Has anyone used Magicjack @ Hojo Anaheim to phone long distance? What about BOINGO?

[jory29]

We are planning on taking our son's friend along with us on our next trip to Disneyland, and we'll be staying at the lovely Hojo's again. I am hoping our son's friend will be able to make use of our magicjack device that we are thinking of hooking up to our laptop when there, so he can phone back to Canada, to talk to his family for free.

I know that the wired internet connection at Hojo's is free, (that is the a requirement of magicjack, you need to be able to make use out of a wireless connection to be able to make phone calls through your computer using the magicjack device.)

I'm just wondering if anyone has successfully made use of the magicjack phone device when there. I am thinking of creating a wireless (secured) connection via our pocket router that we've hooked up in the room before, and it works great. As far as I know, we can then plug the magicjack into the pc and then plug a phone into the magicjack, and make free long distance calls (unlimited) anywhere in North America.

Does anyone know if the Hojo phones will work to plug into the magicjack, or should I bring my own? I can't recall if the Hojo phones can be unplugged from the outlet and not sure I want to try those phones since they have numbers you have to press first to dial out on, etc. etc. Our magicjack phone would have a USA phone number assigned to it, and I plan on getting a 714 area code.

Furthermore, does anyone know if we sign up to BOINGO for the duration of our trip, could we use the BOINGO unlimited wireless connection to make phone calls? (How odd, to be able to talk to family right from our laptop at LAX! Technology is so cool!)

Thank you so much, for anyone that can shed some light on this new territory for us. It is very much appreciated!

 

[DisCookie]

This all seems really complicated for the purpose of making some phone calls, might I suggest a prepaid cell phone or a calling card? (or you can think of them of backups, if the whole magic jack thing doesn't work out...)

 

[ashpinoza]

no its not complicated at all to the PP. its actually very simple. bring your phone cause im not sure that hojos will allow hook up. plug in the device and plug it in to your computer. as long as you have wireless internet your good to go and it works well. we actually had one for a long time but i started working from home again and i have to have land line because the phone interferes with my jobs online systems. anyways, you dont need to make a number with the anaheim area code. you can just simply put in your area and make a number with yours. it will be useable anywhere. because even if YOU are in anaheim, if someone calls, your phone system still thinks its home because its stationed on your computer. its really neat and simple i actually also may bring mine too so i can avoid roaming bills on my cell phone haha. cell phone just for emergencies!

 

[jenpace]

...as long as you have wireless internet your good to go and it works well.

The techie part of this topic is waaaaay over my head but when we stayed at HoJo's a couple of months ago there was no wifi in the rooms, just an ethernet cable to plug into the laptop...

 

[jory29]

This all seems really complicated for the purpose of making some phone calls, might I suggest a prepaid cell phone or a calling card? (or you can think of them of backups, if the whole magic jack thing doesn't work out...)

You are so right, I will need a backup system, and I have a calling card now with around 100 minutes on it, and can add on to that if I need to. I did purchase a USA sim card, to use when in Disneyland, but to call back home to Canada it will still cost a minimum of 60 cents a minute, and that's if I choose to pay the $1 a day plan for when we're there. We won't be using the cell phone to make calls back home, I guess. We can text at a minimal cost though, and that will work out great for us. Thanks for the advice.

no its not complicated at all to the PP. its actually very simple. bring your phone cause im not sure that hojos will allow hook up. plug in the device and plug it in to your computer. as long as you have wireless internet your good to go and it works well. we actually had one for a long time but i started working from home again and i have to have land line because the phone interferes with my jobs online systems. anyways, you dont need to make a number with the anaheim area code. you can just simply put in your area and make a number with yours. it will be useable anywhere. because even if YOU are in anaheim, if someone calls, your phone system still thinks its home because its stationed on your computer. its really neat and simple i actually also may bring mine too so i can avoid roaming bills on my cell phone haha. cell phone just for emergencies!

