Pros: Inexpensive, pretty reliable phone service if you have enough internet bandwidth.

Cons: Fax doesn't work, and some line quality issues. Computer must be on to make or receive calls.

Bottom Line: I think MagicJack is a pretty good value--remember it's only $40 for the hardware and one year of service and $20/year thereafter. I used voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) years ago when it first came out and the re-re-re-peat-peat-peat-ing drove me crazy, never mind line drops. The repeating is now occasional (anyone know the cause?) and line drops for voice are rare. I suspect you need enough bandwidth (like cable) to avoid line drops. But it does not work with my fax, or at minimum seems to take several tries to send or receive. So it would be good if MagicJack warned you about this.

You cannot make or receive calls unless your computer is on, however voicemail does work if the computer is off. And I suspect call forwarding would work as well.

So, for $20, I think it's a pretty good value. Compare the cost of a second line (to your cell phone) through a landline phone company--no comparison.  Permalink