I just have some questions about Magic Jack before I buy...

[dracoXK]

I am going to be moving to New Zealand in August to be with my fiancee. As my whole family lives in the USA I was looking at getting a Magic Jack to keep in touch with everyone. But i had a few questions before I made the swich over.

I read that you can transfer landlines over to the MJ but what about cell lines? All of my friends and family know my cell number. So keeping that is really a high priority when getting something like MJ (though i only know of Ooma as a simmilar product, or Vonage, which is to much for the move I am making).

I also wonder about voicemail, though I am still looking and finding information on this, but to check it you need to call your own number... but if you are international is there another way then using another phone to call your phone?

If the MJ has one number attached to it, but you need to get a new MJ for some reason ( I have read about some of the problems and sometimes needing a new MJ to replace it) how easy is it to keep the same number? or do you need a new one each time?

I have a 1920's princess phone that has no power plug because it runs fully off of the phone line, is it possible to still use this phone? does the MJ provide enough power for phones that are not plugged in?

Is there a way to have two phones hooked to it? or do i need to get one of the phones that splits the line and has cordless attached to the number?

If i do not have the MJ plugged it, or there is a powerottage or something, will my calls go to voice mail so I do not miss them?

I probably will think of other questions soon. I was thinking about getting one and becoming use to it before i actually move in order to try and work out most of the kinks before i am in New Zealand and stuck with out a way to call my family. As well as some of these questions may already be answered and i must admit i am still going thought the forms here for my answers, but i thought i would ask. many people here have use the MJ for years and i thought posting and hoping for answers would help me.

Thank you. And if this is not the right place to post this, please let me know. I will move my questions :3

[hsweiss]

I read that you can transfer landlines over to the MJ but what about cell lines? All of my friends and family know my cell number. So keeping that is really a high priority when getting something like MJ (though i only know of Ooma as a simmilar product, or Vonage, which is to much for the move I am making).

No - if you mean move your existing phone number (either land-line or cell) to a MJ - they don't do that. You have to get a new number.

I also wonder about voicemail, though I am still looking and finding information on this, but to check it you need to call your own number... but if you are international is there another way then using another phone to call your phone?

You have to call your own MJ number to get voice mail - if you have an MJ with a US number you probably won't want to use a phone that is local to New Zealand to do this. You would want to use the MJ.

If the MJ has one number attached to it, but you need to get a new MJ for some reason ( I have read about some of the problems and sometimes needing a new MJ to replace it) how easy is it to keep the same number? or do you need a new one each time?

You really should read the www.magicjack.com web site because a lot of this info is on their FAQ. When you register a MJ you pick a phone number with an area code anywhere in the US they have avail. If you find that you want to change that number, you can get another number for free. If you again want to change numbers, they charge you $10.

I have a 1920's princess phone that has no power plug because it runs fully off of the phone line, is it possible to still use this phone? does the MJ provide enough power for phones that are not plugged in?

Princess phones are not from the 1920s - they were introduced either in the late 50s or early 60s. That phone will work with MJ - the issue may be if its really old it may have a mechanical bell which takes a decent amount of power to ring. You might want to invest in a cheap "princess" like phone for $10 that has an electronic ringer that uses a lot less power because the mJ has a limited amount of power to run the phone. You can also use mJ without a phone - just a headset and the softphone will work.

Is there a way to have two phones hooked to it? or do i need to get one of the phones that splits the line and has cordless attached to the number?

A standard phone splitter will work.

If i do not have the MJ plugged it, or there is a powerottage or something, will my calls go to voice mail so I do not miss them?

Yes, calls will go to voice mail if you don't answer the phone or the computer is off, or the MJ is not plugged in.

[mberlant]

I read that you can transfer landlines over to the MJ but what about cell lines?

MJ does not support LNP at all, and I don't believe they ever will. There are threads here that discuss this topic in great detail. Please have a look at them.

If the MJ has one number attached to it, but you need to get a new MJ for some reason ( I have read about some of the problems and sometimes needing a new MJ to replace it) how easy is it to keep the same number? or do you need a new one each time?

If your MJ dies and needs to be replaced there is a method (which must be followed carefully) to move your old MJ phone number onto your new MJ device.

I have a 1920's princess phone that has no power plug because it runs fully off of the phone line, is it possible to still use this phone? does the MJ provide enough power for phones that are not plugged in?

The Princess phone was introduced in 1959 and became popular in the early 1960s when AT&T ran their "It's little... It's lovely... It lights." advertising campaign. Does your phone have an FCC label on the bottom? If not, does it have some markings in white enamel paint? If it has an FCC label, what is the REN for this phone? If it has the older markings, what exactly do they say (for example, "WE302 02-49")?

Is there a way to have two phones hooked to it? or do i need to get one of the phones that splits the line and has cordless attached to the number?

You need to ensure that the total number of telephones attached to the MJ dongle has the smallest total REN possible. Some discussions on this forum say that you need to stay within 1 REN, but with an external powered USB hub you should be able to drive more. Again, there are detailed discussions here that you should read to understand this point.

The last point is that you need to be sure to carry North American telephones with you to New Zealand, as telephones made for the New Zealand market will not work with MJ. If you can, use phones that do not require external power or use a phone that has a universal power supply. If you have a phone that has only a US power supply you will probably do best to purchase a replacement power supply in New Zealand than to use a power transformer.

[couch-potato]

I also wonder about voicemail, though I am still looking and finding information on this, but to check it you need to call your own number... but if you are international is there another way then using another phone to call your phone?

Everytime there is a message deposited on voicemail, I receive an email with a wav file of the message. I rarely phone in to receive messages. But when I do, I just use the softphone: click the VMAIL button, press *, then enter password.

If i do not have the MJ plugged it, or there is a powerottage or something, will my calls go to voice mail so I do not miss them?

Yes

I have a 1920's princess phone that has no power plug because it runs fully off of the phone line, is it possible to still use this phone? does the MJ provide enough power for phones that are not plugged in?

Is there a way to have two phones hooked to it? or do i need to get one of the phones that splits the line and has cordless attached to the number?

The more phones - the more power it takes to ring them. Especially if you have an older phone that takes more power to ring. The best way to use multiple phones is to get a multiple handset cordless system. Only one phone has a base communication unit that is connected to the phone line. The rest of the cordless phones communicate with that base unit and have smaller charging docks that plug into electricity (but not into the phone line).

[jsherk]

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