MagicJack, do you use?

[Gilles]

Hello, do any of you use the MagicJack communication system, with which you can communicate toll free, Canada / United States, and keep your current phone number.?

magicJackGO: Unlimited Local & Long Distance Calls | magicJack

I would appreciate having the users evaluation.

[gordon2]

I tried it a few years ago and it worked OK. In fact I still have the hardware and a month ago I checked into reactivating it, but I saw no reason to spend the money. Now days there is Google Voice, available via the Google Hangouts app (but soon to change names again as Google is always changing things). With Google, I make unlimited free calls but I don't know what they offer to Canadians or if there are different restrictions. And of course you might not get the benefit of e-911 call locating with either.

I used it at home on a broadband router. Not sure how well it would work on the road, with Wi/Fi, and limited bandwidth. Cell phone seems like the better option when traveling.

[TechiePhil]

I had one for several years while living overseas (Chile and UK). It was really handy for family to call us with a US number. You can pick the area code, for example, I got one near my mother, so it was like a local neighborhood call for her. It's very portable, you just need a fair internet connection. With all our moving around, it gave us a consistent US number that we could use with family and businesses while overseas. It worked well. Now that we're retired back to the US, we just let it go. Cell phones are all we need. For international travel, it's a good deal. There is a free app you can use on a smart phone, too. There are other ways to do it now, but it worked well for us for the time we needed it.

[TomandCallie]

Hi Gilles,
I have used MJ on my home Imac for about 10 years now. At first they had issues with dropping calls and you would have to restart it every now and then to keep it working right. And their customer service was only via online "chat" and very frustrating to say the least. But, I have to say, it now works nearly perfect and I rarely have issues with it. The call quality has always been great, unlike cell phones. I pay for 5 years at a time and the last renewal cost $99 - that's $20/year! Not bad.

I have NOT used the MJ Go which you are asking about. I would say that if you are willing to put up with a bit of "tweeking" of your settings and learning just how to use it in your travels, it might work well for you. I'm guessing it is still fairly low-cost so might be worth a shot.

[Darwin Maring]

Tried it several years ago and did not like it because campground bandwidth was just to slow. Consumer celluar is cheep enough and works really well.

[Sandy54]

I've had Magic Jack at home for 5 years, no problems. You need high speed Internet to use it at home. My home phone also rings on my cell phone so I get my calls when I'm away from home.

[Grant Allen]

I have used it for about five years, replaced my land line. My wife uses it for overseas calling. Seems to work well and is inexpensive. My mother in-law visits and uses it when we aren't around and she is from the UK, I don't even worry about the cost of it so minimal. Used their cell phone app in Brazil with a good internet connection. Worked fine and a lot cheaper than using the hotels phone. I give this number to people I don't want calling me on my cell.

You can also answer the phone anywhere and the caller won't know where you are.

Gives you a email when you get a message with a sound file attachment.

I like it, not for everyone. Some routers need tweaking.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Tried it several years ago and did not like it because campground bandwidth was just to slow. Consumer celluar is cheep enough and works really well.

I don't know why, I answer to your mail and he never gone.

Thank you for your offer but I already have one in hand.

Have a good day!

[Gilles]

Thank you for all your comments.

[Mike Magee]

Last August we dropped our landline phone and bought a MagicJack Go. It has worked fine. Between that device and the cell phones, we don't miss our expensive landline at all.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Last August we dropped our landline phone and bought a MagicJack Go. It has worked fine. Between that device and the cell phones, we don't miss our expensive landline at all.

By keeping the telephone number of our landline, we did not have to communicate with all the offices, the companies, to whom we had given this number to join us ...
It is only a few days that I completed the transfer and already I feel that it is a good move, plus the positive comments that several have brought me, in addition to saving a lot of money.

Yes, the cell phone always follows and anecdote, a small remote campsite that we frequent, the cellular does not enter but they have the bandwidth high speed because they realized that many people, even in camping want to communicate easily. Since these changes on this campsite, it is necessary to check the availability before going there.

[accrete]

our kids both used the MJ while stationed overseas and worked well for them.

Wife and i ditched the landline ~5 years before we moved into our rolling home. We've had cell phones as our only phone(s) since ~2009

[Gilles]

It has not been two weeks since I set up our new MagicJack, keeping our landline number and we are very satisfied at the moment.
The positive comments you shared with me are very encouraging.
For now, by keeping our landline number, we find it very convenient to be easily reached by the various services that already have this number ...

Thanks again.