|
Voice Over IP Protocol - VoIP - voice-over-IP Hardware and Standards News and Discussions
|
|
|
|
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by on February 7, 2009, 1:22 am
Question on MagicJack
************************************
My question is
Do all the calls come thru a PC/Laptop device ?
Does the laptop have to be on for this service to work ?
If this is so, then this is a problem. That means if my laptop is not
on, I will miss calls
Currently I have Comcast cable Internet and telephone service.
I have a wireless router for my laptop: internet.
Pls let me know as I am ignorant how MagicJack works.
Your help will be highly appreciated.
Thanks,
anna
|
|
Posted by Tin Man Alley on February 7, 2009, 1:18 pm
In article
annabaum100@yahoo.com wrote:
> My question is
> Do all the calls come thru a PC/Laptop device ?
> Does the laptop have to be on for this service to work ?
>
> If this is so, then this is a problem. That means if my laptop is not
> on, I will miss calls
>
> Currently I have Comcast cable Internet and telephone service.
> I have a wireless router for my laptop: internet.
>
> Pls let me know as I am ignorant how MagicJack works.
>
> Your help will be highly appreciated.
It connects to an active USB port on your PC - desk or lap top, so yes
the machine has to be on and actively connected to the internet for
the calls to work in and outbound.
It also requires a certain amount of bandwidth to work effectively so
you need low-end DSL at the least. A dial-up connection may not be
adequate regardless of what they may say.
I think the concept is more that of a second phone line.
For people that may have limited resources, they may have DSL
connections (or even broadband) but not an expensive telephone
package. MagicJack and other VOIP services would allow one to have a
low-cost local telephone service for local, incoming, and emergency
calls, then use the VOIP line for long-distance needs.
The idea is also that since it can plug in to just about any USB port
on any computer, you can take it with you on the road. For some
people this is adequate for communications with home or an office
while still maintaining a local telephone number.
I have a VOIP software solution I can use as a back-up phone if my
regular one is not working but I still have internet, or if the line
is tied up by a family member.
Keep in mind that many VOIP systems do not interact with local 911
services. You will need to check with the manufacturer if that is the
case if you plan on using this as a primary phone.
In my city, the police dispatch center created a standard telephone
number at the station in our city that trunks in to their direct 911
dispatch center. This allows people in my city to use VOIP phones and
cell phones to be assured of reaching the police and fire in OUR city
rather than a regional 911 dispatch center where most cell or VOIP
phones wind up. Rather than dial 911 we use this standard 11 digit
number you can program in and label it 911. Not all cities do this
however.
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | Some MagicJack disappointments | October 7, 2009, 4:00 am |
| FDX-840 Question | June 29, 2004, 12:05 pm |
| VoIP question | April 1, 2004, 1:11 pm |
| newbie question | April 3, 2004, 6:21 pm |
| Very New Bie Question: Where to Start from? | April 7, 2004, 3:53 am |
| ZyXEL ATA question | March 24, 2005, 12:37 pm |
| basic question | April 25, 2005, 6:32 pm |
| VOIP Question | August 10, 2005, 12:14 pm |
| question about sip stack | August 14, 2005, 4:11 am |
| basic SIP question | June 9, 2006, 4:49 am |
|
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML site map
> Do all the calls come thru a PC/Laptop device ?
> Does the laptop have to be on for this service to work ?
>
> If this is so, then this is a problem. That means if my laptop is not
> on, I will miss calls
>
> Currently I have Comcast cable Internet and telephone service.
> I have a wireless router for my laptop: internet.
>
> Pls let me know as I am ignorant how MagicJack works.
>
> Your help will be highly appreciated.