Linksys WRT54GP2 Wireless-G Broadband Router for Vonage Internet Phone Service
By: Linksys Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 29
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 On: 2008-03-25
We have 6 of these 2 failed within 15 days Linksys refused to offer support and tech support said they would call back but never do. This is after 8 calls to them. We will not buy any more of their products. Lousy product and No support after the sale.
 On: 2008-02-27
Ive had this unit for about 3 years. I think it works pretty well. It occasionally has some "issues." Just unplug it for a few minutes and it usually resets and is OK. Overall good buy.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-01-14
I signed up for Vonage almost 2 years ago and I had problems from the start. My wife demanded that we return to the Comcast digital service. I did as I was told, but I hung on to the Vonage service and downgraded to the 14.99/month rate just to have a 2nd line in the house. It was still a struggle to maintain with the complaints of dropped calls and terrible sound quality. The the Lynksis Router died last week and could not be revived. I was told by Vonage that I would have to buy a new adapter if I wanted to restore my service. That was the last straw for me. Bad equipment+ bad service = a failed company. Linksys may servive selling its junk but Vonage will be a thing of the past in 2 years max.
by: ranijiwala On: 2007-01-11
works well/ linksys is the best product in the market today. period.
by: sreeks On: 2007-01-10
I rate this product good but not exellent. it works good as vonage phone adaptor, but it wireless signal strengh not much powerfull,had they gave more wireless power this product , this would have become the best vonage adaptor. set up is easy , call quality is good.
by: Anonymous On: 2006-10-18
We paid a little extra for this router for the integrated Vonage phone jacks included in the package. Boy, were we disappointed. We stopped using the Vonage service within a couple weeks because voice packets were dropped when multitasking with web-related activities. Refresh a webpage - dropped voice packets... check for email - dropped voice packets.
Do not buy this router for Vonage services. If you care about quality phone service and youre online throughout the day, do not use Vonage.
by: wludford On: 2006-10-14
I had Vonage since April, 2006. I finally switched back to Qwest after unending problems and hours and hours on the phone (my cell phone, as my Vonage line didnt work) with tech support. Here is my experience:
1) It took about 2 months and about 2 hours on the phone for them to switch my existing phone # over to Vonage. Dont be too excited about getting the first month free- if your moving an existing number it will take about that long to get it switched over.
2) After my number was finally switched over, outgoing calls were constantly being dropped after about 20-30 seconds. Incoming calls would also be dropped occasionally after about a minute. This resulted in having to call the person back, saying "sorry the call was dropped- we switched to this cheaper phone service and have been having problems...."
This is with the highest speed cable internet service available (8mbps download, 600kbps upload) and a wireless g system which has provided top notch internet service consistently while I had Vonage problems. I spent no less than 4 - 5 calls and over 5 hours on the phone with tech support trying to fix the problem. After talking with tech support, sometimes the problem would be fixed temporarily- while I was on the phone with them- but return shortly thereafter.
3) As a result of the problems I had, I asked to be credited for the months in which my phone service was not working. Be warned, they are very hard-nosed about providing any credits for poor or no service. I spoke to a tech support person about getting a credit for a month of no service, and he told me to wait until the problem had been fixed so they could determine how much credit should be given. After the problem had been fixed (temporarily), I called back and they told me they could only provide credit for the current month, not previous months of no or poor service. THEY ARE NOT CUSTOMER FRIENDLY ABOUT PROVIDING REFUNDS FOR POOR OR NO SERVICE.
4) Finally, in September, still with dropped calls from Vonage, I switched back to Qwest to get reliable phone service. I found customer service there has improved and is much better than Vonage. And they gave me 3 months free promotion for coming back.
In the end, I am happy to pay the extra $10/month (after the first 3 months free) to get phone service that works. I notice that $5 of the extra cost is for fees, etc. that the phone company has to charge but Vonage does not, which is unfortunate. In any case, I guess you get what you pay for.
