# Cheapest Telephone



## FiveCardCharlie (Feb 10, 2014)

I've had MagicJack for 3 years. Very inexpensive, $49 to buy the unit, an $20/yr to have service.
VM can be sent to your email account in WAV format, even if the unit is off.

I love it. Unlimited US/Canada voice calls.

Works over HighSpeed Internet (VOIP)


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Mine has *very* poor reception and there is nothing wrong with my internet. I also paid $80 for the unit.

I paid $80 for 5 years plus an annual charge of $10 for the CDN number all in US funds. My choices are limited as I can't get a landline here.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Why pay $80 or $50 for an unnecessary unit and why does a paid-for-service like MagicJack have ads?.. Just buy a headset or laptop with built in mic or install a voip app on a smartphone (noise cancellation mic)

voip.ms costs me $1 USD per month for a Cdn number, has much lower international rates, more servers to chose from and has NO ads/spam/malware etc.. If you have high speed internet but poor voip, maybe you need a newer router.. 

We must have 100 threads on MagicJack by now. Is MagicJack creating users and threads here? They certainly must have the best marketing campaign.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

^Different strokes for different folks. 

Not interested in any more tech gadgets like headsets, limitations of laptop with mic, smartphone with internet cost etc. Low tech family and happy to be that way. Would prefer to simplify if I could. Becoming more of a Luddite. Being on this forum is about as difficult as I'm interested in. Thanks for the suggestion on the router although it's a 2 year old modem with built in router supplied by ISP. Tried different setting etc but couldn't improve VOIP, and gave up. Most things computer related frequently have little issues and are vastly over complicated in my experience. If cars worked like that it would be in the shop every week. I think I need to get some 10 year old over here to fix it. LOL

Also no need for international calling. Cost for magic jack is small change....if it worked better.....your suggestions are likely more $$ for me and too limiting. Magic Jack has ads because they are a business, same as Vonage, Rogers etc. but you probably know that.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

RBull said:


> modem with built in router supplied by ISP


This is likely your problem. You could buy any better router, even used from kijiji, and plug it into the supplied modem/router. That would likely improve your internet as well besides voip.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

m3s said:


> This is likely your problem. You could buy any better router, even used from kijiji, and plug it into the supplied modem/router. That would likely improve your internet as well besides voip.


Thanks. I have a new router that I bought thinking I would need/use. Didn't and forgot about so couldn't return. Shame on me. I'd have to figure out how to set it up etc so that might be my problem!


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

RBull said:


> Also no need for international calling. Cost for magic jack is small change....if it worked better.....your suggestions are likely more $$ for me and too limiting. Magic Jack has ads because they are a business, same as Vonage, Rogers etc. but you probably know that.


We have a friend here in Vancouver who bought MJ back in 2009 because of our excellent experience. After several calls to MJ support, he got it working fine. He ended up talking to a tech.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Anyone using a Skype account with a phone number? Just wonder how it compares to the other services mentioned here.

I use free Skype a fair bit (local and long distance) bacause almost all people I know have access to a computer and/or tablet.


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

kcowan said:


> We have a friend here in Vancouver who bought MJ back in 2009 because of our excellent experience. After several calls to MJ support, he got it working fine. He ended up talking to a tech.


Thank you. 

I've spent many hours with them trying to diagnose on several occasions. Really tried my patience..... I haven't been able to get directly to a tech, although got bumped a couple of times to more "senior" rep although no more help from more experienced person. However on one occasion I couldn't make LD calls to certain 800 numbers which was passed along to a tech and I'll try and give the tech a try and then if needed try new router as m3s suggested.


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