Lights Off

Off the subject of films for this blog entry, I recently tried the new device MagicJack , a VOIP USB telephone plugin that’s giving other VOIP providers a run for their money. At just twenty bucks a year (yes, that’s $20 per year, not months) You can place local and long distance calls with this device through your internet connection. It also has call waiting, caller ID, and voicemail, just like most telephone service providers.

I have decided (after a 30 day free trial) to keep my Magic Jack, as it saves a lot on phone service for me. I don’t receive or make many calls, so paying twenty dollars a month or more to my local phone company is a waste of money. I back up my Magic jack with a cell phone, which I use primarily on the road, but is also good in case there is a power outage at my residence.

The call quality is nice and clear, unlike my earlier VOIP phone provider that I dropped because of terrible reception, dropped calls, and complicated configurations (which never worked). It is a plain and simple little device, you only need plug it into a 2.0 USB port, connect a phone, and follow the on screen installation. You’ll be making calls in just five minutes, providing you don’t run into any problems.

Setup can be hampered by a few things. First, if you have a ‘virtual CD drive’ like MagicISO installed on your computer it may affect the installation (since the Magic Jack reads as a virtual drive), so it is better to uninstall them. There is a new patch available from Magic Jack that I believe addresses this problem.

Second, many users reported that they could not install the Jack using the Admin. User Account of their Windows log in. They created a new user and installed it under that. I did not have any trouble however, so I suspect it was probably some other problem involved with those Magic Jack users.

Third, do not interrupt the installation process. If the device fails to install, you may have to delete some registry entries, which in itself is fairly simple, but patience is the key here during installation.

So after a $50 initial setup fee (for the USB device and the first year), and twenty bucks a year thereafter you get a fairly reliable, and cheap phone service. No monthly phone bills, and so far no hassles.

Some Magic Jack users have complained about customer service and support, saying that their support is non-existent and service is lacking. I have never called so I couldn’t confirm that. Keep in mind that many people will call customer service with questions already addressed in the installation guide, and rather than ‘read’, they are quick to pick up the phone and call. This device is so easy to use my four year old nephew could set it up and make calls.

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