One last thing: Vonage has never made a profit and many business analysts say with their current business plan, they never will. This means eventually they will either go out of business, or have to raise rates.
Save yourself the problems I had- pay the extra $ to get phone service that works.
On: 2006-10-13
I had Vonage since April, 2006. I finally switched back to Qwest after unending problems and hours and hours on the phone (my cell phone, as my Vonage line didnt work) with tech support. Here is my experience:
1) It took about 2 months and about 2 hours on the phone for them to switch my existing phone # over to Vonage. Dont be too excited about getting the first month free- if your moving an existing number it will take about that long to get it switched over.
2) After my number was finally switched over, outgoing calls were constantly being dropped after about 20-30 seconds. Incoming calls would also be dropped occasionally after about a minute. This resulted in having to call the person back, saying "sorry the call was dropped- we switched to this cheaper phone service and have been having problems...."
This is with the highest speed cable internet service available (8mbps download, 600kbps upload) and a wireless g system which has provided top notch internet service consistently while I had Vonage problems. I spent no less than 4 - 5 calls and over 5 hours on the phone with tech support trying to fix the problem. After talking with tech support, sometimes the problem would be fixed temporarily- while I was on the phone with them- but return shortly thereafter.
3) As a result of the problems I had, I asked to be credited for the months in which my phone service was not working. Be warned, they are very hard-nosed about providing any credits for poor or no service. I spoke to a tech support person about getting a credit for a month of no service, and he told me to wait until the problem had been fixed so they could determine how much credit should be given. After the problem had been fixed (temporarily), I called back and they told me they could only provide credit for the current month, not previous months of no or poor service. THEY ARE NOT CUSTOMER FRIENDLY ABOUT PROVIDING REFUNDS FOR POOR OR NO SERVICE.
4) Finally, in September, still with dropped calls from Vonage, I switched back to Qwest to get reliable phone service. I found customer service there has improved and is much better than Vonage. And they gave me 3 months free promotion for coming back.
In the end, I am happy to pay the extra $10/month (after the first 3 months free) to get phone service that works. I notice that $5 of the extra cost is for fees, etc. that the phone company has to charge but Vonage does not, which is unfortunate. In any case, I guess you get what you pay for.
One last thing: Vonage has never made a profit and many business analysts say with their current business plan, they never will. This means eventually they will either go out of business, or have to raise rates.
Save yourself the problems I had- pay the extra $ to get phone service that works.
 On: 2006-07-20
It was exactly what was promised: a router to connect a couple of PCs and a regular phone to the internet cable.
Easy set-up. No surprises. Decent price.
On: 2006-06-25
Customer service is horrible. 3 hours on hold, 2 hours on with a "technician" that speaks English as well as my dog and they couldnt figure out why I had no internet connectivity. The only saving grace is that I was allowed to return it. I had to stop payment on the credit card before they would allow a refund. BEWARE!!!!
On: 2006-06-15
Signed up for Vonage in May. Its now August, and they still cannot get phone number transferred. Called to cancel service, and the operator tried everything possible to argue against. Then threatened to charge $39 for disconnection fee, even though reason for disconnection is Vonages own disability to do phone number transfer. Most serious service providers would recognize their own deficiency and treat their customers better. I might have decided to try their service in the future, but after this experience that is no longer in my plans.
On: 2006-05-22
Vonage is one of those companies that just wants to grow and will use terrible business practices in order to achieve short term growth. perfect example is the total ineffective customer service that everyone talks about.
If you are lucky enought to not have any problems or questions with your vonage service, hopefully you will never have to deal with the 1800vonage cust service. If you do, get ready for a full fist prostate exam.
They are the worst, you first have to call an Indian hot line and after trying to converse with this barely comprehensible indian chap, you will be tranferred to what is purported to be a 25-30 minute wait (according to the pre recorded message). I have heard it is much longer, but never held until I actually got a person because of the ridiculously hold time length.
