MJP: Dropped calls when connected to network

gskluzacek · Post by **gskluzacek** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:38 am

I have a MJP that works perfectly when connected to the computer via USB. However when I try to use it connected to my network (instead of connected via USB), calls (both in coming and outgoing) get dropped after a random period of time.

When I 1st got the MJP in Dec 2011, it worked fine connected to the network, then starting in Feb 2012, it starts to intermittently drop calls.

I could be connected for as few as 5 minutes to as long as 55 minutes. Sometimes I when I call back, the call will stay on until I hang up or sometimes it will drop again in 4 to 6 minutes or sometimes go for 30 minutes or so... as I said the length of time that I'm on the call before it drops seems very random.

I have my router configured to assign 'static' IP addresses based on the devices MAC for all devices, including the MJP. The router is an Apple Airport Extreme and Comcast is my ISP.

As I said when connected to the computer (2010 iMac) works fine, when connected to the network I get randomly dropped calls. Does MJP use different ports or servers when connected to USB versus Ethernet?

I've got WireShark installed and have been able to capture packets from the MJP, but not sure what to look for as far as packets that might be red flags. Any suggestions on what to 'sniff' for?

Any help would be great, I've had the regular MJ for about 3 years now and have been satisfied with it, When I got the email to purchase MJP at a discounted price I thought this would be great as I wouldn't have to have it connected to the computer (and the computer kept on all the time) and I wouldn't have to run the software (seems to cause issues occasionally with Mac OS 10.7).

Regards,
-- Greg

bitstopjoe · Post by **bitstopjoe** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:22 am

Did you try replacing the Cat 5 cable, which came with the MJ, with a better quality one?

mli76 · Post by **mli76** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:30 pm

I'm having the same problem. The reocurring drop offs started about a week ago and have been getting worse. It's really annoying. Sometimes its early in a call, sometimes in much later on. I don't think it has anything to do with our end, and everything to do with the MJ network end.

Today I'm testing the MJ+ plugged into the USB and so far no problems. While it could be a router setting, I doubt it. I've tried QOS, DMZ, 6020/6030 port forwarding, and upgrading the CAT5 cable - all with no success.

Please update us with any other tips to alleviate this annoying issue.

Thanks!

gskluzacek · Post by **gskluzacek** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:15 am

Last night I tried a number of things and I can report that I had no dropped calls today, one of the calls was over two hours. However, I don't know what exactly solved the problem.

As I said in my original post, I had assigned a static IP address via the MJP's MAC address. I also went into my Airport Extreme and set the MJP's IP address to be the default computer to be in the DMZ. Third, in order to uses Wireshark to capture all the packets coming from/going to the MJP, I had to take the device and my iMac off the 8 port switch they were on and put them on a unswitched hug (so all packets would be sent to all NIC interfaces). Last because the hub was only 10BaseT and I didn't want to slow down the rest of the internet traffic on my iMac I configured the iMac's AirPort to be the primary interface. The hub was then connected to the switch.

So I will have to, over the next few day, by process of elimination, determine what fixed the issue. I'm thinking it was putting the MJP in the DMZ - I did not map any ports, but instead let all traffic go to the MJP. So I will first remove the MJP from the DMZ to see I can get the dropped calls to happen again. Hopefully, by using WireShark I will be able to notice some kind of difference that will help narrow down what is causing the issue. As I still don't understand why it the MJP would work fine connected to the network for the first 2 months and then all of the sudden start having problems in the 2nd week of Feb.

I have not tried replacing the ethernet cable that came with the MJP as I said above, the cable worked fine for 2 months and the MJP was located in a spot where it was not being disturbed.

Regards,
--Greg

profster · Post by **profster** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:56 am

I am running mine with a dedicated ip and dmz. Stilll drops calls. Today I moved the plus off of a switch and plugged it directly to the router port. Perhaps one less hop will solve it. I will post the result when I find out.

joannH · Post by **joannH** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:00 am

I'm not sure how to set up my router and/or modem to stop my dropped calls on MJ+. I try chatting with their tech chat but it doesn't help. I was wondering if someone could send me or post step by step instructions as to set up IP addresses, etc.

