase your chances of improving call quality. The other thing to check is to make sure you can't ping a server you have already blocked to double check.

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:20 pm

The part about fixing proxies and switching servers isn't simple at all. The advice is useless to someone that knows very little about that type of thing. It doesn't explain how to do it.

sabresfan · Post by **sabresfan** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:27 pm

Black Magick wrote:The part about fixing proxies and switching servers isn't simple at all. The advice is useless to someone that knows very little about that type of thing. It doesn't explain how to do it.

Try this http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/sele ... t4287.html The steps to get here for xp click on start, then run then type cmd then click ok. A black screen will pop up and this is where all this stuff comes into play.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:27 pm

Watch out guys as he will call you an idiot if you ask him to serach

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/chop ... t8304.html

Joe Sica

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:37 pm

Looks like I have a stalker....

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:55 pm

No just someone who doesn't like to be called an idiot when he suggests you do a search first..... BECAUSE if I didn't tell you to do a search first OTHERS would have..

Joe Sica

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 4:11 pm

Like I said IDIOT, I did do a search first.
Obviously nothing to help me came back. Just like this crap you posted isn't helping. I'm not a computer geek, so I don't understand this BS they're recommending.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 4:20 pm

Then I suggest you return MJ and try two cans and a string. Seems to be your speed.. sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow

Joe Sica

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:05 pm

According to your logic, Im slow because I don't know anything about IP's, proxies, etc.?
Alright dude, if you say so. Take your childish behavior somewhere else.

To anyone else, I apologize if my words sounded rude or anything. I was just ticked off over this whole phone situation and was typing while trying to figure it out. I hope I didn't offended anyone. Again, I apologize to those that tried to help.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:28 pm

No slow as had you done a "proper" search in the first place you would have gotten your answer and not call someone an idiot for suggesting ( albeit somewhat tongue in cheek) you do a search first. NOT knowing HOW to apply the answer doesnt mean you are slow. Not everyone is computer savy.
Also in your orig post had you mentioned you already did a search and did not find anything THEN a link would have been provided with no comments ( a least by me, I can't speak for the other geeks on here who also get tired of people asking questions that have been answered many many times in this forum).
By the way I did type this VERY slow

))

Joe Sica

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:29 pm

I guess you're also incapable of reading and comprehending. How many times am I gonna have to tell you that I searched first and found the same crap that you pointed out? Things that I didn't understand.

Get a life, dude. Seriously. If I hurt your feelings by calling you an idiot, then so be it. Get a hobby and quit stalking me.

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:58 pm

But I see how you deleted your post where you said you did a search and found NOTHING at all ( NOT the same crap I pointed you too) or the links I gave you. THEN you went to those topics in the links I gave you and posted there. Hmmmmmmmmmm

Get your story straight moron....

I am tired of wasting my time with a dumbass who doesnt get it. Probably watches MSNBC too.

This is my last post and reply to you.. As they say, you can't fix stupid.

So reply back all you want..

Joe Sica

Black Magick · Post by **Black Magick** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:01 pm

I didn't delete anything....
Quit making up lies to make yourself feel better.

Aren't you too old to be letting people hurt your feelings over the internet?