I then tried to get a simple problem resolved by email, which they encourage you to try on the website. What a joke. I got some auto fill reply that simply stated they cannot do the requested via email and please call the Indian-super-hold hotline again.
Disgusting. Three words Better Business Bureau. I encourage all frustrated customers to report vonage the them, google better business bureau and fill out an online report.
On: 2006-05-09
I cut consumer companies a lot of slack, since I know they operate on razor thin margins in a segment where consumers are price conscious.
That said, Vonage is a disgusting company. I consistently had the worst customer service experiences with it - ever. I stuck with it for over a year, each time thinking that this was a one-off thing, or that thats the price one pays for lower priced Telephony.
To give some examples: I was unsure 911 was working, I tried to call them, email them. Forget about getting a call back, I NEVER EVER even got a personalized response by email, I just kept getting inane auto-replies. To this day, I never knew if 911 was set up correctly.
Then, a few months after, I called to ask how Vonage would work with Dish network, since satellite TV companies need a phone line. Same story, I never got ANY personalized answer from Vonage and ultimately gave up.
Over the past 60 days, I have been struggling to transfer my number from Vonage. They took so long, presumably to keep charging me their $25 monthly fee. The number did get transferred last week after 2 unnecessary billing cycles.
Now, I have called them 4 times since then to cancel my Vonage account. I have tried all of these Vonage phone numbers: 888-580-3090, 800-860-5491, 1-866-243-4357, holding anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes each time. Still no word on when my cancellation will go through. I simply do not know if the call will go through. Ill try to find their fax number and send a cancellation request via fax and postal mail. I have to believe one of these methods will do the job.
To come back to my earlier point, [...]
On: 2006-03-27
AWESOME product for phone service and wireless all in one. Great buy for the money. Excellent price. Many options for added security and/or gaming features.
On: 2006-03-23
Buyers beware! I have never written or posted a consumer rating in my life. I am so disappointed with Vonages overall customer service; I feel that I have no choice but to warn others.
Vonage in its own words does not guarantee the quality of its service. Vonage customers will experience: (1) dropped calls, (2) garbled communications, and (3) a non-responsive and dishonest customer service department. The reason Vonage does not guarantee performance is because it knows that it cannot. My first mistake was in believing the Vonage help desk, during my initial, "30 Day Money Back Guarantee Period," when they told me my issues were due to line quality and not Vonage. Since then, I have spent three months with Vonage and my High Speed Internet Service Providers technicians attempting to make this service work. All speed tests indicate my ISP lines are fine. I had a High Speed Internet Technician visit my house last week only to tell me everything checks out. All this said, my Vonage phone has never worked worse. I made a call today and the recipient could not even discern whom I was. When I finally threw in the towel and decided that Vonage was not for me, I was hit with a $39.99 service charge upon cancellation plus the cost of the phone, despite a documented lack of performance from day one.
Vonages performance is substandard by any measure. Closely look at all other options before bringing Vonage into your life and definitely terminate all agreements within your first 14 days to avoid the inevitable early termination fees.
Make sure you read the below clauses in Vonages Terms of Service agreement before you agree to anything. A Vonage Customer Service Manager, Mike, sited these disclaimers when I told him that I was not satisfied with the service:
(1) "No Warranties on Service," section 4, paragraph 4;
(2) "Return of Device," section 2, paragraph 10;
(3) "Termination Fee," section 3, paragraph 6; and
(4) "Money Back Guarantee; Limitations and Conditions," section 3, paragraph 7.
When I switched to Vonage, I was simply looking for a reliable telephone service and a company that stands behind its product and supports its customers. Vonages lack of line reliability and poor customer service has motivated me to document my experience.
