Possible faulty MagicJack or known glitch?

[yarddawg7]

I don't know how to search for what I'm needing, so I'll just type it out. Is there an issue with random silence or cut outs? For example, someone on the other end will be talking and the next thing I know, they go silent for about 20 seconds and then come back talking like they didn't notice (no beeps, no nothing, just silence). But the conversation picks right back up and this can go on throughout the conversation at randon intervals (atleast I think they're random). Anyway, I was wondering if this is a known glitch, maybe something to do with running MJ as a service or if it's possible that I might have a lemon. I guess I need to make sure I'm running the latest update (This is a new MJ that I just got from Best Buy and installed it and then immediatedly ran it as a service). Restarting my computer is my temporary fix for now (I'm running Windows XP Home). I'm also considering a new router. I currently have a Linksys Wrt54g Ver. 5 with the latest firmware. I've read that this model isn't very great, especially since I can't use Tomato. Anyway, any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated and sorry if this has already been posted.

[az2008]

I don't know how to search for what I'm needing, so I'll just type it out. Is there an issue with random silence or cut outs?

Yes. I experienced it last weekend (using the softphone with a headset, running dongleless, Phoenix proxy). The only thing I can think of that might improve the condition is to switch to a different proxy as described on the wiki FAQ. But, the last time I cycled through 12-15 proxies (last Friday) all but two were in very bad condition.

MJ's service seems to be deteriorating a great deal lately. Hopefully it will improve.

Mark

[mberlant]

It is not just "low priced leaders" like MJ experiencing these dropouts. "Full service" VoIP providers get it, too. I had a call today on a first class provider that dropped out for 10-20 seconds at a time throughout my hour long conversation. It's just one of the many pitfalls we agree to put up with by using a service that travels across the public internet.

[az2008]

It is not just "low priced leaders" like MJ experiencing these dropouts. "Full service" VoIP providers get it, too. I had a call today on a first class provider that dropped out for 10-20 seconds at a time throughout my hour long conversation. It's just one of the many pitfalls we agree to put up with by using a service that travels across the public internet.

That could be true. But, I've been using Skype lately and haven't experienced a single chop, echo or drop.

Maybe my sample size is too small.

Mark

[hsweiss]

In my sample of two - MJ and Skype - Skype is the sound quality leader. The only times I have had problems have been when the jitter goes thru the roof. Otherwise, sound quality far exceeds that obtained on MJ. Now if they'd only get their user interface fixed (if you've "upgraded" to Skype 4 you'll know what I mean - its plain horrible).

[yarddawg7]

Yes. I experienced it last weekend (using the softphone with a headset, running dongleless, Phoenix proxy). The only thing I can think of that might improve the condition is to switch to a different proxy as described on the wiki FAQ. But, the last time I cycled through 12-15 proxies (last Friday) all but two were in very bad condition.

MJ's service seems to be deteriorating a great deal lately. Hopefully it will improve.

Mark

Ok, thanks. I guess it's good to learn that it's not my MJ unit, but bad that the service is deteriorating. I just wasn't sure if my new dongle from BestBuy was a lemon or just coincidence since I didn't have this problem with my previous one from MJ (which I never used as a service). I too hope that they address this issue.

[astro46]

same problem here. was on phone with upper level tech last week, and the changed proxy, and did something with call forwarding, and that seemed to help, for about a day.

its back again. i've had problems with echo, choppy sound, softphone needing restart, continuously for last 5 months. i am a masochist. i just downloaded skype software, so i can check it out again. i was using it before mj, and mj has features that i like, but if i can't talk to people, then features mean nothing.

[yarddawg7]

For those of you that have been around awhile, has there ever been a downgrade in service around the time of upgrades? Maybe they're implementing better changes but we're going to experience some bad service temporarily until it's in place. "under construction"

[DanD]

I have also experienced the periods of silence today. This has never happened before. It happened a few times during a 15 minute call. I use my dongle directly connected to a USB port.

[astro46]

how many, who are having problems with silence/drop outs, are using call forwarding. call forwarding was mentioned by a tech as a possible cause. i turned it off again, and with the few calls since, have not had this problem. not enough calls to know for sure, yet.

anyone else using call forwarding?

[mberlant]

It doesn't make sense that having Call Forwarding standing at the ready would interfere at all with a regular call. The Call Forwarding mechanism redirects the SIP request on a new incoming call by sending the call onward to your CF destination instead of your MJ. Once the call is actually set up the RTP packets flow between the DID gateway and the destination (your MJ or MJ's outbound gateway) and the agent that did not take the call has no influence on the RTP packets carrying the talk path.

What a strange comment to be in the MJ chat script. I would believe that your improvement is coincidental.

[hsweiss]

I have had call drops in the past while I also had my inbound calls forwarded. I still have my inbound calls forwarded but have not had any dropouts since I blocked the use of the NY proxy. I attribute this to overloaded and under provisioned MJ servers.

[astro46]

i agree that it isn't logical that call forwarding should have impact on call quality. however, i was on the phone with a tech who claimed that it could . so far, twice, disabling cf has stopped the problem. and, as i mentioned previously, i haven't had the opportunity to use mj enough, over a long period of time to know if it will continue to have the same effect.

i should point out that virtually all my calls are outbound.

regardless of whether it is logical or not, perhaps others who are having the dropped audio problem could try disabling call forwarding and report whether it works. or let us know that they aren't using call forwarding to begin with.

[az2008]

i agree that it isn't logical that call forwarding should have impact on call quality.

I think it depends on how the call is forwarded. If YMAX immediately routes the call to a POTS line, maybe it wouldn't have much effect. But, if YMAX routes the call over the internet to a different YMAX location (to save money by connecting to POTS there), it could make a very big difference in quality (depending on the network condition between the two YMAX locations, and whether the YMAX location it goes to is one of the notoriously bad ones.).

Mark

[mberlant]

The only way to learn how MJ hands off the call to the POTS network is to be monitoring the CO switch connected to the destination phone number and to be sniffing the SS7 control packet associated with that call. That's the only way to do the telephone equivalent of traceroute.