Topic: MagicJack

[Govtcheez]

Plug in your phone and call? Use Skype? Call from Google Voice? I wonder what those last two would do for 911?

it wasn't a dead battery, it was a dead phone. Ideally I'd like to get something my son can easily use once he's old enough to understand what an emergency is. I could obviously just get a normal landline but I'm trying to figure out what my other options are

[ober]

MagicJack is pretty good.  We've had some slight quality issues but I think most of that is worked out now (I reconfigured how I had it connected).  I think most of my wife's complaints stem from our shitty house phone (the volume on it is awful), not the actual service.  DK seems to love it.

The only other issue is that if you lose power or internet, you're screwed.  But hopefully you'd have your cell in that situation.

MagicJack does support the 911 situation, just like Vonage.  I would have stayed with Vonage if they were cheaper.

[drakkenkorin]

I don't know if it has changed, but when I registered my MJ there was a note that said if you register a number in a different area code than the one you reside in, 911 may be affected.

So if your area code is 210, but you register a 713 phone number b/c most of your friends/family lives, you may have issues dialing 911

At least that's what I understood it to mean.

[charlie]

Also, I just remembered that I think if you plug a phone into your phone jack, even if you don't have landline service, you can still use it to call 911.

I'd try it, but, uh, that would mean calling 911. But I do think there's a very real chance that that's the case, so look into that first.

Also, a dead phone could happen to a landline, too. I guess having backups is nice, but it seems unnecessary to me.

[Mike]

Also, I just remembered that I think if you plug a phone into your phone jack, even if you don't have landline service, you can still use it to call 911.

Read something somewhat recently about how that might be going away.  And of course that assumes your house is connected to the switch.

[Steve]

I don't see how that could work. If you do not have phone service, you will not have a dial tone. I do know that every cell phone is required by the FCC to call 911, even if there is no service to it.

[charlie]

They have something called a soft-dial tone for 911 service.

Cheez, plug in a phone. Do you get a dial tone? Call 611 and see if it works.

[Govtcheez]

I don't own a phone oh God this is so hard

I don't even know where the phone jacks in my house are!

[charlie]

Stop by goodwill on the way home. Bet you can find one for $1.

[Govtcheez]

I'm already home this is hopeless!

[charlie]

If you go 10 hours without posting I'll call 911 for you.

[Steve]

If you go 10 hours without posting I'll call 911 for you.

LOL