Thanks, ashpinoza, it's nice to know you've used Magicjack at hotels, and I do agree, I should use my own phone. I'll try to find a cheap one-piece handset before we leave. On the other hand, a cordless phone would work too, I think and we have a spare one. This way he can roam the room as he pleases when he talks to his family, while my other son is using the laptop. I keep calling it a laptop, it's actually a netbook running windows xp but it should work with that, I'll test it from home first. I can't take an area code in my area since it's Canada, that's why I would take the Anaheim area code. It can also be wired internet, right? So long as phone has a high speed connection I believe it will work. I do love using our Dlink pocket router to create a wireless connection when in the Hojo room so that the netbook can be carried around. We've used the D-link pocket router twice now, and had no problems at all with it.

Thanks!!

 

[jory29]

The techie part of this topic is waaaaay over my head but when we stayed at HoJo's a couple of months ago there was no wifi in the rooms, just an ethernet cable to plug into the laptop...

Actually the magicjack on it's own is supposed to be really simple, just plug and play on your pc and you're up and running very quickly, even someone's Grandmother can do it, I've seen someone mention somewhere, lol.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE creating a wireless connection from the Hojo's wired connection via using a pocket router... but if a person does this, remember to RESET the default password, etc. on the router, as well, (this has to be done from your computer that has a wireless card on it prior to setting things up.) Also set wireless security on the pocket router so that your hotel neighbors aren't using your wireless connection.

The only downfall to the pocket router is that it's $60 or so to purchase, but once you have it, it's great for traveling, etc.

 

[perlster]

The 99 Cents Only store (which actually charges $1 now ) has a prepaid card with a 3.9 cents/minute rate to Canada, and several other countries.

 

[jory29]

The 99 Cents Only store (which actually charges $1 now ) has a prepaid card with a 3.9 cents/minute rate to Canada, and several other countries.

Thanks for your input, too! That sounds like a really good rate. I'll check into that, too.

 

[ashpinoza]

You are so right, I will need a backup system, and I have a calling card now with around 100 minutes on it, and can add on to that if I need to. I did purchase a USA sim card, to use when in Disneyland, but to call back home to Canada it will still cost a minimum of 60 cents a minute, and that's if I choose to pay the $1 a day plan for when we're there. We won't be using the cell phone to make calls back home, I guess. We can text at a minimal cost though, and that will work out great for us. Thanks for the advice.



Thanks, ashpinoza, it's nice to know you've used Magicjack at hotels, and I do agree, I should use my own phone. I'll try to find a cheap one-piece handset before we leave. On the other hand, a cordless phone would work too, I think and we have a spare one. This way he can roam the room as he pleases when he talks to his family, while my other son is using the laptop. I keep calling it a laptop, it's actually a netbook running windows xp but it should work with that, I'll test it from home first. I can't take an area code in my area since it's Canada, that's why I would take the Anaheim area code. It can also be wired internet, right? So long as phone has a high speed connection I believe it will work. I do love using our Dlink pocket router to create a wireless connection when in the Hojo room so that the netbook can be carried around. We've used the D-link pocket router twice now, and had no problems at all with it.

Thanks!!

yeah its very simple. you can used wired too of course. it was actually our only home phone for months till i started working from home again and its very convenient and so affordable!

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

If your laptop has speakers and a microphone, why not just use SKYPE???

 

[jory29]

If your laptop has speakers and a microphone, why not just use SKYPE???

Good idea, but doesn't skype charge for a person to phone landlines in Canada from the USA? I wonder... I like the idea of an actual phone rather than the mic.headset, too. It is also an interesting option. Thanks!

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Good idea, but doesn't skype charge for a person to phone landlines in Canada from the USA? I wonder... I like the idea of an actual phone rather than the mic.headset, too. It is also an interesting option. Thanks!

Yes, but it's like 2 cents a minute...a 10 minute call would be 20 cents. I just put $10.00 in my account a bunch of months ago, and I still have around $6.00 left. Saves on using my cell phone when travelling.