Magic Jack

[twostrokes]

Has anyone there used Magic Jack from the PI to call the states???If you have a laptop, find a hot spot say in a coffee shop, have a Magic Jack activated in the States with a stateside phone number,have a phone to plug into Magic Jackcan you just call a local number in the states and talk free???Not sure how these things would work from there to here??

[Mr Lee]

Has anyone there used Magic Jack from the PI to call the states???If you have a laptop, find a hot spot say in a coffee shop, have a Magic Jack activated in the States with a stateside phone number,have a phone to plug into Magic Jackcan you just call a local number in the states and talk free???Not sure how these things would work from there to here??

Yes, I have used it at a hotspot and in our condo and it worked fine in our condo but not always when in a hotspot there. I suspect it was because the connection was too slow and loaded down with too many users. When in our condo, it would not work well while we were watching a slingbox via our computer, and I am sure it was because it was using all or almost all my DSL speed, I have 1 MB there. Here in the states I have a slow 768 kbps connection and if I am talking on the MJ and try to download or go to a web site, it digitizes the phone call, so that has to be the issue. I think you will be safe if you can find a hotspot that is not overloaded or find an open connection and use that. When we are in the Philippines, I forward my home phone to my cell phone and then just before leaving the country, I forward my cell to my MJ and then when we arrive I get all my calls. It works great 95% of the time and if I happen to get a bad connection, I just hang up and call back.

[andre007]

MagicJack is the best thing to come around since the Internet. LOLI love it.The best way to understand it just to say no matter where you take the MagicJack is to just think you are in the USA when making calls or when people are calling you at home.

[tom_shor]

I have been using one for several months. I love it. It has saved me over a hundred dollars in phone cards. It comes with instructions and is really simple to set up. You set it up on the US with a local number then wherever you take it people can contact you with that number. (As long as you have an internet connection and the computer is on.) As far as they know they are dialing a US number. You can also call from PI to any number in the US. Or call any other magic jack number anywhere. We use it on a regular desktop with a PLDT connection.

[twostrokes]

Thanks for the replies.. I already have MJ in use at my house. It replaced my landline about 4 months ago. No problems with it here. My question was really more pointed at using it there from a hotspot. Since when we get there in Oct. I will be visiting a number of places in the PI, I won't really be staying in one place long enough to get DSL set up or anything else for that matter. Not concerned so much about incoming calls, (usually I don't want any), but will need outgoing ability.

[Mr Lee]

Thanks for the replies.. I already have MJ in use at my house. It replaced my landline about 4 months ago. No problems with it here. My question was really more pointed at using it there from a hotspot. Since when we get there in Oct. I will be visiting a number of places in the PI, I won't really be staying in one place long enough to get DSL set up or anything else for that matter. Not concerned so much about incoming calls, (usually I don't want any), but will need outgoing ability.

Since that is the case, you might want to get yourself a Smart BigBro for p1995, it plugs into the USB port like a memory stick. I bought one earlier this year and used it while traveling and any place that had a good Smart cell phone signal worked great and the magic jack worked great with it. You load it from your cell phone with Smart Big Bro reload cards and you can buy a new sim for it for p55 each time you get back to the Philippines because the sim will expire every 120 days just like a phone sim. Note: they were supposed to extend that time period of sims to expire but I am not sure if they will also extend the time period on the Big Bro. http://smart.com.ph/bro/products/BroPrepaid.htmThe only thing to be aware of is that they charge by on the hour or by on the half hour and on their clock, so it is best to do a buddy balance and set your watch, laptop and cell phone by Smarts clock and then sign on about 1 minute right after the hour change or half hour change to get the most for your money and get an actual 29 minutes rather than a shorter time.

[tom_shor]

Thanks for the replies.. I already have MJ in use at my house. It replaced my landline about 4 months ago. No problems with it here. My question was really more pointed at using it there from a hotspot. Since when we get there in Oct. I will be visiting a number of places in the PI, I won't really be staying in one place long enough to get DSL set up or anything else for that matter. Not concerned so much about incoming calls, (usually I don't want any), but will need outgoing ability.

If you have an internet connection it should work. Can't say a positive yes since I haven't tried it.

[tim]

I am taking a Acer netbook to Cebu with me. Will MJ work with such small operational capacity? The netbook has 1 GB of single channel memory and 160 GB harddrive. It has a webcam and microphone installed. I am planning on leaving it with my wife parents and setting up a Broadband service at their house in Talisay. They already have a land line service for their phone set up. I am hoping that they can webcam each other. Of course, MJ would be another tool to use. I am trying to cut my costs on phone cards here in the USA. Any suggestions? Also, anyone living in that area, can you suggest how much would Broadband service costs monthly? They live in Biasong, Talisay City, Cebu. ThanksTim in Memphis USA

[Mr Lee]

I am taking a Acer netbook to Cebu with me. Will MJ work with such small operational capacity? The netbook has 1 GB of single channel memory and 160 GB harddrive. It has a webcam and microphone installed. I am planning on leaving it with my wife parents and setting up a Broadband service at their house in Talisay. They already have a land line service for their phone set up. I am hoping that they can webcam each other. Of course, MJ would be another tool to use. I am trying to cut my costs on phone cards here in the USA. Any suggestions? Also, anyone living in that area, can you suggest how much would Broadband service costs monthly? They live in Biasong, Talisay City, Cebu. ThanksTim in Memphis USA

The Magic Jack should work on any computer as long as the Internet connection speed is up to par. I never tried one on the computer you are talking about but one friend I know has and he said it did work but occasionally digitizes. I think that is a minor problem to put up with considering the cost saving it can offer you. If I were you, I would buy one and set it up in the states first and then try it on that computer and see what happens. That way if you have any problems you can work them out ahead of time. Just a heads up, Window XP usually requires the Vista fix download that Magic Jack has on their web page to work. Magic Jack also allows you to deposit money into your account and you can then also make long distant calls to a regular Philippine line there should you have to and the rates seem to be reasonable compared to other phone services but probably not as low as that of some cards you can buy. Once you get it all hooked up, sign in to your account with your email address and password at http://www.my.magicjack.com/login.html and then you can add 6 additional years for $59.99 if they are still running that special, or forward your calls or deposit money into your account to be used for long distance calls should you wish to use it for that purpose, but if you have one in the Philippines then there would be no need hopefully. Tim I wish we could be there to meet up with you and I hope we can meet in person one day down the road. Enjoy your trip and I envy you because we cannot break loose right now to get there ourselves. Enjoy my friend.

[tom_shor]

I am taking a Acer netbook to Cebu with me. Will MJ work with such small operational capacity? The netbook has 1 GB of single channel memory and 160 GB harddrive. It has a webcam and microphone installed. I am planning on leaving it with my wife parents and setting up a Broadband service at their house in Talisay. They already have a land line service for their phone set up. I am hoping that they can webcam each other. Of course, MJ would be another tool to use. I am trying to cut my costs on phone cards here in the USA. Any suggestions? Also, anyone living in that area, can you suggest how much would Broadband service costs monthly? They live in Biasong, Talisay City, Cebu. ThanksTim in Memphis USA

It should work with that computer. One way is to know for sure is to buy it set it up and try it. It costs $40 at Radio Shack. That includes the $20 for the first year of service. So it's a small risk. If it doesn't work with that computer you can always keep it and use it for your own long distance calling in the US. Mine has saved me quite a bit already plus we talk more now than we did before.