Magicjack and windows 7 users...

[SatinKzo]

Anyone here have a magicjack and use it with the 64bit version of windows 7 and have it working?

I've tried the Win7 patch on the magicjack website, no go. I recently upgrade my extra PC that I run random things on, including magicjack to win 7 64bit and didn't realize there was a problem until today.

Calls coming in connecting but audio is gone, trying to make calls out, the magicjack doesn't respond to key presses, just returns to dial tone.

Got it to work a couple times, but it's like the process just goes beserk. I've tried all sorts of compatibility, opening up/disabling the firewall on 7, tried running in a virtual XP session with no success. Tried the couple different fixes/methods on the unofficial magicjack support forum too.

Brought home my laptop from work (running xp) and magicjack works perfectly.

 

[TheForce]

You'll be happier if you use an old dedicated computer on XP with magic jack. That's what I do here and then it doesn't bog down my work machine. Besides, there were some rumors floating around that MJ was collecting info off your computer.

 

[diogen]

I haven't used it myself, but if data on your PC is of any value I'd think twice
MagicJack dials wrong number in legal attack on Boing Boing Boing Boing

MagicJack's EULA says it will spy on you and force you into arbitration.

Diogen.

 

[avg1joe]

I haven't used magicjack in the configuration you are talking about. I did try it for a few months and was incredibly disappointed with it. It was perfect at rare times. When I called certain geographic areas the call quality was awful including echos, time lag, breaking up voice, calls not going through, and calls disconnecting. The longer I used it the more frequent problems became. Magicjack is cheap in both price and quality. If you were smart and bought this at walmart or bestbuy and are still in the return period, return it. Now. Otherwise plan on being really tolerant.

 

[DSpud]

I have had a very different experience. I currently use magicjack on a windows 7 machine (64 bit) and have
No problems. Even used it to call Poland a few times. Great little device.

 

[fleetfarmer]

I've never tried magicjack.

It probably works great for some people.

It just seems like a gimmick to me.

The MAGICJACK TV commercials remind me of the SHAM WOW, MAGIC BULLET, SLAP CHOP, Jack LaLanne POWER JUICER, etc...

 

[FunkyBoss]

I got rid of our AT&T home phone service ($70 a month) a few months ago, and we now only have the MagicJack. Is it "as good" as our regular phone service? No way! Is it "good enough" for $2 a month? absolutely.

But after reading countless articles like the one posted above, I decided to not install this thing on any of my home computers. I instead bought a small 'thin client' device that was around $65 which is essentially a tiny PC that runs at really low power. I plugged the magicJack into it, plugged in a phone and network line, and stashed it behind a desk in my basement. That way, I don't have their (potential) spyware running on any of the machines I actually use, but I have 24/7 access to a phone again.

 

[howie14]

I've never tried magicjack.

It probably works great for some people.

It just seems like a gimmick to me.

The MAGICJACK TV commercials remind me of the SHAM WOW, MAGIC BULLET, SLAP CHOP, Jack LaLanne POWER JUICER, etc...

That's because it IS like the other things you mention. In fact I'm pretty sure I've seen that same guy selling "rare" coins.

If it works well enough to be a passable replacement for a regular land line, it's a good value.

 

[TheForce]

The trick to Magic Jack is to have a high quality internet connection. I find it not unusual that those who have poor consistency and speed on the internet will suffer using any streaming service, like magic jack. The second tip is as I stated earlier, get a dedicated PC for Magic Jack. Not much required beyond that. I would say mine works PERFECT here but then I have a very high speed internet connection and it's performance improved when I wasn't sharing CPU cycles with other tasks while on the phone. I use Magic jack for both voice and FAX service. It works great for both.

 

[diogen]

When choosing between those low cost VoIP services one of the more important questions is whether they offer a phone #.

Here in Canada MagicJack doesn't, at least where I live. That puts them automatically in the category of BetaMax services: VoIPBuster, JustVoIP, InternetCalls and at least a dozen more. The only difference between those services is calling rates. Calls in North America (landline/cell) and most of developed Europe (landline only) is free from all of them. Cost is 30 Euro per year, i.e. twice the $20 MagicJack charges.

Bottom line, if you are ready to pay $40 a year instead of $20 for no advertising/spying and capability to call for free to Europe, MagicJack has very strong competition.
I was using 3 different BetaMax services over the last 5 years and didn't have problems with any of them.

Diogen.

 

[TheForce]

Diogen- Does that mean when you select a service w/o phone # you can call out but nobody can call in; or, does it mean you have to provide a number you own? I don't know because here MagicJack came with a number but I'm aware they don't have number pools everywhere.

 

[diogen]

Does that mean when you select a service w/o phone # you can call out but nobody can call in...

Correct.
One way telephone system - out.
Unless the caller is with the same provider and calls your "name"...