I had to call Vonage Customer Service on my old fashion landline because the voice quality on my Vonage phone was so poor that I would not be able to have a conversation. After waiting for 20 minutes to talk to the Service Manager, Mike, I was told that I was contractually bound because I did not terminate my agreement within the first 30 days. At this moment I thought of the stereotypical shady used car transaction. I was lured to buy Vonage because of the promises of great service and all the free bells and whistles that only "internet calling can provide." Instead I received a lemon, a phone that was unreliable and a company that did not stand behind its product. While Vonage may get my $39.99 termination fee and the cost of the Vonage phone, I do not feel that I can just lay down about Vonages failure to perform. I feel compelled to (1) warn others about Vonage and hopefully save them the aggravation that I have experienced and (2) Hit Vonage where it hurts, in the economic pocket book. I am terminating my service as soon as possible.
On: 2006-03-15
I was having serious issues with my network losing connectivity due to the Vonage Motorola VT1005V that came directly from Vonage when I signed up.
Basically I was having to unplug the adapter 4, 5, 6 and some time more times a day. It was insane. I was able to get to my Linksys Router, and my cable company was able to ping my modem. But the adapters light was on solid, just like it was working correct, only I had no dialtone on the phone and no Internet connectivity. Id unplug the adapter and then let it resync and then it would go fine again for a while.
I fixed these issues by removing a network device in my network and purchased the Linksys WRT54GP2 Wireless-G Broadband Router for Vonage Internet Phone Service. This combines the Vonage service with the router and Ive been running it for about a month now with no issues.
To set it up all I had to do once it was connected was to call Vonage (from my cell phone) and have them assign the MAC ID number of the new device to my Vonage account, and right away I was able to use their service again.
Fantastic purchase. I fully recommend this device.
On: 2006-02-27
I got this router from Best Buy when I decided to move my phone to Vonage. I have had nothing but trouble from day one. First, the phone service even sucked but some constant tweaking of the settings over a couple of weeks straightened that out. Now it works great, except for the wireless.
The wireless connection sucks. It constantly drops out, resets the connections, and runs very slow. I have to unplug the router at least twice per day just to use the wireless connection.
Finally, I managed to fix it and get it working right: I bought a new wireless router and turned off the Linksys wireless for good. So, if you want a hardwired router with a crappy wireless addition, buy this.
On: 2005-12-05
I have used this unit for about a month with my (non-Vonage) VOIP service in Ireland. It is a combination of a cable/DSL wireless router with 3 ethernet ports and a VOIP (ATA) adapter for 2 independent phone lines. So it is very compact. You attach it to your internet cable/dsl modem, and plug upto 3 devices (PCs, printers, etc.) via ethernet cables, and upto 2 analog phones via phone cables (for VOIP phone service). Of course, you also get LAN via wireless for all your devices equipped with wireless cards.
I have used several wireless/wired routers in the past, and feel that the router part of WRT54GP2 is really primitive. For example, its DHCP server cannot assign fixed IPs to designated MACs. The firewall configuration is too rigid. These are limitations. But what is obviously a bug is that even though it has an option to disable the broadcast of your SSID, that option doesnt work. Thus your wireless LAN is visible in your neighborhood even when you want it hidden.
Its not clear who among Vonage, CISCO, and Linksys is the real designer of this router, because the booklets that come with it mention all these three. I suspect its the first, since Linksys is too good a router company to build such a weak product.
Conclusion: Unless Linksys improves the router with a firmware upgrade (available to non-Vonage buyers also!), you are better off buying 1) another wireless router and 2) just an ordinary ATA. Then you can plug your phone into the ATA and the ATA into one of the ether ports of the router. Given the present prices, this might actually be cheaper. Youll have to bear the inconvenience of having two rather than one box and using up an extra power outlet.
On: 2005-10-16
Worked as advertised. wireless reaches my bedroom from the basement. Ethernet side was working within minutes. Vonage phone service was simple set up also. though still waiting to have my exsiting phone number transfered to vonage service.
