Phone not ringing - REN & MagicJack + [SOLVED]

[greenman]

Like any phone provider, the MJ+ can only provide a certain number of phones with the ability to ring. Add too many phones, and suddenly nothing rings. All goes to voice mail. CID could also stop functioning properly.

I learned a little about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringer_equivalence_number

Every phone is supposed to give you a ringer equivalence number, listed somewhere on the base of the phone. Add them up. If they're over the number allowed by your service, (AT&T, Vonage, whatever), from what I understand, you could damage your equipment or burn things out.

AT&T has a standard REN limit of 5.
Phones in my house:
AT&T corded Trimline: REN = 1.98
GE corded trimline: REN = 1.08
Panasonic cordless with 4 satellite cordless phones: REN = .1
The two corded phones are pretty old, hence the large REN's.
The Panasonic is new, modern and consequently has a very low REN.
Even though there are 5 total panasonic phones, the only actual connection to the wall jack is the base unit, which has a REN of 0.1.*

IF I add up the REN's from all these phones, I get:
1.98 + 1.08 + .1 = 3.16

If I add two more trimlines, I get
1.98 + 1.98 + 1.98 + 1.08 + .1 = 7.12, and that's
over the REN limit for AT&T.

I seriously doubt the mj+ has a REN limit that would allow 7.12 if AT&T doesn't.

What's the REN limit for the MagicJack Plus?

*Actually, the REN on my phone says "0.1B". I don't quite understand why it says that since the REN has to be decimal numeric in order to add up. If anyone knows the answer to this too, I'd be grateful.

[SailorDave]

I gave up trying to find out just what REN MJ+ would support. Mine drives 2.5 total in the house without any observed problem. All phones ring just fine. I think you will find that there was a space between 0.1 and the B. Most of the newer phones are fractional REN units, particularly the powered ones. I'll have to research to find what the B stands for, but I'll guess it is a standard identifier.

I just looked up the B designation. It denotes the frequency of the ringer, unlettered or A was the old bell type ringer, B is newer high frequency ringers.

[nailgunner]

I rotate various phones with my regular MJ, and have had as much as 3 ren with no issues. I would imagine the Plus would accommodate at least that much, but it's always possible that they regressed.

[greenman]

SailorDave, nailgunner,

Thanks for your replies. This has been very helpful.

I just bought something called a colombo 2 phone from Radioshack for $20. They're not advertising it anywhere, and I just happened to see it while I was looking for a good travel phone for while I'm visiting my parents. There are no other phones that come close to the features this single phone has for the price.

It's a cordless phone with TAM, smaller than a trimline. It's got this 70's throw-back look I find pleasing.
http://magicboxes.com/Colombo2_DECT_TAM.htm

The only color they have right now is 'Coral Red', but frankly I want to be able to see the phone, so that's fine with me. I won't be using it at home since we have plenty of phones there.

This colombo phone has a REN of '0.0B'.
While I'm traveling, it's likely the phone will be directly connected to the MJ+ anyway, so I'm good with that. It rings fine.

However...
It won't ring if the wall-line between the MJ+ and the phone is too long. If I plug it directly into the MJ+ with a six foot rj11 cord, it rings. If I plug it into the wall on the other side of the house, it doesn't -- even if there are no other phones plugged in. It makes me wonder how much sheer line length can hamper REN through simple resistance.

I've got all the other phones unplugged from their jacks except for this colombo phone, and it still won't ring, no matter what jack I put it in when the MJ+ is connected to the house line.

I"ve tested polarity, so that isn't the issue. The panasonic cordless base has a REN of 0.1B, and it rings. I tried plugging the colombo into the same jack that phone is plugged into and still couldn't get it to ring. The in-wall wiring is solid cat5e (just wired for phone), so it's surprising that this should be problematic for this phone, but not any of my other phones.

Does it seem more likely the problem is specific to this unit, or more likely that this model of phone is just touchy about REN?

I'd be grateful for any other thoughts.

(Note: I don't work for Radioshack, Magicbox or any other voip or telephony-related business. I am in no way being compensated for asking about this specific phone. I'm really asking.)

[greenman]

DOH!

I had an AT&T slimline phone in the bedroom that I forgot to unplug. I unplugged that phone and the colombo phone suddenly could ring.


A. The panasonic cordless: REN=0.01B
B. The colombo phone: REN=0.0B
C. The General Electric corded: REN=1.0B
D. AT&T Slimline Corded: REN=1.9B

Sum(A, B, C, D) = REN Total: 2.91

Knowing this, I figured I'd try a permutation.
Just remove the AT&T Slimline in the bedroom.

Sum(A, B, C) = REN Total: 1.1

All phones ring.