I was also wondering if QOS was important. I don't have this feature on my router, but don't want to go out and buy a new one.

thanks so much!

Joann

profster · Post by **profster** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:00 pm

I went to my isp today and discovered that my router was not doing its job. The speed was very slow on the upload. Once I moved everything over to the SMC cable modem/router my upload speed tripled and now my MJP works perfectly. In addition, I upped my internet to an even faster speed for $13.00 month to obtain 1Mbps upload speed. Now I can download movies etc while my wife talks on the MJ all day without a drop or a fade out or a choppy voice.

profster · Post by **profster** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 12:55 am

profster wrote:I went to my isp today and discovered that my router was not doing its job. The speed was very slow on the upload. Once I moved everything over to the SMC cable modem/router my upload speed tripled and now my MJP works perfectly. In addition, I upped my internet to an even faster speed for $13.00 month to obtain 1Mbps upload speed. Now I can download movies etc while my wife talks on the MJ all day without a drop or a fade out or a choppy voice.

This is an update! Unfortunately my wife informed me that several of her calls dropped today. I have since moved the MJP to yet another computer instead of the router. I can't believe this?!!!! It seems to work good now. Sucks that it drops calls on the router. So solution seems to work.

profster · Post by **profster** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:53 pm

With my MJ+ installed on a computer as a service, I am no longer getting dropped calls. My wife seems to accept this a being ok

shleets · Post by **shleets** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:26 am

How do you install it as a service and not an app? Does it appear in services and can you set the startup type? Can you log off the machine but keep it powered on and will the service still run?

profster · Post by **profster** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:39 pm

shleets wrote:How do you install it as a service and not an app? Does it appear in services and can you set the startup type? Can you log off the machine but keep it powered on and will the service still run?

Here is the link to the software that I am using. Seems to work a lot better. Wife only complained about one dropped call in a week.

http://www.phoneservicesupport.com/tool ... t8112.html

Try this. It has an uninstall utility built in to reverse it if it does not suit your needs.

AbsolutePhoenix · Post by **AbsolutePhoenix** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 10:30 pm

My mother has a MJP at her home that (as I suppose I should expect) is on me to work on. It also drops calls, but it does it whether connected to the router or to the computer. Either way, calls get dropped and the time is random.

I watched the softphone window during some calls and I noticed that when the calls dropped, it gave the message that in order to use it, I needed to be connected to the internet. The message only flickered on the screen for a split second, but the call was lost. It does this seemingly randomly and I don't know the cause of it. When connected to the router directly, not only do the calls occasionally drop, but additionally, the service only works for, perhaps, an hour. After that, the phone gives no dial tone and either gives me 'error 1' or 'error 3002' (rarely the latter, almost always the former). Unplugging and plugging it back in solves the problem, but again, usually only for about an hour or so. Neither updates nor hardware (through device manager) or software uninstall/reinstalls have done anything to solve this problem.

Has anyone else experienced this?

kito0t · Post by **kito0t** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:38 am

set DMZ or add portforwarding ports 5060 and 5070

profster · Post by **profster** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:50 am

kito0t wrote:set DMZ or add portforwarding ports 5060 and 5070

That only works for some!!!!

kito0t · Post by **kito0t** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:22 pm

profster wrote:
kito0t wrote:set DMZ or add portforwarding ports 5060 and 5070
That only works for some!!!!

then upgrade the firmware... if it still not works sometimes you get an error... there has been an update lately. Unplug from your router connect to your computer http://upgrades.magicjack.com/upgrade/upgrade.exe run the upgrade then it will work. Trust me I know this

profster · Post by **profster** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:13 pm

kito0t wrote:
profster wrote:
kito0t wrote:set DMZ or add portforwarding ports 5060 and 5070
That only works for some!!!!
then upgrade the firmware... if it still not works sometimes you get an error... there has been an update lately. Unplug from your router connect to your computer http://upgrades.magicjack.com/upgrade/upgrade.exe run the upgrade then it will work. Trust me I know this

