Hello!
This is my first post. I'm curious about this product. I'm a happy Skype user so far, but there is always a room to save some money during this rough recession. Magicjack is definitely a lot cheaper than Skype. The estimated $50 with shipping on the first year and $20 on the second year is a lot cheaper than Skype. My skype subscription is running out on June, so I'm really considering switching to MagicJack or get a SIP phone and go with the standard. I'm a Linux user. It is a bit annoying that they still don't have a Linux version yet. I got enough Linux machines running 24/7 at home, but I guess I need another XP machine running all the time. Anyway, I would like to get some information from the veteran users here. Here are my list of questions.
1. What is the system requirements for MagicJack? It seems like everyone is recommending a dedicated machine for MagicJack. I have a spare XP pro SP3 machine in the closet. The spec is AMD k6-2 350mhz 256megs and 15gigs drive. Would this be enough?
2. Is it a possible to have a headless computer operation with this?
3. Is it possible to check the voicemail only with the phone?
4. Is it possible to use a regular callerid with MagicJack, so I don't have to have my monitor on all the time to check who is calling me?
a.Is there a hardware hack to mod a regular callerid to display incoming numbers?
5. If the MagicJack USB is only a RJ11 to USB converter, it wouldn't be hard to run a RJ11 line back into the existing main RJ11 connection in the house if the phone service is terminated from the outside, so no electricity is coming from the phone company. Has anyone tried this?
6.How much bandwidth does it need?
7.Which ports MagicJack runs under?
Thanks for your time and I would like to hear from you.
MagicJack newbie needs your help.
Moderators: Bill Smith, Pilot
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requiemnoise
- MagicJack Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:05 am
Re: MagicJack newbie needs your help.
Hi,
Welcome. I don't mean to be rude but every one of your questions is answered in detail in these forums.
I'll give you the readers digest version, but do search these forums and look for the Magic Jack wiki for tons of info.
a) You need a PC running windows XP or better (or a Mac with windows emulation). Your PC needs to be running for the Magic Jack to work. People have had good success with older model PCs. Your spare XP machine has access capacity to run Magic Jack, no problem.
You'll need high-speed Internet, even high-speed-light will work. But a dial-up connection will not work.
b) I'm not a techie so I don't know what head-less means. if it means without a PC, then check the discussions on ATA. If it means without the magic jack dongle, yes, and there are tons of discussions on loading magic jack and using a headset so you don't need to use the dongle.
c) I don't understand your voicemail question but yes you can check your voicemail with your phone. However, that seems like too obvious an answer, and you might mean something different, can you elaborate?
d) Again I'm not sure what you mean by a regular caller ID? Are you talking about the little boxes you can plug in line with your phone to display the caller ID? I only make outgoing calls with the MJ, but if I recall there are discussions about having the incoming caller ID show up on your caller ID phone, again check the forums.
e) Yes, you can run a line between the magic jack dongle in your house wiring. Read the forums warning to disconnect your house phone system from the phone company's service if you do so.
f) Bandwidth? Less than 100 kbps, but again some flavor of high-speed Internet and not dial-up. Use Google and search for and run some "VoIP speed tests" and see how your Internet service compares.
g) Re: ports. other than a curiousity about which ports are actually used, there seems to be no port conflicts with MJ. And you don't have to open or forward any ports at your router. So ports are not an issue. But then again I'm not a techie and that's just my experience.
Hope that gives you some ideas to get started, read the forums and the wiki and all your questions plus many more are answered.
Have fun with your MJ.
Welcome. I don't mean to be rude but every one of your questions is answered in detail in these forums.
I'll give you the readers digest version, but do search these forums and look for the Magic Jack wiki for tons of info.
a) You need a PC running windows XP or better (or a Mac with windows emulation). Your PC needs to be running for the Magic Jack to work. People have had good success with older model PCs. Your spare XP machine has access capacity to run Magic Jack, no problem.
You'll need high-speed Internet, even high-speed-light will work. But a dial-up connection will not work.
b) I'm not a techie so I don't know what head-less means. if it means without a PC, then check the discussions on ATA. If it means without the magic jack dongle, yes, and there are tons of discussions on loading magic jack and using a headset so you don't need to use the dongle.
c) I don't understand your voicemail question but yes you can check your voicemail with your phone. However, that seems like too obvious an answer, and you might mean something different, can you elaborate?
d) Again I'm not sure what you mean by a regular caller ID? Are you talking about the little boxes you can plug in line with your phone to display the caller ID? I only make outgoing calls with the MJ, but if I recall there are discussions about having the incoming caller ID show up on your caller ID phone, again check the forums.
e) Yes, you can run a line between the magic jack dongle in your house wiring. Read the forums warning to disconnect your house phone system from the phone company's service if you do so.
f) Bandwidth? Less than 100 kbps, but again some flavor of high-speed Internet and not dial-up. Use Google and search for and run some "VoIP speed tests" and see how your Internet service compares.
g) Re: ports. other than a curiousity about which ports are actually used, there seems to be no port conflicts with MJ. And you don't have to open or forward any ports at your router. So ports are not an issue. But then again I'm not a techie and that's just my experience.
