magicJack Check

We’ve been through the order process, and seen it unboxed. Now it’s time to register the device. Watch as I show how to maximize options that will allow you to try out the new device without entirely dropping the service with your old magicJack device. This registration process is geared toward the person who already owns a magicJack device and has an active magicJack account.* Nevertheless, it may help to look at what you’ll be seeing during registration even if you are a new magicJack owner before you are confronted with the same screens so you can be somewhat prepared, so please read on! Continue reading “Registration of the magicJack plus 2014”

The magicJack 2014 just arrived. Watch me unbox it for you in this video below.

I like the smallness of the packaging. It’s set up so that two devices can be packaged together in the same size foam insert, so there may be a special twofer deal at some point in the future. While the packaging is clever, I would like to have seen it be even more environmentally friendly. Foam packaging today can be made of water soluble soy-based foam very similar in protective properties to what is seen here. Continue reading “The Unboxing – 2014 Edition and Comparison with original Edition magicJack Plus”

It helps to know before-hand as much as possible what to expect when registering a device. To that end, I figured it would be a good idea to type up a list of questions and chat with magicJack support about it. What follows below is my chat session with Jeaniza. I made an effort to frame my questions in such a way that it would be easy to answer with a simple “Yes” or “No”. Some of the answers surprised me, so I had to rephrase and ask additional questions, but overall, I think I learned a lot about the registration process before actually doing it.

Update: 2012.12.17: For the holiday season, magicJack has been adding the six months to transfers, when you upgrade from any previous version magicJack to the 2014 version, not ust giving you a choice between 6 months or whatever’s left on your transfer. For the first time from magicJack, it’s sort of like transfer “rollover minutes”. Early adopters did not have this choice. If your device had less than six month, you did’t transfer – just let the old device lapse. If your device had years left, you could transfer, but lose the six month advantage for buying the new device.  I’m not sure how long this behavior will last with magicJack, but if you were thinking of transferring, especially from the USB-only version, this might be the best time to do it. Continue reading “Pre-Registration Questions about magicJack plus 2014”

I just ordered the magicJack plus 2014. I know I said I wouldn’t, but I really wanted to see what’s in the box. Follow along with me as I show you how to order without adding unnecessary upsells. Continue reading “Frustration Free Ordering”

What is port forwarding? Why do I care? How do I do it?
Learn with me today how these settings can make a world of difference when using your magicjack plus at home.

First, why do I care?
Every internet protocol uses ports. For devices that are likely to use some ports fairly exclusively, it can help to tell the router that certain devices take priority when it comes to these ports. While this doesn’t have to be done, when you’ve got just one magicJack device and:

• heavy traffic on your router,
• a very old router
• or a very thin broadband connection,

it can make the difference between jittery or lagging phone connections and a clear one. Continue reading “Port Forwarding for the magicJack plus”

A number of magicJack plus users are finding it difficult to hear others on their phone. Likewise, others have trouble hearing them. Here’s a fix that should work for most users.

Update 2013-10-08: Originally, I thought this volume fix worked. After hearing back from Kher and Bill (commenters below), I performed multiple tests on both the magicJack 2012 and 2014, I find that settings revert back to what seem to be fixed settings for the telephone volume controls when plugged into the router. There is no way to adjust volume settings while the device is connected directly to the router. This is a real problem that magicJack needs to address. There needs to be a way to directly change volume settings while connected to the router. The only way this is likely to happen is if the device hosts a device web interface. Hopefully it will be addressed in some future version of the firmware. Continue reading “Volume fix for magicJack plus with router”

Many people are beginning to recognize the value of making your main phone number not a magicJack number, but instead, using a preferred Google Voice (GV) number to forward calls to a local number randomly assigned by magicJack.  That way, no matter what happens with magicJack, your GV number will always work no matter what magicJack-assigned number or numbers it’s pointed at.

The problem is that now that so many people are porting their preferred numbers back away from magicJack servers, magicJack has decided to attempt to try to charge $30 for an outward port fee. This is probably not legal in the United States. but the area is a bit gray legally, so magicJack seems to be exploiting that little loop hole, or at least attempting to. Continue reading “Port Out Fees – Ignore them”

In the past, the magicJack plus was installed by inserting it first into your computer’s USB port and following the install directions. This apparently is no longer the case with the mJ+ 2014.

According to Ayesha from magicJack chat support:

Plug in the new 2014 mj plus in the wall outlet and router and then visit www.mjreg.com and let the video finish for the registration to appear.

There’s a movie that shows you how to do it. Continue reading “magicJack Plus 2014 – New install method”

I just got an email telling me I could buy the new 2014 magicJack Plus for $30, including six free months of service. It sounds like a good deal, but is it worth it?

After chatting with someone from magicJack chat support, this is what I found: Continue reading “magicJack Plus 2014 – New Hardware – Worth it?”

It’s been a while since I did the first part, but now that I’m finished with my thesis, I’ve finished part two. It’s rather long, but it is full of insights that I learned while putting together my magicJack. Continue reading “Cutting the Cord… A magicJack Journey – Part 2”