Many people are having issues with Magicjack Plus plugged
directly into the router. When your magicjack plus is not working
without the computer, you would natrually seek MagicJack's support...
Although always available, they are not very tech-savy and it usually
requires hours of your time. After 2 hours and giving up on them, I
decided to attack the problem myself.
Here is how I solved my connectivity issues (error 42). I
hope this helps anyone else having this problem or other connection
problems.
The Problem lies with some router's firewalls being too
strict as MJ+ tends to work with older routers with original firmware. I
have several routers with which I have confirmed this. The newer ones
with updated ROMs almost never allow MJ+ to go through; some allow calls
to be made out but not receive any. The older ones without SPI
firewalls and direct NAT mechanisms almost invariably allow MJ+ to
function properly.
The universal way across all routers to solve this lies in the use of
a feature called DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) which essentially allows an
address on your network to be completely accessible, without a firewall,
from the internet.Please note that skipping steps or doing the all-too-common A.D.D.-based 'I-don't-have-time-to-read-so-let's-skim-ahead' is not recommended here as a misconfiguration can lead to a completely unsecure home network
If you're not comfortable with the DMZ method, you can look up your router model in the list at Portforward.com and use the second guide (Alternate Solution: Using the Port Forward Method). Please note that in many cases, this is not as effective due to factors out of the scope of this article such as SIP and ALG settings on certain routers.
Using the DMZ Method
Step 1 - Get the MagicJack Plus working while plugged into your computer
a) Follow the guide included in the setup box that came with the MagicJack+
b) Confirm that you are able
to use your handset to both place and receive calls while MJ+ is plugged
into your computer's USB port
Step 2 - Get your MagicJack Plus's MAC Address
a) Create a new folder on your desktop and name it MAC address
b) Download and save this link: DOWNLOAD in the folder you just created
c) Run the downloaded executable. It is a self-extract archive. It will extract a folder named "magicJackGetMAC".
d) From that new folder, run "magicJackGetMAC.exe".
e) Note down the MAC address (looks like 6E:1D:00:07:FA) because you will need it in the next step.
note: Magicjack Plus device must be plugged in to the computer to use the app
note2: ALWAYS run an anti-virus on anything you download before executing it
note3: the term MAC address has nothing to do with apple
computers; it is the unique identifier assigned to any network
component. (Media Access Control address)
Step 3 - Configure your router's DHCP service for address reservation
This guide is not comprehensive enough to provide
information on the hundreds of routers and how to configure them but if
you google:
<router model> assign ip to mac
You will find the information you need to follow this step.
Fpr example, a Linksys WRT54GL would require the searches in Google as:
linksys wrt54gl assign ip to mac
a) find the private network addressing you are using (should look like 192.168.x.x or 10.0.x.x or 172.16.x.x)
b) check to see what addresses your router's DHCP assigns (usually 100 -> 150. i.e.: 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.150)
c) find the place where you can assign the MAC address to a specific IP address in your router's setup
d) assign an IP address
OUTSIDE the DHCP allocation to the MAC address you found in step 2 (Ex:
6E:1D:00:07:FA -> 192.168.1.200)
e) your router may require a reboot before this takes effect
If this doesn't work for your router model because it won't accept
using non-DHCP assigned addresses for fixed IPs you can try this
instead: Please note that for many, this doesn't seem to work. It looks
like it might not be a fully implemented feature yet.
b) go to http://my.magicjack.com and login with your credentials
c) click on the My Subscriptions tab and scroll down the page to the Magicjack Plus Static Network Configuration button
d) uncheck 'Use DHCP' and enter a static IP address outside your current DHCP scope
e) click on Save. Wait a few minutes before unplugging the
MJ+ (Although if you're following this guide, there is no reason to
unplug it at all until step 5)
Step 4 - Configure your router's DMZ
a) Find the place in your router's setup where you can define and enable DMZ
b) select to enable the DMZ (if it applies)
c) enter the IP address we defined in step 3 (Ex.: 192.168.1.200)
Step 5 - Move your MagicJack Plus to plug into the router
a) unplug the MJ+ from your computer
b) plug in the DC adapter into the USB connector of your MJ+
c) plug the MJ+ into the router using the network cable that came with the MJ+
d) plug your handset or telephone base into your MJ+
e) plug the MJ+ into the power outlet
Wait about 2-3 minutes and try and place a phone call, then
try and receive one. If you did everything correctly, your phone should
be working.