It can't be the only phone system you have, but so is any VoIP system, MagicJack included.
But not having to worry when calling to UK, France, Germany and also St.Petersburg makes it well worth it.
The latest batch of Linksys routers with DD-WRT do a good job with QoS, i.e prioritize VoIP traffic.

Diogen.

 

[SatinKzo]

Well, I couldn't get back until now.

I got it working, turns out it's better to just copy the info from the device and put the dongle away and run it as a service for 64bit win7 (for me anyways).

Don/Diogen
I don't worry about the personal data, cause I don't use the PC it's on for anything personal, it's strictly a service server and repository for software when I VPN back into my home network. But until earlier today, I was having problems with the linksys device that I setup with the magicjack sip info for the last 3 weeks. However I am back to running it (magicjack) from my linksys device anyways now that I found out what I did to cause that to stop working. Best from my linksys anyways as it is just the sip info, no spyware. I noticed the spyware/collection garbage when I first got the device, it was readily apparent how they supplment the costs.

As for my experience with MJ, it works great and I haven't looked back for the $20 a year I am paying for dialtone. We use our cells mostly anyways with our Xlink adapters, but sometimes it's nice to have a secondary dialtone.

 

[TheForce]

I originally bought the MJ for a FAX line when they first hit the market. The device was free for a $20 charge for the first year service. I couldn't go wrong for an experiment. It worked great for FAX as long as the computer wasn't busy. Had trouble with winfax so I just use an MFC printer fax and that works. Don't do hardly any faxes anyways.
But when my father came to live with us, I wanted to give him a low cost LD line to call friends and relatives around the country. His LD phone bill was about $100 a month when he lived at home. The renewal was $69 for 5 years. so he uses the MJ now and it's on a dedicated old computer with a USB 2.0 card plugged into the motherboard. The hard drive is only 20 Mb and basically an antique! But it works without problems. I also run AVG FREE antivirus and other than that allow the windows screen saver to do a collection of his family pictures in a slide show that shuts down when he makes a call. For us it's a huge cost savings and it just works. It has got to be the best phone device in the world. If I could bypass the computer, and have the rest of the features, that would be my only suggestion to improve it.

 

[diogen]

If I could bypass the computer, and have the rest of the features, that would be my only suggestion to improve it.

Get an unlocked phone adapter like this or this.
If I understood SatinKzo's last post, MJ is just a SIP service (like any BetaMax) that you can configure the adapter to use.

Attach the adapter directly to the your broadband router and phone and it should work without a computer and the MJ USB stick.

Diogen.

 

[JKElect]

Get phone power. No computer software. I have mine hooked to wireless router. Real customer service. Paid for 2 years @ $11 a month with all charges included.
Phone Power - VoIP

 

[TheForce]

None of those are as good a deal as MJ. Today's price is $59.95 for 5 years.

Diogen- I don't know how you configure the dongle for MJ. MJ is a dongle that has no options other than plug into a computer USB 2.0 port. After you plug it in the MJ hardware goes to work and downloads the application from the internet and when it's fully installed, you're good to go. Your phone number is embedded already. The software has a caller ID log and dialer with address speed dialer. You can take it with you and plug it into your laptop and it will work as long as your laptop has an internet connection. I've even used it with mine where the internet connection was my cell phone tethered to the laptop.

 

[SatinKzo]

Don,

You can use software to read the necessary info from the magicjack software and I use a linksys pap2 device to "act" as my magicjack. Got it cheap at a garage sale, and now that I got it working again, the MJ dongle just goes back in the desk.

 

[diogen]

None of those are as good a deal as MJ. Today's price is $59.95 for 5 years.

As long as you are happy with the service and how it works, go for it - you won't find anything remotely usable for $1/month.
The point of the discussion was: you CAN get rid not only of the computer but also of the USB stick itself - as described by SatinKzo. And still be using MJ!

My understanding is, MJ operates like any other standard SIP service. You need essentially three parameters in addition to your username/password: Proxy/Registrar server, STUN Server and port. If you know them you can make any phone adapter establish the connection and get rid of both the PC and USB stick.

As an example, all BetaMax services use
Proxy/Registrar sever: sip.<ServiceName>.com
STUN server: stun.<ServiceName>.com
Port:5060
Where <ServiceName> is the name, e.g. VoIPcheap...

Diogen.

EDIT: Read this and this, for example.
Keep in mind, it is most likely TOS violation.

 

[diogen]

MJ is a dongle that has no options other than plug into a computer USB 2.0 port.

It looks like it doesn't have to be a computer.
Having a certain USB-equipped DD-WRT-running router, you can plug the MJ stick into it.
DDWRT Version Of MJMD5 | Unofficial magicJack forum

In this case you are probably not in violation of TOS, don't need to hunt for the specs and setup a phone adapter.

And you get rid of the computer!

Diogen.