On: 2005-08-24
SUMMARY: Vonage is great for second lines, but keep a regular phone line for emergencies. At just $29.99 per month, Vonage is relatively inexpensive and offers fantastic features that the regular telephone company cant match. Vonages sound quality is exactly the same as a regular phone line and the customer support is okay. In contrast, Packet8 is cheaper ($19.99 per month), has very poor customer service and mechanized sounding audio. If you want good audio quality and dont mind paying more, Vonage wins. If you dont mind lower audio quality and no customer support, Packet8 may be a better choice for you.
REVIEW: There are a number of companies that offer the ability to use your broadband internet connection to give you a telephone jack that you can plug your regular phone into. This technology is known as Voice Over IP, or VOIP for short. When you sign up, you get an adaptor you hook up to your internet connection and to a regular telephone. When it works properly, you can pick-up your phone and make calls just like you normally might, but the call gets routed over the internet.
A lot has been said about using VOIP as your only phone line, but Id sum it up this way: Dont use VOIP as your only phone line. VOIP lines can go down for many reasons, including power failures, internet outages, or VOIP network problems. Also, as of August 2004, Vonage doesnt implement 911 service the same way that your local telephone company does. Although they can set-up 911 service so that it goes to your local police department, the call will not come in on the 911 emergency line, and the police will not know where are calling from.
These issues may not seem important to you if you know about them. But, consider the possibility that the VOIP line goes down while a babysitter is watching your kids, or a guest is at the house alone, and disaster strikes. Having a regular phone line that always works is crucial.
A regular POTS telephone line is essential to have as a backup for an emegency, but given the features Vonage offers, you could probably cancel all the expensive options off of your regular phone line and use Vonage as a line 2 as your primary method of calling.
The technology is a fantastic idea and is loaded with great features, including the ability to get a telephone number in just about any area code, even if it is nowhere near where you live. Vonage gives you the ability to have as many telephone numbers (in different area codes if you want) ring to the same line. Vonage also provide caller ID, call-waiting, call-waiting caller ID, three way calling, call forwarding (including forwarding to multiple numbers at the same time), voicemail, and the ability to transfer calls.
If you pay $29.99 per month, these features are free, along with unlimited local and long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada. You can also take the adaptor with you when you travel and plug it into any internet connection (such as at a hotel) anywhere in the world, and use it just like you were sitting at home.
Ive tried Vonage and another company called Packet 8. Vonages sound quality is fantastic and reliability is good enough for a second line. In contrast, Packet8s sound quality sounds a bit mechanized or computerized. Also, Vonages customer support, while not great, is far better than Packet8 (Read my Packet 8 Review for more details).
Packet8 has one advantage over Vonage. You can get most of the features of Packet8 for $19.99 a month, whereas Vonage charges $29.99 per month. However, Vonage has much better sound quality than Packet8 and better customer service, which matters more to me than $10.00 a month. Also, Vonage offers the ability to transfer calls, which Packet8 doesnt. Vonage also supports fax calls, but the audio on Packet8 is so bad that most fax machines cant handle it.
In sum, if you dont mind the extra $10.00 per month, Vonage is the way to go. If you want cheap, wont fax or use TIVO, and you wont need support, Packet8 may be better for you.
Note: There are several other companies that offer VOIP services: VoicePulse, Broadvox, IConnectHere, Lingo, and even AT&T
On: 2005-08-23
SUMMARY: Vonage is great for second lines, but keep a regular phone line for emergencies. At just $29.99 per month, Vonage is relatively inexpensive and offers fantastic features that the regular telephone company cant match. Vonages sound quality is exactly the same as a regular phone line and the customer support is okay. In contrast, Packet8 is cheaper ($19.99 per month), has very poor customer service and mechanized sounding audio. If you want good audio quality and dont mind paying more, Vonage wins. If you dont mind lower audio quality and no customer support, Packet8 may be a better choice for you.
REVIEW: There are a number of companies that offer the ability to use your broadband internet connection to give you a telephone jack that you can plug your regular phone into. This technology is known as Voice Over IP, or VOIP for short. When you sign up, you get an adaptor you hook up to your internet connection and to a regular telephone. When it works properly, you can pick-up your phone and make calls just like you normally might, but the call gets routed over the internet.
