Saturday, December 20, 2008

magicJack® Reality

“Most users that are having “trouble” with their magicJack® dongle are usually having connection problems with their computer's USB ports and its power supply to those ports!”

How many USB devices are currently plugged in?

Power-Hungry USB Ports

The number of USB devices that the users can plug into the computer these days, with cameras, scanners, printers, keyboards, pointing devices, PDAs, hard disks and many more peripherals using the USB interface that often runs off the computer's power through the USB bus. This is more of a convenience since the users don't have to plug in a separate electrical cord, but it's also easy to overload the USB ports if the users plug a number of devices into many of the available ports.Does the user's PC's USB ports supply enough electricity to power all the devices they have attached to them? Plugging too much gear into a bus-powered USB hub (one with no external power adapter) can overwhelm a USB port by demanding more than the 500 mA it can supply.

Check the power demands on any USB port in Windows XP by right-clicking My Computer and choosing Properties, Hardware, Device Manager.

1. Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers,
2. Double-click the USB Root Hub entry, choose the Power tab, and add up the amounts in the "Power Required" column.

(Below is the advice which many users forget about.)

In a few rare instances, the USB port on the user's computer may not have enough electrical power for the magicJack® dongle to work properly.

Try using a externally AC powered USB hub to plug the magicJack® dongle into instead of using the computer's USB port if there are 'many' other USB devices connected to the computer or if the magicJack® dongle acts erratically with audio and connection problems.
[e.g. Startech .COM ST4200USB 4-PORT USB 2.0 HUB (ST4200USB)»(Cost $19.14)]

magicJack® may or may not work best when plugged directly into a USB port on the computer.

Do not plug the magicJack® dongle into a multi port USB hub that is not AC powered.


Another option if you don't want to buy yet another device is to check the Power Management function of your computers USB Root Hub. Under Windows XP, disabling the Power Management for all USB Root Hubs in your system may resolve the problem.

Here is how to do it:

1. Open the Device Manager (Start-> right click on "My Computer", click on "Properties" -> Hardware -> Device Manager)
2. Look under the category Universal Serial Bus controllers and find the USB Root Hub.
3. Right click and select Properties, go to the Power Management tab
4. Uncheck the box "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." and click "OK".

Repeat this for each of the USB Root Hubs shown in the Device Manager.

After the user has connected the magicJack® dongle for the first time, registered the device, and has the 'softphone' on the screen, the user should probably run TCP Optimizer to “tune” the computer to work with it in an efficient manner; it can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

The program can aid both the novice and the advanced user in tweaking related TCP/IP parameters in the Windows Registry, making it easy to tune your system to the type of Internet connection used. The tool uses advanced algorithms, and the bandwidth delay product to find the best TCP Window for your specific connection speed. It provides for easy tuning of all related TCP/IP parameters, such as MTU, RWIN, and even advanced ones like QoS and ToS/Diffserv prioritization. The program works with all current versions of Windows, and includes additional tools, such as testing average latency over multiple hosts, and finding the largest possible packet size (MTU).

The user can use the TCP Optimizer by following these short instructions:

1. Choose the maximum Connection Speed from the slider bar (the maximum available bandwidth, in kilobits per second)
2. Choose the Network Interface, or check to Modify All Network Adapters
3. Pick "Optimal settings" from the radio-buttons near the bottom of the program
4. Click on the "Apply changes" button and reboot


If you get annoyed by the softphone pop-up dialog box constantly coming on to your monitor's screen every time the telephone system is activated, then you can try this program to curtain that feature:

http://www.download.com/MagicBlock/3000-2349_4-10838528.html?cdlPid=10843178

magicJack® Uses

Number One

1. Inexpensive Secondary Telephone Service »[Costing $19.95 per year or 5¢ per day]
2. Excellent adjunct to expensive prime time and/or poor indoor Cellular Telephone Service
3. Distribute magicJack® phone number to all contacts as primary contact number
4. When outdoors have the magicJack® phone number forwarded to cell phone
5. When indoors use magickJack® phone number to reach and be reached by contacts

Number Two

1. Inexpensive Second Telephone Service for your home »[Costing $19.95 per year or 5¢ per day]
2. If you don't want to leave your computer on overnight, just have the magicJack® phone number forwarded to your Primary service when shutdown
3. Excellent teenager(s) own phone line instead of expensive cellular phone when at home → can be used like magicJack® Uses Number One as above

Number Three

1. Inexpensive telephone service for a home business »[Costing $19.95 per year or 5¢ per day]
2. Built in voice mail makes it easy for customers messages to be heard via email when away from home business location, like when at your primary employment

magicJack® Support

http://www.magic-jack.info/linkpage.htm

YMax Communications Corp.
5700 Georgia Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Phone: 561-586-3380
Alt: 888-230-0060
Fax: 561-586-2328
Email: peter.russo@ymaxcorp.com
Email: russop@magicjack.com

Competitive Local Exchange Regulated by WUTCYMAX Communications Corp.
Daniel Borislow, President & CEO
223 Sunset Avenue, Suite 223
Palm Beach, FL 33480
407-740-3031

