Set up magicJack on your High Desert connection

magicJack is a small phone adapter that plugs into the internet. The company's requirements page has a short list. Reading it before you plug in saves a call to the wrong place.

Steps

1. Read the speed line

   magicJack's page: a minimum of 5 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. Plans list up to speeds, so test yours; see how to run a speed test.

2. Note the connection types listed

   magicJack lists broadband, cable, DSL and Wi-Fi when the device is connected through a computer, and rules out dial-up and satellite.

3. Use a cable to the router

   Newer models connect directly to a router or modem by Ethernet. Plug it into a numbered LAN port on your router, not the injector cable.

4. Plug in a regular phone

   Use a corded or cordless phone on the phone jack.

5. Power it up and wait

   Let the lights settle.

6. Test a call

   Call your cell phone and listen in both directions.

7. If calls break up, test the line

   Run a speed test, then check what else is using the upload; see why video calls freeze.

Why does the minimum matter if my plan is fast?

Because the plan figure is an up to number and the line is shared with everything in the house. A phone call needs steady upload more than a huge number. If someone is backing up photos, a call suffers. The guide see what is using your bandwidth helps find it.

Does magicJack work with a fixed wireless line?

magicJack's page names broadband and says nothing about fixed wireless. We make no promise. Call quality is between you and magicJack; the guide VoIP phones over fixed wireless covers what to ask first.

Can I use it away from home?

Check magicJack. It depends on the device and the app.

What if the numbers on the page do not match my speed test?

The page gives a minimum for the device to work, and a speed test gives one reading at one moment. If your reading is under the minimum, 5 Mbps down or the 3 Mbps minimum up, run it again with nothing else using the line, and again at a busy hour. A reading that dips below the minimum only at night tells you the line is shared with the household, not that anything is broken.

Plans list up to speeds, and the real number moves with weather, the path from the tower and the time of day. If readings are low at every hour, call 775-575-9593 and give us the times and the numbers. Do not climb to the antenna or touch the outdoor radio; a technician handles that.

Do I need to go outside or touch the antenna for this?

Indoor work only. The radio on your roof or pole, and the cable to it, stay untouched; ring 775-575-9593 and we send a technician.