| Magic jack is a USB based device which allows you | | | | it works just like any other VoIP service provider when |
| to make calls over the internet using a normal | | | | you use the computer microphone and speakers to |
| telephone handset, or just a microphone and speaker | | | | make telephone calls. The one radically different |
| connected to your host computer. It is a computer | | | | feature which separates this device from other similar |
| peripheral. Wikipedia defines a peripheral as a device | | | | VoIP services is the use of a regular telephone |
| attached to a host computer but not part of it whose | | | | handset to make telephone calls over the internet. |
| primary functionality is dependent upon the host, and | | | | Nonetheless, with technology being what it is today, |
| can therefore be considered as expanding the host's | | | | understanding how this device works with a |
| capabilities, while not forming part of the system's core | | | | conventional telephone handset isn't very difficult either. |
| architecture. Basically a device connected to the | | | | An electronic circuit called a SLIC or subscriber line |
| computer, like a printer, speakers, scanners etc. which | | | | interface makes this possible. SLIC is a modular |
| adds to the capabilities of the computer. | | | | electronic circuit printed on a PCB (printed circuit board) |
| The Magic Jack is such a USB device, which, when | | | | which interfaces the subscribers of Magic Jack to the |
| used in combination with a telephone communications | | | | rest of the telecommunications access network. In this |
| network as is provided by the YMAX corporation | | | | case, the SLIC interfaces the POTS i.e. the plain old |
| provides Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to | | | | telephone service to the proprietary Magic Jack VoIP |
| users in Canada and the United States. Voice over | | | | network. So while the POTS is not able to undertake |
| Internet Protocol is the term used for transmission of | | | | analog to digital conversions and vice versa, the VoIP |
| voice and audio over the internet in the form of packet | | | | service is capable of this conversion. |
| data as opposed to the conventional public switched | | | | With the help of this technology, you can interface |
| telephone network (PSTN). The analog signal is first | | | | your telephone handset and its analog signals to the |
| converted to a digital signal, compressed and sent | | | | internet packet data carrier enabling you to carry out |
| over the internet as packet data to the receiver, | | | | telephone conversations over the internet using a high |
| where it is decoded back to an analog signal. This is | | | | speed broadband connection only. This should help you |
| the basic principle of VoIP. | | | | understand how this device works. The technology is |
| Understanding how it works now becomes a much | | | | complicated, but its working is fairly simple, although |
| simpler task when you take into account the fact that | | | | definitely not as easy as Magic Jack is to use. |