Who is magic jack

Set up is easy and only takes minutes! Unlimited calling on your landline, computer, or mobile phone. Buy magicJack for a friend and enjoy Unlimited international calling between magicJack devices. Why magicJack? Start by entering your magicJack phone number to lookup your account.

Keep Your Number Great news! Help protect your devices, connections and more with Norton Why switch to magicJack? You can make international calls with the device, but it requires purchasing pre-paid minutes. You can purchase a year or five years additional service during setup or at any time afterward. The service also includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, directory assistance, conference calling and E service the VoIP version of traditional emergency service , which sends your address along with the call.

MagicJack's voicemail can be accessed via the software on your computer or by calling your phone number. You can also set up an e-mail address to have your voicemails delivered to your inbox as audio attachments. The software also saves contacts and call history logs. MagicJack provides you with a free number, and you can select the area code and prefix, if available, and it doesn't have to be dependent upon your location.

Initially, customers couldn't keep their own existing numbers, but now if you choose to do so, you can port your existing number, or pick a Canadian or vanity number, for additional annual fees.

If you don't have a paid MagicJack account, it will assign a random outgoing number to you every time you use it. You can also receive calls, although the caller will have to call a special number then enter your MagicJack app number. MagicJack provides VoIP service, which means you bypass traditional twisted-pair copper phone lines within your home.

Rather than making analog calls like with traditional phone service, you are using hardware and software to convert your call into a digital signal and send it over the Internet. But your calls still have to hit a telephone service network's lines at some point. That's where the MagicJack business model comes in handy. As a CLEC, it also gets its phone numbers for free and can resell to other phone service providers. It is a phone company as much as it is a provider of a VoIP device.

But despite all advantages, MagicJack is not the only game in town. Next, find out how it compares to some other VoIP providers. One major difference between MagicJack and most other VoIP devices and services, besides its diminutive size, is that it's super cheap.

Yes, that is annual, not monthly. Most other VoIP services either have much more expensive upfront device costs or charge higher fees, usually on a monthly rather than annual basis, although MagicJack does have one very close competitor price-wise.

If you want to make calls outside the U. With all of the VoIP choices, including MagicJack, you may be required to pay government fees and taxes, including monthly charges for E And any additional services you select will likely incur monthly or annual charges, so take care to research your options thoroughly.

VoIP service is also available through cable or phone companies that offer Internet service, and can often be fairly cheap with a package deal. To compare all the options to each other or to traditional phone service, you have to consider your calling area and phone number needs, and you have to factor in the cost of the required broadband Internet service.

There are other communication alternatives such as Skype, which allows you to video or voice chat with other Skype users, but also has plans that allow you to call mobile and landline phones from software on your computer, tablet or mobile for various monthly or per-minute rates. There's also Google Voice, which gives you a number and lets you have calls forwarded to any or all of your phones, and will send you transcribed voice mails, but the service depends upon you already having some sort of existing phone service.

Various instant messaging programs and social networking sites also allow voice and video chat. But they're arguably not the same as having a home phone line. The original MagicJack required you to leave your computer on all the time to make and receive calls, and didn't allow you to use your existing phone number.

This was all fixed with the newer MagicJack Plus, but there are still some notable limitations. Depending upon your wants and needs, they could range from minor annoyances to deal breakers. As with all Internet-based services, if the Internet or power goes out, you will not be able to make or receive calls. Twisted-pair copper phone lines carry power to phones, but the newer coaxial cable and fiber optic lines by which many of us are getting Internet service these days do not.

There are some VoIP services that provide optional battery backups that last a few hours, but MagicJack is not among them. Regarding E service, when you call with MagicJack, your address can't be automatically detected. You have to register your home address with MagicJack in order for emergency services to properly locate you, and it won't work if you are using the device in other locations.

You will also need to make sure the address is updated if you move. There also might be issues with getting phone numbers in some area codes. If yours isn't available, you can pick a phone number with a different area code, and switch if and when yours becomes available, although this likely comes at a monetary price. Also, if you are using your MagicJack connected to your computer, it could be felled by any number of computer issues, which might be something to consider when choosing the type of device or service you pick.

The company hasn't been controversy free. Dan Borislow, founder of MagicJack, insulted netTALK's quality and the viability of the company in a interview, and then sued them for patent infringement in , although the case was dismissed. The company also sued Web site Boing Boing for defamation over an April article that brought up some aspects of MagicJack's end-user agreement that it found objectionable.

These issues included the fact that MagicJack reserves the right to analyze the numbers you call for advertising purposes and the stipulation that any legal claims against MagicJack had to be handled by binding arbitration, as well as the user agreement not being clearly presented on its Web site or at purchase or installation time.

The article also took issue with the lack of an uninstaller and some aspects of the company Web site. The software can be more easily uninstalled now, and some changes have been made to the Web site. The terms of service still include their right to analyze the phone numbers you call and your registration information to target relevant ads.

MagicJack itself was charged by the Florida Attorney General over accusations that it charged customer debit cards during a day free trial period, had limitations it wasn't disclosing properly and that there were issues with its handling of customer complaints. The company settled the dispute by paying a fine without admitting to any wrongdoing and resolved the complaints. It also made some changes to its business practices.

As of fall , the MagicJack FAQ specifies that credit cards will not be charged during the trial period, although a hold may be placed, and you will be charged if you buy more than two MagicJacks or purchase extra years of service.

If you use a debit, bank or check card, you will be charged immediately, but you will receive a refund if you return your MagicJack before the day trial period ends. Early MagicJack suffered from the hour computer connection requirement and the inability to port numbers, but these concerns are moot with MagicJack Plus.

Some reviews of the original MagicJack stated that the quality wasn't quite as good as landline, but was as good as or better than cellular. There can still be distortion or delay caused by things like interference from software or computer issues, other devices sharing your bandwidth or a weak Internet connection, but the newer MagicJack Plus purportedly results in better call quality, even on par with landline service.

One repeated complaint is customer service, especially the fact that it's computer-based only, with no possibility of calling a support line. MagicJack's customer support is all via their online documentation and a live Web chat feature. You reportedly have to step through a few levels in the knowledge base to get to the Web chat, but at that point you are at least dealing with a real person.

This is apparently fine for simple problems, but some find chat a difficult way to resolve more technically involved issues. There are also complaints about the paucity of documentation included with the device and all the up-selling during setup.

The most straightforward answer to this question necessitates another question first and foremost. Ask yourself: Do you have a home phone line? Should your answer be yes, then MagicJack unquestionably deserves your careful consideration.

MagicJack is also an exceptional choice if you regularly make international calls. You can also choose from an assortment of other available options. Skype is another alternative, now offering end-to-end encryption. However, this is a vastly different product, intended for other people. What is MagicJack? How does it work? Today, MagicJack offers two primary options, one product, and one enhanced service.

How much does it cost? How useful is MagicJack, really? How is the call quality? Should you buy a monitor on Black Friday ? Should you buy an Air Fryer on Black Friday ?

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