Yesterday, I wrote about how we bought Hughes Net satellite service for our internet. So far it's worked great. Next we needed to figure out how to get a telephone in here. Our cell phones have no bars and only work off the mountain.
While I was at the Walmarts, I picked up Magic Jack. The package is very vague about how it connects and works, but once I opened the package, the instructions were clear and easy. So easy, as a matter of fact, that it installed itself.
To use Magic Jack, you must have high speed internet and a router connected to your modem. To install Magic Jack, you also need a computer connected to the internet.
First, you plug the Magic Jack connection gizmo into a USB port. The software boots itself up and installs the device. It then brings up an installation window where you enter your name and address. You can pick your own telephone number for $3 or let Magic Jack do it for you. I went wild and let MJ do it. That was it. Done.
I then unplugged the USB device from my laptop and plugged it into my UPS battery backup using an adapter (included), and ran a cat 5 ethernet cable (included) from the USB device directly to the router. Finished.
Yes, it is that easy. Oh, and don't believe some of the internet stuff you might read about how MJ won't work well with satellite because the upload speed is too slow. That may have been true a couple of years ago, but Hughes Net is more than fast enough.
Speaking of speed, I ran a test on SpeedTest.net. We're running at 10.29 MbPS download, .8 upload. That's plenty fast for us, since I don't play games online.
Magic Jack cost $70, and includes the first year's service. Each year after that costs $29.95. You can discount that to $19.95 if you buy five years at a time. I didn't do that. At my age, I don't buy green bananas let alone pay for five years of something.
While I was at the Walmarts, I picked up Magic Jack. The package is very vague about how it connects and works, but once I opened the package, the instructions were clear and easy. So easy, as a matter of fact, that it installed itself.
To use Magic Jack, you must have high speed internet and a router connected to your modem. To install Magic Jack, you also need a computer connected to the internet.
First, you plug the Magic Jack connection gizmo into a USB port. The software boots itself up and installs the device. It then brings up an installation window where you enter your name and address. You can pick your own telephone number for $3 or let Magic Jack do it for you. I went wild and let MJ do it. That was it. Done.
I then unplugged the USB device from my laptop and plugged it into my UPS battery backup using an adapter (included), and ran a cat 5 ethernet cable (included) from the USB device directly to the router. Finished.
Yes, it is that easy. Oh, and don't believe some of the internet stuff you might read about how MJ won't work well with satellite because the upload speed is too slow. That may have been true a couple of years ago, but Hughes Net is more than fast enough.
Speaking of speed, I ran a test on SpeedTest.net. We're running at 10.29 MbPS download, .8 upload. That's plenty fast for us, since I don't play games online.
Magic Jack cost $70, and includes the first year's service. Each year after that costs $29.95. You can discount that to $19.95 if you buy five years at a time. I didn't do that. At my age, I don't buy green bananas let alone pay for five years of something.
Very cool!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you've moved up to the 20th century. A few more projects and you might reach the 21st!
ReplyDeleteBTW, has Chevy found any bears yet???