magic jack

[deancicca]

your equipment is locked to vonage. You do not get the admin password to such equipment.

I do have the password and did not need to crack it.

I also did not have any contract with them. I had Vonage when it first came out. I stopped using them simply because I had no need to keep a landline or voip line. I have been operating with just a Cellular phone for the last several years.

So you can enter into the SIP section and enter in a different provider for VOIP service? Not just gain access to the router section? If so, then I would highly suggest you take a look at what Vonage has been doing for the last few years. Their equipment is locked to their service. Perhaps it was not when it first started it certainly is now and as been for quite some time if not from the beginning. A simple google search will prove that their equipment is locked. If you so choose to believe otherwise, so be it.

[denoobifyme]

Regardless of your VoIP service, you're being charged by the month. MJ charges by the year, saving money by a factor of 10-12. If the quality in VoIP isn't ten times as good, then unless you need the higher quality, MJ is the money-saver.

I just use mine for a voice mail number. It's cheaper than voice mail from a landline, and it emails me when someone leaves a message, which I can play on my computer without even having the MJ box in the USB port. I can make free LD calls from any PC running Win-Don'ts as a fallback to cellular.

According to posts here, you can run MJ on Linux through VM. I haven't tried and probably won't.

It's a decent enough service, especially if you don't use it as a primary phone. What do you want for twenty bucks a year, AT&T landline quality?  Most cellphone plans offer free LD. VoIP and MJ both are pretty much obsolete anyway. Once everyone realizes "no contract" is their biggest selling point, all phone plans will be as interchangeable as soft drinks. Go with what works for you, and if other people don't choose as wisely as you think they should, taking more than one post to argue with them just adds grief to the mix.

[kolosus]

VoIP and MJ both are pretty much obsolete anyway.

True. But that only applies to people here in the USA. I gave my mother a magicJack. She is overseas.

Having a magic jack here is not as convenient. I mean I have a cell and even though the bill is stiff I cant manage without it. So having a magic jack (even at $20 a year) is not all that advantageous.

But for my mother it is a miracle (almost). She is overseas and has a american land line phone (kinda). Anyone here in the usa can give her a call as if she is right here. Plus she can call anyone, local and long distance. And family members come by regularly to call their loved ones as there is no time limit and no bill. True the call quality leaves a lot to be desired... but if they wanted clear quality then I'd get Vonage or some other voip solution. My friend in columbia uses vonage as she needs to keep in contact with her suppliers and its much cheaper than paying their local phone companies.

[chiefjim]

Regardless of your VoIP service, you're being charged by the month.

Except for Ooma.  You pay a one time fee to purchase the hardware.  Beyond that it is free unless you opt to add extra features.

[denoobifyme]

I'm unfamiliar with Ooma. Does that one-time equipment payment run into hundreds of dollars? Is the quality comparable to other VoIPs? Is the equipment portable and the number permanent? Might still be worth it as a long-run cheap.

[ElCuervo]

I'm unfamiliar with Ooma. Does that one-time equipment payment run into hundreds of dollars? Is the quality comparable to other VoIPs? Is the equipment portable and the number permanent? Might still be worth it as a long-run cheap.

looks like the one time payment is $250
http://www.ooma.com/

[chiefjim]

I'm unfamiliar with Ooma. Does that one-time equipment payment run into hundreds of dollars? Is the quality comparable to other VoIPs? Is the equipment portable and the number permanent? Might still be worth it as a long-run cheap.

Costco and Newegg are each offering it now for $229.  Got mine for $200 a few months back when Newegg had a special.

You can easily plug in the unit anywhere and have your "home" number ready to use.  Users also have the option of selecting a number from other locations.  As such quite easy for it to be a local call for family that has moved to another state.

More details here:   http://www.ooma.com/

User comments at Amazon were what prompted me to give it a try.

[ElCuervo]

Compare that to this puppy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127070 At this price, I doubt if they'll last long - $10 rebate, free shipping... $9.99 total charge!

It has two disadvantages that I've found so far. The first is that it only works in Windows... oh, well. The second is that after you hear a dial tone, you have to push ## (to get a Skype connection, and then you have to use the country code and area code to dial out (001-505-xxx-xxx). Big deal. I love it.

Skype does work nicely in Linux when you're at the computer with a mike and speaker, or a headset, but this is a nice extension that allows Mar and I to use it from any remote handset in our house, so we'll be running Windows on one box most of the time just because we can lie in bed and chat like normal old folks.

