Magic Jack Hacks

Repair and maintain your MagicJack

While searching through Google I couldn't help but notice the myriad of complaints concerning Magic Jack. Many of these tend to focus on call quality and missed calls. Others refer to Error 3002 in conjunction with the Magic Jack Plus.
This isn't surprising. With a normal 'landline' phone service, the customer is responsible for maintaining the telephone and its attached cord. If the user has a problem, he ensures the telephone set functions by testing it at another location. It it works, he passes the problem onto his telephone company.
A telephone system powered by Magic Jack is much more complicated at the customer's end. As well as the Magic Jack device and handset, the system depends on the abilities of the user's computer system and internet connection. The task of locating the exact fault is set squarely on the customer's shoulders.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
To ensure your telephone system operates reliably, it is advisable to conduct some form of routine maintenance. Below is listed a routine that can easily be performed on monthly basis. It is not difficult. You are simply turning the complete system off, then restarting it.
The following refers to the older version of Magic Jack that must be connected to a USB port of a computer. If you own the Magic Jack Plus which takes advantage of your wireless internet connection, ignore any instructions below that refer to the computer. If you encounter connectivity problems remember to test your ability to reach the internet by using another piece of equipment that utilizes your wireless connection.
If your telephone set requires power, unplug it.
Remove the Magic Jack and lay it aside.
If your Magic Jack was connected through a powered hub, unplug the hub from its power source.
Log off and shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer from its power source.
If you use a router, unplug it from its power source.
Unplug the modem (device connecting system to internet) from its power source.
Count slowly to ten. Then reconnect the modem to its power source. Allow this device a couple of minutes to stabilize. At this point there should be no red warning lights on modem. Red lights are an indication of problems involving modem, line from modem to wall socket, or the internet connection.
If your system uses a router, reconnect it to its power source. Allow a minute for the router to stabilize.
Plug in the computer. Turn it on and log in. Wait five minutes to allow computer to fully load.
If you are using a powered hub in conjunction with the Magic Jack, reconnect the hub to its power source.
If you are using a telephone that requires power, reconnect it to its power source. Ensure the phone set is connected to the Magic jack via a phone cord.
Reinsert the Magic Jack into the system. Allow the software time to load.
Check the handset to ensure you have dial tone.
It may come as a surprise, but many faults concerning electronic equipment can be solved simply by temporarily removing the power. By following the above procedure you are stopping small, unnoticed glitches before they become major problems.

FAULT FINDING
Okay, your Magic Jack phone system is not working properly. How do you find the exact cause? Well, technicians like to keep things simple. Check out the easy stuff first.
Is everything turned on?
Is the blue light, inside your Magic Jack dongle, on? (Note that the Magic Jack Plus should have a flashing red and green led as well.) If you use the older model you might need to connect it through a powered hub to ensure the device receives enough power to operate properly?
If this is a new installation, is your internet service and computer capable of handling the requirements placed upon them by Magic Jack?
Do all your connecting cables appear to be firmly attached?
Are you watching Netflix, downloading or streaming files at the same time you are attempting to place a call?
If you are using the Magic Jack Plus, does the system report Error 3002?
Your next step in the fault finding process is to perform the power shutdown/reboot described in 'Routine Maintenance' above. If this fails to solve the problem continue on to the next step. If your Magic Jack Plus reports Error 3002, please read the appropriate instructions below.
Next, you should ask yourself what recent changes you have made to the computer/Magic Jack software? What recent upgrades have you performed to your hardware? Could this have effected the performance of your Magic Jack?
If your difficulties persist, it is time to divide and conquer. Google a 'you tube' link and watch the video. If you cannot connect to the internet, consult your internet provider for assistance. If the video is choppy, the internet connection might be too slow or bogged down. Perhaps your computer is too slow or requires maintenance. If you cannot hear sound, you might be experiencing problems with your soundcard or sound drivers. You should check Control Panel/Sound and ensure that 'USB internet phone by Tigerjet' is installed.
If the video ran correctly, the next step would be to test your handset and phone cord at another location.
If you prove the handset/phone cord to be correct, you have pinpointed your fault to either the Magic Jack or its software. Contact online support for Magic Jack.

ERROR 3002
This error is meant to inform the operator that the Magic Jack Plus cannot connect to the internet. Below are listed methods to fault find and repair.
1. Disconnect power from modem/router and Magic Jack Plus. Wait ten seconds and then reconnect. Wait two minutes to allow time for the Magic jack to establish a connection before you test the device. If this fails to solve the problem or proves to be only a temporary fix go on to step two.
2. The included patch cable, which is intended to connect the Magic Jack to your router, may be prone to interference from other devices. Replace it with a standard Ethernet cable - like the one that connects your computer to your modem/router - and repeat step one. This fixed the problem with my Magic Jack device.
3. If the problem persists, it is possible that your internet provider allows only one device to be physically connected to the system. This can easily be checked by calling your internet provider.
4. If your unit still reports Error 3002, there could be a problem with the Magic Jack device. If the Magic Jack has never operated properly and has not yet been registered, go to www.mjReg.com and attempt to register the device. If they cannot locate your Magic Jack, you will be instructed to insert the unit into a USB plug of your computer to complete the registration.
5. If your problem is intermittent or you were unable to successfully complete the registration, it is time to contact Magic Jack support.

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