If not, it can be another harder to detect reason such as
nic/motherboard driver issues. Another great troubleshooting resource
for tips along those lines can be found here: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Support_Resources/FAQ#Problems
Alternate Solution: Using the Port Forward Method
Please note that in many cases, this is not as effective as
the DMZ method due to factors out of the scope of this article such as
SIP and ALG settings on certain routers.
Step 1 - Get the MagicJack Plus working while plugged into your computer
a) Follow the guide included in the setup box that came with the MagicJack+
b) Confirm that you are able
to use your handset to both place and receive calls while MJ+ is plugged
into your computer's USB port
Step 2 - Get your MagicJack Plus's MAC Address
a) Create a new folder on your desktop and name it MAC address
b) Download and save this link: DOWNLOAD in the folder you just created
c) Run the downloaded executable. It is a self-extract archive. It will extract a folder named "magicJackGetMAC".
d) From that new folder, run "magicJackGetMAC.exe".
e) Note down the MAC address (looks like 6E:1D:00:07:FA) because you will need it in the next step.
note: Magicjack Plus device must be plugged in to the computer to use the app
note2: ALWAYS run an anti-virus on anything you download before executing it
note3: the term MAC
address has nothing to do with apple computers; it is the unique
identifier assigned to any network component. (Media Access Control
address)
Step 3 - Configure your router's DHCP service for address reservation
This guide is not comprehensive enough to provide
information on the hundreds of routers and how to configure them but if
you google:
<router model> assign ip to mac
You will find the information you need to follow this step.
Fpr example, a Linksys WRT54GL would require the searches in Google as:
linksys wrt54gl assign ip to mac
a) find the private network addressing you are using (should look like 192.168.x.x or 10.0.x.x or 172.16.x.x)
b) check to see what addresses your router's DHCP assigns (usually 100 -> 150. i.e.: 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.150)
c) find the place where you can assign the MAC address to a specific IP address in your router's setup
d) assign an IP address
OUTSIDE the DHCP allocation to the MAC address you found in step 2 (Ex:
6E:1D:00:07:FA -> 192.168.1.200)
e) your router may require a reboot before this takes effect
If this doesn't work for your router model because it won't
accept using non-DHCP assigned addresses for fixed IPs you can try this
instead: Please note that for many, this doesn't seem to work. It looks
like it might not be a fully implemented feature yet.
a) make sure your MJ+ is still plugged into the computer
b) go to http://my.magicjack.com and login with your credentials
c) click on the My Subscriptions tab and scroll down the page to the Magicjack Plus Static Network Configuration button
d) uncheck 'Use DHCP' and enter a static IP address outside your current DHCP scope
e) click on Save. Wait a few
minutes before unplugging the MJ+ (Although if you're following this
guide, there is no reason to unplug it at all until step 5)
Step 4 - Configure your router's Port Forwarding
a) go to http://portforward.com and find your router model in the list at the bottom of the page
b) Click on the top-right to "Click here to skip this advertisement..."
c) Scroll down and choose MagicJack
d) follow the instructions using the IP address you defined in step 3 to forward the ports to in the:
Do not skip this step!
192.168.1.
e) forward the 5060 and 5070 ports as described in the instructions to the IP address you entered (from step 3)
f) reboot the router if prompted
Step 5 - Move your MagicJack Plus to plug into the router
a) unplug the MJ+ from your computer
b) plug in the DC adapter into the USB connector of your MJ+
c) plug the MJ+ into the router using the network cable that came with the MJ+
d) plug your handset or telephone base into your MJ+
e) plug the MJ+ into the power outlet
Wait about 2-3 minutes and try and place a phone call, then
try and receive one. If you did everything correctly, your phone should
be working.
If not, it can be another harder to detect reason such as
nic/motherboard driver issues. Another great troubleshooting resource
for tips along those lines can be found here: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/MagicJack/Support_Resources/FAQ#Problems
thanks for this shared information
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