Hope that gives you some ideas to get started, read the forums and the wiki and all your questions plus many more are answered.
Have fun with your MJ.
requiemnoise wrote:Hello!
This is my first post. I'm curious about this product. I'm a happy Skype user so far, but there is always a room to save some money during this rough recession. Magicjack is definitely a lot cheaper than Skype. The estimated $50 with shipping on the first year and $20 on the second year is a lot cheaper than Skype. My skype subscription is running out on June, so I'm really considering switching to MagicJack or get a SIP phone and go with the standard. I'm a Linux user. It is a bit annoying that they still don't have a Linux version yet. I got enough Linux machines running 24/7 at home, but I guess I need another XP machine running all the time. Anyway, I would like to get some information from the veteran users here. Here are my list of questions.
1. What is the system requirements for MagicJack? It seems like everyone is recommending a dedicated machine for MagicJack. I have a spare XP pro SP3 machine in the closet. The spec is AMD k6-2 350mhz 256megs and 15gigs drive. Would this be enough?
2. Is it a possible to have a headless computer operation with this?
3. Is it possible to check the voicemail only with the phone?
4. Is it possible to use a regular callerid with MagicJack, so I don't have to have my monitor on all the time to check who is calling me?
a.Is there a hardware hack to mod a regular callerid to display incoming numbers?
5. If the MagicJack USB is only a RJ11 to USB converter, it wouldn't be hard to run a RJ11 line back into the existing main RJ11 connection in the house if the phone service is terminated from the outside, so no electricity is coming from the phone company. Has anyone tried this?
6.How much bandwidth does it need?
7.Which ports MagicJack runs under?
Thanks for your time and I would like to hear from you.
-
killendino
- MagicJack Newbie
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:27 pm
I'm not real sure why folks on this board are so hardcore about using the search function. I would add that they throw that out there even though some questions asked are NOT answered on the board. Just an example here, how can the poster above me say that all of your questions are answered in detail when in fact he didn't even understand several of your questions?
Anyway, hope the following helps and I apologize for any duplicated help from the poster above.
1. I think the only reasons people recommend a dedicated machine is because you have to leave it on 24x7 and doing stuff on the machine running MJ might be problematic. I can't say much for your specs. The machine I am running it on is 3 gens old at least, but still way more powerful than what you are running. (AMD 3700, 3 gig RAM). I have absolutely no issues running MJ.
2. If by headless you mean a machine with no KB/Mouse, that should work just fine, IF you are not using the soft phone that installs with MJ.
3. Yes, easy. Just dial your number and hit *, then enter your password. This defaults to 1234 and at the first access you change it to whetever you like.
4. Totally possible, and recommended. It will display number only. I think I read that if you have names loaded to numbers in the MJ address book, that it will display names too. Note that my phone will not display a caller ID if I'm using the phone on another call. I have a recent post about this. Someone says their's worked fine, but other folks in the post say their's doesn't work either.
5. I'll let the other reply speak for itself on this one since I don't know anything about it.
6. I've read ~80kbps. Too much for dial up, but just about any broadband would have no trouble.
7. I do not know which ports are required, but I am behind a firewall and did not have to make any adjustments. So, it runs on some commonly used port(s) that are typically opened anyway. If you are super hardcore about security, some more research here is probably in order. Maybe someone else can respond.
Best advice I can give you on MJ is to try and remember that how little it costs you versus any other VOIP offering, let alone the actual phone company.
Anyway, hope the following helps and I apologize for any duplicated help from the poster above.
1. I think the only reasons people recommend a dedicated machine is because you have to leave it on 24x7 and doing stuff on the machine running MJ might be problematic. I can't say much for your specs. The machine I am running it on is 3 gens old at least, but still way more powerful than what you are running. (AMD 3700, 3 gig RAM). I have absolutely no issues running MJ.
2. If by headless you mean a machine with no KB/Mouse, that should work just fine, IF you are not using the soft phone that installs with MJ.
3. Yes, easy. Just dial your number and hit *, then enter your password. This defaults to 1234 and at the first access you change it to whetever you like.
4. Totally possible, and recommended. It will display number only. I think I read that if you have names loaded to numbers in the MJ address book, that it will display names too. Note that my phone will not display a caller ID if I'm using the phone on another call. I have a recent post about this. Someone says their's worked fine, but other folks in the post say their's doesn't work either.
5. I'll let the other reply speak for itself on this one since I don't know anything about it.
6. I've read ~80kbps. Too much for dial up, but just about any broadband would have no trouble.
7. I do not know which ports are required, but I am behind a firewall and did not have to make any adjustments. So, it runs on some commonly used port(s) that are typically opened anyway. If you are super hardcore about security, some more research here is probably in order. Maybe someone else can respond.
Best advice I can give you on MJ is to try and remember that how little it costs you versus any other VOIP offering, let alone the actual phone company.