So this particular magic jack has to have a REN Limit below 2.91 and above 1.1. This figures closely with both nailgunner and Sailordave's suggestions. There is probably some variance between mj and mj+ and likely even between units of the same model. Also, some phones may have REN's that differ widely from their stated FCC listed model rating.

I hope this helps someone in the future when they can't figure out why their phones aren't ringing.

Again, thanks!

[nailgunner]

some phones may have REN's that differ widely from their stated FCC listed model rating.

Entirely possible, or other things enter into it. I have an old clock radio/phone with a ren of 1.0. It will only ring with it and a .1 connected at the same time. Anything else and I get one quick ring and they go silent.

[eddamon]

On with tech support 4 hours and they can't fix it. I may have to go to the Better Business Bureau and get a refund. This service is no good at all if the caller doesn't know they have completed the call, and doesn't know they are being recorded by the voice system.

[poleary2012]

currently using magicjack on a mac mini (2007) intel processor running snow leopard.

symptom: my magicjack stopped ringing after about 5 minutes or so after being plugged in sometime within the last year. this can't be a usb lack of power problem or it would not ring at all in the first place and as it used to ring on incoming calls all the time it can't be the phone itself. i have a panasonic kx-tg5571 wireless base with one handset as my phone.

i am not sure when this exactly started but i've used magic jack on the machine since osx leopard and i am pretty sure it was ringing after i upgraded to snow leopard. as i can't remember when it exactly stopped i can't pinpoint it to an operating system change.

solution: i've found that if i leave my handset or base station with the speakerphone in the "on" position when i am not on a call i will hear the sound of the phone ringing through the speakerphone. to save the battery on the handset i just leave the base speakerphone on & switch calls to the handset when they come in. now i have a working pop-up notification and a ringing sound i can hear after the phone itself stops ringing.

theory: as the sound coming thru the speakerphone is not the sound of the telephone ringing itself but that of a sound the magicjack is playing as a ringer it appears to me that magicjack is switching back to the headphone setting for phone ringing instead of continuing to use the telephone itself. yes, i've checked my settings. telephone is still set for the ringing device. though after 5 minutes or so of being plugged in the telephone itself no longer rings but the speakerphone will play the headset ringing sound. sounds like a magicjack programming issue, not a telephone issue. if it were a telephone issue the telephone would not ring when called immediately after being plugged in & then for about another 5 minutes before this unexplained switch to headset mode happens.

[greenman]

currently using magicjack on a mac mini (2007) intel processor running snow leopard.

symptom: my magicjack stopped ringing...

solution: i've found that if i leave my handset or base station with the speakerphone in the "on" position when i am not on a call i will hear the sound of the phone ringing through the speakerphone. ...

theory: as the sound coming thru the speakerphone is not the sound of the telephone ringing itself but that of a sound the magicjack is playing as a ringer it appears to me that magicjack is switching back to the headphone setting for phone ringing instead of continuing to use the telephone itself. ...

Great that you could figure it out. So it's less about REN and more about software/hardware configuration between the mac and the magicJack (usb version), right? I've had similar problems with skype and skype phone adapters.

[MJ Missring]

I have read various geek solutions which mean nothing to me, but do not apply. Other than unplugging for awhile and starting over. I used a Panasonic cordless to retrieve my call, set to answer long before MJ should pick up BUT after 4 months of working properly MJ dopes not ring and picks up calls 60% of the time. Switched phones, same thing. When it is in that mode I cannot hear any rining calling out...just a voice answering on the other end, if they do, and anyone calling me will not hear any ringing but will suddenly hear my MJ voice message. Close friends understand now that if they do not hear my phone ringing then neither do I and their call is going to the MJ voice mail rather than my phones answering feature but others do not, and it is maddening for them to call me one minute and get me, and call back just a bit later and get no ringing and the MJ answerer. Anyone else have this? Online help has been a HUGE waste of time.

[greenman]

...Close friends understand now that if they do not hear my phone ringing then neither do I and their call is going to the MJ voice mail rather than my phones answering feature but others do not, and it is maddening for them to call me one minute and get me, and call back just a bit later and get no ringing and the MJ answerer. Anyone else have this? Online help has been a HUGE waste of time.

I've seen this intermittently. There are any number of reasons that could account for the problem:

1. Latency issues between your ISP and the magicJack server. Contact your ISP.
2. Router/modem combination is old, bad, or not very compatible with magicJack. Buy a new router and modem.
3. You haven't set the ports on your router to go toyour magicJack. (Google magicJack router ports.)
4. Really crummy, low bandwidth (less than 1.5Mb down, 256Kb up). Do a speed test on speedtest.net.

There are possibilities, but these three seem to be the worst offenders.
Good luck.