A lot has been said about using VOIP as your only phone line, but Id sum it up this way: Dont use VOIP as your only phone line. VOIP lines can go down for many reasons, including power failures, internet outages, or VOIP network problems. Also, as of August 2004, Vonage doesnt implement 911 service the same way that your local telephone company does. Although they can set-up 911 service so that it goes to your local police department, the call will not come in on the 911 emergency line, and the police will not know where are calling from.
These issues may not seem important to you if you know about them. But, consider the possibility that the VOIP line goes down while a babysitter is watching your kids, or a guest is at the house alone, and disaster strikes. Having a regular phone line that always works is crucial.
A regular POTS telephone line is essential to have as a backup for an emegency, but given the features Vonage offers, you could probably cancel all the expensive options off of your regular phone line and use Vonage as a line 2 as your primary method of calling.
The technology is a fantastic idea and is loaded with great features, including the ability to get a telephone number in just about any area code, even if it is nowhere near where you live. Vonage gives you the ability to have as many telephone numbers (in different area codes if you want) ring to the same line. Vonage also provide caller ID, call-waiting, call-waiting caller ID, three way calling, call forwarding (including forwarding to multiple numbers at the same time), voicemail, and the ability to transfer calls.
If you pay $29.99 per month, these features are free, along with unlimited local and long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada. You can also take the adaptor with you when you travel and plug it into any internet connection (such as at a hotel) anywhere in the world, and use it just like you were sitting at home.
Ive tried Vonage and another company called Packet 8. Vonages sound quality is fantastic and reliability is good enough for a second line. In contrast, Packet8s sound quality sounds a bit mechanized or computerized. Also, Vonages customer support, while not great, is far better than Packet8 (Read my Packet 8 Review for more details).
Packet8 has one advantage over Vonage. You can get most of the features of Packet8 for $19.99 a month, whereas Vonage charges $29.99 per month. However, Vonage has much better sound quality than Packet8 and better customer service, which matters more to me than $10.00 a month. Also, Vonage offers the ability to transfer calls, which Packet8 doesnt. Vonage also supports fax calls, but the audio on Packet8 is so bad that most fax machines cant handle it.
In sum, if you dont mind the extra $10.00 per month, Vonage is the way to go. If you want cheap, wont fax or use TIVO, and you wont need support, Packet8 may be better for you.
Note: There are several other companies that offer VOIP services: VoicePulse, Broadvox, IConnectHere, Lingo, and even AT&T
On: 2005-07-12
I purchased the Linksys WRT54GP2 to set up a wireless network at home for 2 desktops and 1 laptop. In addition, I wanted to use the phone ports with Vonage service. The router was very easy to set up with the instructions provided. Even setting up the wireless security options was easy. Ive had my system up and running for 4 weeks now. The new Internet phone service and network operation is working great.
On: 2005-05-20
Currently, you want to buy only a new unit. Vonage will not authorize for phone service any previously owned equipment used on the Vonage VOIP. I am a Vonage user and thought it would be nice to have this wireless router along with the VOIP. I bought a WRT54GP2 that was used for only 3 months by a former Vonage customer. The wireless router worked fine. When I went to have the MAC re-authorized for my use, Vonage refused to do it. I was directed and re-directed to at least 4 different departments within Vonage and each said they could not activate this unit for Vonage usage because it was previously owned.
Here is a website (Vonage Forum) where others have had a similar problem.
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic4349.html
The Linksys part of this unit works beautifully and you could still buy a used WRT54GP2 for that purpose.
On: 2005-05-05
Low sound quality, difficult to reach customer support, and frequent service outages. Even though my cable internet connection is very good, the vonage service is mediocre at best. In 3 months of using the service, I have had at least 5 days of no vonage service, and many have reported that when they call me they cant get through.