Customer Contact:Michael Shippey, Customer Service Manager
5700 Georgia Ave
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Phone:888-230-0060
Fax: 561-586-2328
Email: michael.shippey@ymaxcorp.com
Email: russop@magicjack.com

Financial Support: (281) 404-1551 open from 11am to 8pm EST

http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=92003333

Various Instructions for REMOVING magicJack® Software (Windows Operating System)

Version Number One

1. Unplug the magicJack® dongle. Go to “Start” in Windows and click on “run” and type (enter) regedit and press Enter.
2. Now Click on + Sign next to HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE.
3. Click on + Sign next to SYSTEM.
4. Click on + Sign next to CurrentControlSet.
5. Click on + Sign next to Enum.
6. Locate the folder called USB. Right Click on the Folder and Click on “Permissions”.
7. In permissions Click on the Check Mark called “Allow” to the right of “Full Control”.
8. Click OK.
9. Next Click on + Sign next to USB and locate two folders called “Vid1307″.
10. Right Click on one at a time and select Delete.
11. Next Click on - Sign next to USB.
12. Right Click on the folder named USBSTOR and Allow permissions.
13. Next Click on + Sign next to USBSTOR.
14. Locate the folders named “CdRom&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev” and “Disk&Ven_YMAX&Prod_MagicJack&Rev”
15. Right Click on these Folders one at a time and hit Delete.

Version Number Two

1. Double Click on your Hard Drive (usually called C:\).
2. Double Click on Documents and Settings.
3. Double Click on the Folder that has the Username you use when logging into Windows.
4. Double Click on Application Data.
5. Double Click on Folder labeled “mjusbsp”.
6. Double Click on Folder labeled “in00000″.
7. Find the Setup File there and Delete.

Version Number Three

1. Use Device Manager to Uninstall the MagicJack cdrom/disk drive/usb hub.
2. Unplug the magicJack® device.
3. Delete the mjusbsp Directory and all Subdirectories (probably at c:\documents and settings\(your user profile name)\application data\mjusbsp).
4. Use regedit to locate the HKEY Current User Talk4Free entries and Delete the Talk4Free Key and all Subkeys.
5. Delete the MagicJack Directory and all Subdirectores (probably at c:\documents and settings\(your user profile name)\local settings\application data\magicjack).
6. Delete any start menu and desktop Icons.7. Reboot.

magicJack® Telephone Service Throughout the Entire Residence or Business

The user can have the service throughout the entire building by purchasing something like the newer General Electric Model 25931 Series 5.8 GHz Cordless Handset Speakerphone System®.

The telephone system is EXPANDABLE with up to a total of four (4) handsets (by purchase of optional Model 25901 handsets with charge cradles)

How to save money and pay for magicJack® Service with interest earned after one year!

1. The average cost of land line telephone service (AT&T, Cavalier, Qwest, Sprint, or Verizon) with all federal, state, and local taxes and fees is $60.00 per month
2. Deposit $720.00 [12 months of land line payments saved] in an on line account (ING or HSBC linked to you Debit Card Account) earning at least 2.8% interest per year at the time you initiate magicJack® Service
3. After one (1) year you will have earned enough money in interest to pay for the coming yearly magicJack® payment
4. Transfer the interest earned to your Debit Card Account and pay your magicJack® service fee
5. This account will allow you to use [OPM] “Other People's Money” to pay for your magicJack® service for each year you chose to maintain it.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for this very helpful tip. The challenge I was having with magicjack consisted of a literal skipping of the conversation. It seemed like a hit and miss chance of when my conversations would be clear and when they would break up and skip. After following your advice to use a self powered usb hub, my problem seems to be corrected.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i have bookmarked your page, your directions are excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just started thinking about getting a MajicJack and your information is extremely helpful. Thanks for posting it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you do get an AC powered USB hub it might be a good idea to only have the MagicJack on it. It takes more power than many USB devices.

    If you like the convenience of using a hub, get a 2nd for your other USB items so you can plug and unplug more conveniently.

    Don't bother with an unpowered USB hub. They tend to be pretty worthless.

    The directions near the top for using Device Manager at Item 1 to allow power to the USB hubs also works in Windows 7 Home Premium and most likely Vista, too.

    For now I am staying with Vonage since I have had their service for over 4 years and overall am pretty happy with it. There are also so many complaints from people who want to stop Vonage service that it makes me even more hesitant to cancel.

    If my current 4 port Vonage Linksys router dies at any time, then I will consider going with MagicJack with a cell phone to back that up.

    A backup is recommended for any phone dependent on having AC power to keep working.

    Thanks for a great article.

    ReplyDelete
  5. when I first got the MJ i signed up for an additional 5 years. after a year my service was cut off. I chatted with a rep for an hour, on line. she guided me through the process, She assured me I would NOT be charged again. I thought I was getting my five years back. What ended happening is that she got me to pay for the next five years again.

    After I saw the charge on my card I chatted with another rep for another hour. She said she was filing a report, that should have solved the problem. I have still not seen a credit yet. Now I want that initial charge for the 5 year extention returned as I can not see ever using MJ ever again.

    David Kohn

    ReplyDelete
  6. If any company does not honor their refund agreement then dispute the charge with your credit card company. Simple.

    ReplyDelete