What was the date of that upgrade. If the MJP has been attached to the computer and took an upgrade in the last few weeks will it have the upgrade you are saying will work?

docooo · Post by **docooo** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:52 am

DMZ:
Enabling this option will expose the specified host to the Internet. All ports will be accessible from the Internet.

Your also going to need a DMZ host IP add.

I am running DD-WRT Firmware .

poosh99 · Post by **poosh99** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:11 am

OK, so I received my first MagicJack last summer, about a month before the MagicJack Plus was released. Decided to go out and buy the MagicJack Plus so that I can un-tether it from my computer.

As with many posters in this thread, I am having dropped calls that are starting to get annoying. After a lot of searching and "chats" with MJ tech support, it looks like this is still a problem for a lot of people. I have tried all of the suggestions seen in many of the forums, but nothing seems to solve the problem. I have done the DMZ, port forwarding, MJ+ update, longer USB cable etc. My configuration is MJ+ hooked up directly to my router which feeds the phone signal throughout the house from a panel in the basement. I have one corded phone connected and one cordless phone (I am using a Panasonic KX-TG6514CB which has several satellite phones).

The time that the calls drop seem to be random for us (some drop at 2-3 mintues, some at 6 minutes and some at 45) so that may be a red herring. I have seen several other posts on other sites suggesting issues with either:

1) router compatibility
2) cordless phone compatibility with MJ
3) ACK messages not being sent

Not sure if anyone is well versed in using Wireshark, but would like to know what is going on when the calls are disconnected. From our experience the calls seem to drop with three results:

1) call goes dead - no indication of why
2) Call interrupted with a MJ message "Please wait..."
3) Call interrupted with a MJ error message (we usually hang up and call the person back before waiting for the error message number, but will try and record it from now on).

We have never had issues with call quality. When the call is up, voice quality is fine, it just drops after a while.

OK, I will update with more info if/when calls are continuing to drop or if something was done that seems to have fixed it.

If others can put any additional info to try and narrow this down, that might help.

profster · Post by **profster** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:25 pm

All the things you said, I have done as well and still I get dropped calls. My wife is pissed so I'm going to have to move the MJP back to the computer. At least attached there, I don't get the dropped calls as much.

poosh99 · Post by **poosh99** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:35 pm

Are you getting ANY dropped calls when hooked up to the PC? I may have to do the same thing for the time being (although I currently have a second line plugged in directly to my PC, so I'd have to move one). Not the ideal situation. There must be some way to determine what the issue is. Is it the MJ+, cordless phone, router, ISP??? MagicJack must be getting enough complaints that they would be forced to figure out what is going on.

When your calls dropped, what error did you get? Are you using a cordless phone?

limuobai · Post by **limuobai** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 8:10 pm

I had terrible drop call problem back in Feb. 2012. After trying all kind of fixes posted in the forum but not working, I connected the MJP to my PC and it hasn't dropped call since. Now, it's Dec 2012. I wonder if they fixed the problem because I don't see any drop call complaints after April 2012. So, I reconnected the MJP to my router and made a 1 hour test call with no drop. I will post again if call drop happens again. Does anyone have encounter call drop problem with MJP after May 2012? Please advise.

poosh99 · Post by **poosh99** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:40 am

I haven't seen a dropped call in quite some time (probably around that April 2012 timeframe). Something has obviously changed, but not sure what it was. As we haven't seen any additional complaints about it since, I would assume that it was a MJ issue that was fixed.

Glad that it was as it was close to me calling it quits with MJ over this.

Colin

magicJack and magicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Tricks

MJP: Dropped calls when connected to network

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