On: 2005-03-29
Postings on other sites have reported noise problems with this unit. Noise is white noise, sounds like a hiss. I talked to a Vonage customer svc. rep (a capable one) on 3/25/05 about this, and he said the problem was caused by a faulty capacitor, which as batch of these routers were built with. This batch is no longer in production, and isnt being distributed anymore.
Also, if you have another non-Vonage Linksys router that youre replacing this unit with, the AC power adapters for Vonage routers are 12v, but for non-Vonage are 5v. I was too lazy to swap adapters, and was powering my Vonage router /w the 5v adapter. The router-part worked fine--except the phone-part would never register with Vonage. Linksys should report this on their configuration page.
 On: 2005-03-29
Ive been a loyal Linksys router customer since 2001 when I purchased one of their first wireless products, the BEFW11S4. However, Ive been sorely disappointed with this particular product.
First off, I purchased the unit in late December 2004, meticulously filled out the rebate information, included all documentation that was requested, and mailed in the rebate form immediately. In late March 2005, I received a postcard saying that I had not properly submitted the MAC address. Ive kept copies of all of my submission so I will be writing back, but this may raise a red flag for anyone purchasing this unit.
Next, the hardware in particular: historically I have had small issues with Linksys routers that have been resolved through firmware upgrades. For this unit, however, only Vonage can update the firmware. After having been a customer for three months, my unit still has not been updated by them, yet I am suffering from one particularly annoying bug that I have read has been fixed in later firmware releases. While I am speaking on the phone, the phone completely disconnects if there is significant non-voice traffic on the line, i.e., from a computer on the network. I have fully enabled QoS and yet the problem persists. Ive been trying to get a firmware upgrade for months - Ive e-mailed Vonage twice about it and sat on hold for a very long time but to no avail. I havent even gotten a non-automated e-mail response.
Youve read about the "modem noise" on the phone jack: I have this problem. However, if you put a phone into the secondary phone jack and leave it off hook, the noise goes away. Still, its an example of poor quality on this item.
Vonages service - when its up - has been fine. However, it is by no means a 99.999% available per year service, like your typical POTS line; I have tried to use the phone twice previously when the service wasnt working. Once there was no service at all, and another time I could only receive calls.
Like many, I hope that VoIP technology increases in popularity over the coming months and years, but to me its clear that this service, and in particular this hardware, is still in its infancy. Of all the problems, though, Im most concerned about what I feel is an attempt to block payment of the rebate.
On: 2005-03-28
This section is reviewing Vonage, not this product, so I thought Id chime in. Great is the word for it. Easy to set up. Good reception. Minimal problems. Goodbye SBC, FINALLY. I really recommend it.
On: 2005-03-08
Dont switch to Vonage beside poor sound quality. They have no Customer Service whatsoever. I have been trying to contact them for over a week and nothing. They do not respond to your emails, and tech support does not answer the phone. The only people you can get to answer is Sales, and they wont help you with problems. This is the worst company Ive ever run across. Do yourself a favor and stick with your normal phone company or pick another VoIP provider. Vonage is Bad News!
On: 2005-03-06
I had the service up and running within 5 minutes, did not need any installation other than plug and play. I was making international calls to the United Kingdom within the hour at 3 cents a minute.....Very impressive. I set it up so that it rings my cell as well as the home number so friends can find me with just one call. I gave it 4 stars only because I could not get a local area code number (Topeka KS ) and set up a 1-888 number for local friends to call in on.
On: 2005-01-08
As another reviewer noted, the WRT54GP2 has a constant background noise that sounds much like a modem. There is no cure for this, and it is extremely annoying and unacceptable. The noise has nothing to do with the Vonage service; it is some kind of crosstalk generated inside the router. It happens even if nothing but a phone is plugged into the WRT54GP2.
I replaced my WRT54GP2 with a regular WRT54G router and the separate Linksys PAP2 phone interface. The PAP2 provides clean sound with only a faint hint of background noise. I highly recommend this combination instead of the WRT54GP2.
