Guest Bayonet29 Posted June 21, 2009 Posted June 21, 2009 Just curious, has anyone had any luck using the magic jack at any downrange locations? Seems like it might work on some of the non-mil internet access.
LT4Life Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 2 on Skype. Dudes use it as an app on thier iPhone and it seems to be perfect. I've used Vonage through my computer (they have a USB stick that a headset plugs into and uses your Vonage home number). Worst case, good ole Yahoo messenger voice works too if not too many people are on. Obviously this is all for non .mil.
Vandal Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I love Skype. I talk to my g/f daily via Skype. With her in Japan and me stuck in the states it sounds like a cell phone call. The video can be hit or miss depending on how much bandwidth the Navy is using at that moment. iChat from Apple works pretty well too.
HossHarris Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I love Skype. I talk to my g/f daily via Skype. With her in Japan and me stuck in the states it sounds like a cell phone call. The video can be hit or miss depending on how much bandwidth the Navy is using at that moment. iChat from Apple works pretty well too. Skype should work on a Mil NETWORK as long as you have the admin rights to install it on a Mil Computer. Skype uses the same ports and data paths as the World-Wide-Web ... so in order to shut it down they'd have to shut down the infro-net as well. I got it to work on the Randolph network, YMMV
skinny Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I'm stationed at Ramstein and just got a Magic Jack about a month ago. The thing works as advertised and very easy to setup. Not to mention it's free for the first year! The only downside I've found is that after I hang up from a phone call, my internet connection dies and I have to re-boot my router. Other than that, no complaints. Make sure if you're overseas you turn off the 911 function.
JeepGuyC17 Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 Skype uses the same ports and data paths as the World-Wide-Web ... so in order to shut it down they'd have to shut down the infro-net as well. When I tried it at Manas last year on the free WiFi it didn't work because most VOIP web sites were blocked by the filter, and since the skype web site was blocked I was unable to connect to the service. It did work at the coffee shop internet that you had to pay for though. Related to the .mil computer thing, When I was deployed I bought a thumb drive that had Skype installed on it that you could supposedly plug in and run from the thumb drive without installing it on the computer, but before I could try it out on a gov computer the whole thumb drive ban happened. Too bad, that would have been cool.
Spinner Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I used it at Balad in the T pods earlier this year. The trick was using it when there wasn't a lot of people surfing the net. When the connection was fast enough, there was probably a 1-2 second lag time. When the connection sucked, it was about 10 seconds. I will tell you, it was an awesome sound to hear the phone ring.
Fontus Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Just curious, has anyone had any luck using the magic jack at any downrange locations? I have had no problems with the magic jack downrage, though from time to time I prefer the stranger. Fontus
FallingOsh Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I have had no problems with the magic jack downrage, though from time to time I prefer the stranger. Fontus Nice. I did not see that one coming. (sts)
JeepGuyC17 Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I have had no problems with the magic jack downrage, though from time to time I prefer the stranger. Fontus Ha ha, the Magic Jack works better if "Midnight Hot" is on.
magnetfreezer Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Related to the .mil computer thing, When I was deployed I bought a thumb drive that had Skype installed on it that you could supposedly plug in and run from the thumb drive without installing it on the computer, but before I could try it out on a gov computer the whole thumb drive ban happened. Too bad, that would have been cool. WRT the thumb drive issue, has anyone AF-side had luck with the small USB hard drives? Several of the offices down here that needed to do a lot of data transfer/backup found 2" USB hard drives to use since the ban on the Navy side apparently said "flash" drives so as long as it had a spinning magnetic part it was blessed by the computer folks.
spectre56 Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 WRT the thumb drive issue, has anyone AF-side had luck with the small USB hard drives? Several of the offices down here that needed to do a lot of data transfer/backup found 2" USB hard drives to use since the ban on the Navy side apparently said "flash" drives so as long as it had a spinning magnetic part it was blessed by the computer folks. I just got an IO Magic Gigabank portable HDD from my boss. Sounds like a sweet deal, but apparently you still can't plug it into your computer and then plug it into a .mil computer. I don't know how they would know if you did, but seems legit to my pea brain.
Techsan Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Our sq has been using the those IO Magic 12GB & 8GB gigabank hard drives and were told by our base comm that they were ok to use...just as long as it was bought & issued to you by your unit. They said the same thing...if its spins, its good (if it was issued to you). Oh yeah, I've already had one shit on me. I used it for about 5 months.
spectre56 Posted June 25, 2009 Posted June 25, 2009 Our sq has been using the those IO Magic 12GB & 8GB gigabank hard drives and were told by our base comm that they were ok to use...just as long as it was bought & issued to you by your unit. They said the same thing...if its spins, its good (if it was issued to you). Oh yeah, I've already had one shit on me. I used it for about 5 months. I'm at the same base, so i'll have to check it out.
zrooster99 Posted June 25, 2009 Posted June 25, 2009 I used it at Balad in the T pods earlier this year. Sorry for the threadjack, but out of curiosity, how is access to morale phones/computers at Balad? What about wifi?
HossHarris Posted June 26, 2009 Posted June 26, 2009 When I tried it at Manas last year on the free WiFi it didn't work because most VOIP web sites were blocked by the filter, and since the skype web site was blocked I was unable to connect to the service. It did work at the coffee shop internet that you had to pay for though. Related to the .mil computer thing, When I was deployed I bought a thumb drive that had Skype installed on it that you could supposedly plug in and run from the thumb drive without installing it on the computer, but before I could try it out on a gov computer the whole thumb drive ban happened. Too bad, that would have been cool. Yeah, you can download skype at home and place it on a thumb drive. Search on the inner-toobs and find the command line stuff that lets it run from the thumb drive without installing anything on the computer (standalone mode) ... As long as you don't mind pluggin your thumb drive in, it works like a champ. Getting a microphone and/or camera installed can be tricky, though
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