For an phone number to allow folks to call you, you have to pay a once a year charge of $40, I think, and then a monthly charge (billed quarterly) of around 7.95 to dial any phone, unlimited in the US and Canada. Here's the price sheet: http://www.skype.com/prices/

[kolosus]

ElCuervo. What's the word on quality of calls? Good? Bad? Good certain times of the day? Its VOIP what do you expect? Thanks.

[ElCuervo]

Compared to Vonage, it's consistently much better. Compared to Comcast, about the same quality - which is to say, excellent! On the rare occasion that I get a bad connection, a quick callback fixes it right away.

And I'm on the phone a lot at all times of day - no difference.

[davidwillis]

I can attest to the fact that Skype is worth the investment, too. It's in the repositories. If you just gotta have a "real" phone, you can get a USB adapter to hook up your old handset. I paid $30 for a phone number for a year.

Works in Winders, too.

do these work in linux?

[sphere79]

I was looking into moving my home phone to voip a few months ago, as I barely use it but wanted to keep the number and not have to give my cell# to everybody.

After much research, I went with voip.ms out of Canada. They charged me $25 for the number port, then it's $1.50 a month and .0105 cents a minute for calls (800 is free). If I use it more than a few hours a month I can move to the $6 plan which is pretty much unlimited. I checked out magicjack, but my concern was the need for a dedicated PC. With my current set-up I paid $35 for a dedicated analog telephone adaptor (2 line model, there was one for $25!) that connects to my router - no PC needed. There's no monthly billing, you add credits in $25 chunks and it debits from that. Bottom line, I'll probably get 6-8 months service for what I was paying for one month of AT&T landline service. It is barebones (no caller ID names or call waiting) but I can add features for more $. What I really like is essentially I am the phone company. I can route any incoming numbers to the recording of my choice, or even allow only certain numbers through - so long sales calls. The call quality has been excellent as well.

It's probably not for someone like my parents, but I recommend voip in general to those technical in nature who are looking to save money on phone service.

[Was_Just19]

I was looking into moving my home phone to voip a few months ago, as I barely use it but wanted to keep the number and not have to give my cell# to everybody.

After much research, I went with voip.ms out of Canada. They charged me $25 for the number port, then it's $1.50 a month and .0105 cents a minute for calls (800 is free). If I use it more than a few hours a month I can move to the $6 plan which is pretty much unlimited. I checked out magicjack, but my concern was the need for a dedicated PC. With my current set-up I paid $35 for a dedicated analog telephone adaptor (2 line model, there was one for $25!) that connects to my router - no PC needed. There's no monthly billing, you add credits in $25 chunks and it debits from that. Bottom line, I'll probably get 6-8 months service for what I was paying for one month of AT&T landline service. It is barebones (no caller ID names or call waiting) but I can add features for more $. What I really like is essentially I am the phone company. I can route any incoming numbers to the recording of my choice, or even allow only certain numbers through - so long sales calls. The call quality has been excellent as well.

It's probably not for someone like my parents, but I recommend voip in general to those technical in nature who are looking to save money on phone service.

The real benefit of such a setup is that you can change provider at any time or indeed have a second provider, if you find call rates to your benefit with another provider.

For those who like to use many different providers there is an online PBX service (free) which allows you to have many providers registered -- www.mysipswitch.com

I have my main number with www.blueface.com but have other providers also for special numbers for which they have much better rates. Blueface also support mysipswitch and have vowed to keep it a free service. Minimum payment using a PAYG account is €5.00.

Once set up there is little or no maintenance, so it is suitable for all, IMO.

[ka9yhd]

Something I do not understand.

If you are using Voip you have to have access to some sort of internet connection. For example here to have DSL you must have a phone line. So what is the deal of using VOIP if I have to have a phone line to have DSL to use something like Skype? For $38.00/mo. I have unlimited calling and long distance within the US. I hae no need to call anywhere outside the US. Can anyone enlighten me why there would be a need to have VOIP?

I connect to the internet through the cable TV line. I do not have a regular phone line. Using VOIP, I speak to people around the world, as well as the US, Canada, and Mexico, and it costs me nothing extra, as long as they have a computer, and VOIP also.

That is the part that people miss.  If you already have an Internet connection, DSL, Cable, etc.  Then you can save money by using Voip instead of ma Bell.
But for someone who does not have an Internet connection, they are looking at the cost of the Voip service plus Internet service and they are wondering where is the savings over ma Bell?

[davidwillis]

I would love to get rid of my home phone and save $50 per month, but my wife needs a real phone So I need to find a phone adapter that will work with pclinuxos.  This one http://www.amperordirect.com/pc/c-internet-adapters/internet-phone-converter-b2k.html says it supports fedora core3.

Does anyone know if it would work in pclinuxos?  Or if there is anything better.