bobfears
louisville
Full Member
Joined: 05/18/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
We now have magic jack plus at home. It is $29.99 for unlimited phone service. If we decide to go fulltime next year, since we have a verizon hotspot for the camper we could have unlimited phone service anywhere you get a verizon signal. You would hook the MJ adapter to your laptop using the USB port. Then hook a cordless phone into the MJ adapter. We use tracphone cellphones which are pay as you go, costing about $10 to $20 per moth depending on use. What do you think? Will it work? Is it worth it? Bob
* This post was
edited 05/13/12 08:30am by bobfears *
|
frank-2
Ontario
Senior Member
Joined: 11/01/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
I find the Magic Jack you need really good Internet or it does not work properly best of luck
|
docj
Fulltime--Home is where we park it
Senior Member
Joined: 07/13/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Online
|
I assume you mean you have a Verizon MiFi for your internet service when you are camping and would like to use it instead of a cell phone? As frank-2 already said, if you have a good Verizon signal it will work but there will be times when there are interruptions and sometimes it may stop for minutes at a time.
When you are using the internet you are not as aware of the fact that the quality of your connection is almost continually varying. This is less noticeable if you are in a high signal 4G area, but out in the boonies the signal may vary all over the place.
Conducting a voice phone call requires a pretty constant signal even though the bandwidth is low; people find it difficult to talk if there are gaps in the conversation. You should try it; depending on where you are it may be acceptable to you.
Sandie & Joel
2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2009 Chevy Malibu LTZ with ReadyBrute tow bar/braking system
Official WiFiRanger Ambassador WFRAMB303
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels
|
PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
Senior Member
Joined: 12/23/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Do you really have "unlimited" service with Verizon? I don't have them (we use Sprint), but our neighbor works for Verizon, and I was under the impression that they had limits on their data plans (which is what you'd be using).
Sorry, I have no information on HJ, though I will agree that there is a big difference between the signal you have at home, and what you will have out on the road....and talking (I use Skype when I'm out on the boat) is touch and go at times.
I'd just as soon use my cell-phone...and can't really see the advantage of the HJ if you've got a cell-phone.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ
Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau 
RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293
The Pets
|
bobfears
louisville
Full Member
Joined: 05/18/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
PapPappy wrote:Do you really have "unlimited" service with Verizon? I don't have them (we use Sprint), but our neighbor works for Verizon, and I was under the impression that they had limits on their data plans (which is what you'd be using).
Sorry, I have no information on HJ, though I will agree that there is a big difference between the signal you have at home, and what you will have out on the road....and talking (I use Skype when I'm out on the boat) is touch and go at times.
I'd just as soon use my cell-phone...and can't really see the advantage of the HJ if you've got a cell-phone. We have 5gb per month for $50. Used now just for internet.
|
|
|
skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
Wouldn't you already have unlimited phone service (using your Verizon phone) anywhere you have a verizon signal even without the magic jack? Guess I'm just wondering what actual purpose the magic jack would serve.
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
|
bobfears
louisville
Full Member
Joined: 05/18/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
skipnchar wrote:Wouldn't you already have unlimited phone service (using your Verizon phone) anywhere you have a verizon signal even without the magic jack? Guess I'm just wondering what actual purpose the magic jack would serve. To reduce overall cost. We want normal wifi which is provided by the verizon hotspot. It only provides internet service, no phone. For cell we now use tracphone, very little, emergency only. You buy 200 minutes for 19.99 and that mightr last 2 months or so.
|
rexlion
Broken Arrow OK
Senior Member
Joined: 04/01/2005
View Profile
|
I used my Magic Jack a time or two on CG wifi with my laptop last summer. It seemed ok in those locations. I'll be taking it with me again this year.
|
accsys
Green Cove Springs, FL
Senior Member
Joined: 07/09/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
The MJ should work on your Verizon Hotspot if you have good cell reception BUT the data received and sent through the MJ will count on your Verizon 5GB monthly allotment. You could go to your MyVerizon account, see what your current data usage is, make a five minute phone call, then go back to MyVerizon and see how much bandwidth you used. This would tell you if your hotspot usage will go up too much making phone calls on the MJ. Also realize that if you go over your 5GB you are only charged an extra $10 for the next 1GB of usage which may be cheaper than other ways to make a phone call.
John & Doris
Doris and Robbies Blogs
2007 Tiffin Phaeton QDH 40 w/Cat 7 350
2004 Liberty Renegade 4x4 Toad
Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar
Air Force One toad braking system
FMCA F380583, PA, Good Sams
|
RoadLife
New Mexico
Senior Member
Joined: 03/28/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Google has FREE phone service via the internet. My brother was going to go with Magic Jack until I told him about it. He uses Google Phone all the time now.
ROADLIFE
RoadLife USA 2013 Blog
2003 40' Allegro BUS - 2 slides
2013 Ford F150 XLT 4X4 OffRoad 2009 RAV4
Shasta - Australian Shepherd; Boomer - Brittany
|
|
|