With the separate router and PAP2, the PAP2 normally goes on the LAN side of the router. There is one issue you need to deal with that the WRT54GP2 takes care of automatically: Quality of Service (QoS). You dont want data traffic to interrupt a phone conversation. Go to the routers Applications & Gaming / QoS page and give the highest priority to the PAP2, using either its MAC address or the WRT54G port number its plugged into. (If the QoS page isnt there, go to www.linksys.com and upgrade the routers firmware to the latest version.)
After setting that up Ive been thoroughly pleased with our Vonage service. When some friends of ours saw what it could do (and how it sounded) they immediately signed up for two Vonage lines themselves.
On: 2004-11-23
I had already been using Vonage for about 6 months before I purchased this router. I had been using the Motorola VoIP device that Vonage sent me when I signed up. I had never heard any background noise before. In fact, my phone calls seemed clearer than when I had BellSouth.
Now, with this device I hear "humming" or "static" in the background when I am on the phone. This happens on most calls, incoming or outgoing. I have emailed Linksys and Vonage support and I am waiting for a response.
Other than the background noise this router is great. One thing to note is that this router is a little different than the WRT54G without the phone ports. This router has only one antenna. This also means that if you would like to replace the antenna with the Linksys high gain antenna you will need the SMA antenna and not the TNC antenna. I learned this the hard way after Linksys sales told me to use the TNC, which was just wrong.
On: 2004-11-22
I had already been using Vonage for about 6 months before I purchased this router. I had been using the Motorola VoIP device that Vonage sent me when I signed up. I had never heard any background noise before. In fact, my phone calls seemed clearer than when I had BellSouth.
Now, with this device I hear "humming" or "static" in the background when I am on the phone. This happens on most calls, incoming or outgoing. I have emailed Linksys and Vonage support and I am waiting for a response.
Other than the background noise this router is great. One thing to note is that this router is a little different than the WRT54G without the phone ports. This router has only one antenna. This also means that if you would like to replace the antenna with the Linksys high gain antenna you will need the SMA antenna and not the TNC antenna. I learned this the hard way after Linksys sales told me to use the TNC, which was just wrong.
On: 2004-11-10
The out of box experience was decent, the routers Mac address was scanned at the point of purchase, and I was able to activitate the vonage service and make calls within about an hour of plugging the unit in. There is a 39.95 deactivation fee unless you take advantage of the money-back guarantee, or return the device (not likely for a router costing $100)
When you call for support, the vonage contract staff will not tell you where their support center is, geographically, due to unspecified "security reasons". Nor can they say why the service is not available in certain area codes (including 513)
Software:
The unit has typical Linksys firmware features, making it easy to configure firewall rules and DHCP, as well as your mechanism for configuring your internet connection.
The hardware:
Pretty standard D-link hardware, although I was distressed to see how hot it gets, such that its unconfortable to put your hand near the air vents on the bottom of the unit.
One bad experience where the ring voltage dropped was experienced so far, after two normal sounding rings the clapper in my Conair 2500-style phone started to clatter, rather than ring.
On: 2004-11-09
The out of box experience was decent, the routers Mac address was scanned at the point of purchase, and I was able to activitate the vonage service and make calls within about an hour of plugging the unit in. There is a 39.95 deactivation fee unless you take advantage of the money-back guarantee, or return the device (not likely for a router costing $100)
When you call for support, the vonage contract staff will not tell you where their support center is, geographically, due to unspecified "security reasons". Nor can they say why the service is not available in certain area codes (including 513)
Software:
The unit has typical Linksys firmware features, making it easy to configure firewall rules and DHCP, as well as your mechanism for configuring your internet connection.
The hardware:
Pretty standard D-link hardware, although I was distressed to see how hot it gets, such that its unconfortable to put your hand near the air vents on the bottom of the unit.
One bad experience where the ring voltage dropped was experienced so far, after two normal sounding rings the clapper in my Conair 2500-style phone started to clatter, rather than ring.
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