Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys RT31P2 Wired Router for Vonage Internet Phone Service

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I had the Motorola ATA (analog telephone adapter). The voice quality was fine unless other people were downloading. Then I would have dropouts. I bought this product specifically because it support Quality of Service, reserving bandwidth when using the phone to maintain voice quality.

In order to take advantage of QoS, all traffic has to go through this router. No problem, I did my homework and ensured that it had all the features I needed; port forwarding, a DMZ setting, and IPSec and PPTP passthrough. I installed this in front of my current firewall, assigned my current firewall to the DMZ address, forwarded all ports, enabled IPSec and PPTP passthrough and I was all set - I thought.

My current firewall is also a VPN device - it establishes an IPSec tunnel to a matching firewall to another location. This works fine, the RT31P2's IPSec passthrough works well. All servers behined the RT31P2 are also functional, Web, mail, ftp, etc. Great!

But for 2 weeks I could not understand why no one could complete a VPN conection PPTP) to our Microsoft remote access server. Turns out the the "PPTP Passthrough" setting on the configuration menu (and in the manual) is for show only - it doesn't work. A search on the Vonage forums and a Vonage tech representative confirmed this. So even though I did my homework, downloaded the manual ahead of time, etc, I still have a paperweight - I have to go back to my Motorola ATA. Worse, Linksys says it's a Vonage problem, and Vonage has no plans to fix this issue.

As an aside, I bought the RT31P2 about 5 weeks ago (I can't return it for an RMA). Back then I found a number of sources that sold it. I just did another search and most have taken it off their web sites. Is the word getting around that this is a Mickey Mouse device? (No offense to Micket).

I got the Vonage service just under six months ago then moved and brought my phone number with me - today there was a brief power outage - and the router did not come back. For your amusement, this is the list of stuff that Vonage wanted me to do (Imagine, if you will, all these instructions given in an Indian accent, not unpleasant, but everything had to be repeated four times, and common idiomatic US english was not understood.

1. unplug the router and plug it back in.
2. Hold the reset button for 50 seconds, unplug the router and plug it back in.
3. Plug the wall wart (idiom) cube (idiom) wire from the router to the power outlet on the linksys router to the wall power outlet into a DIFFERENT WALL SOCKET! (chuckle)
4. Reboot my Cisco router (yeah, sure - everything else is working, I told them sure - they wanted me to disconnect the router from the T1 and the ethernet and then plug them all back together - I told them yes and ignored them, just waited a minute, this was a stupid suggestion, I had 1000 kilobits on the line both ways, and everything else was working).
5. Unplug all other computers from my Cisco Router (I simply refused on this one, it is just silly).

Vonage wants $99 to replace this router - and they send it DHL, which does not work in my rural area (why else would I have a T1 and not a DSL or Cablemodem connection)?

But I can send the router back to them when I cancel my service and suffer no penalty, and then get a free one with free shipping from Tomatovine. Maybe theirs will work a bit better.

Vonage service has deterioriated to where I would not recommend them to anyone. I did not mention that this was the third call to Vonage - the first two resulted in hangups. This router is not good - a power outage should not kill a consumer grade device like this. Power outages are common in the consumer world.

I had the Motorola adaptor and then got this Linksys Vonage adaptor. This model Linksys unit has a terrible background noise that is always present, which sounds like a fax coming on on another telephone line that is bleeding through to the voice line. I've tried two, both with the same result, using multiple telephones. I don't have the problem at all with the Motorola device.

I've not tried the newer Linksys device (which doesn't include a router).

I am happy with the Linksys RT31P2 device (4 out of 5). Have been using it at home as my only phone for past 8 months. Device is easy to operate... good manual and intuitive interface from Linksys.

I have an older Motorola VT1000 that I use at work... I am going to replace it with the Linksys RT31P2. The Linksys device sounds better, easier to hook up, and has a router (which is very nice), better security, etc.

Very happy with Vonage (4.5 out of 5). I Would never go back to a land line phone. Vonage is way cheaper. 500 minute plan with tax costs me less then $17 a month. Here in Upstate NY I was paying $45 to $50 a month for a land line phone through Verizon.

Uptime is good... as good as you Internet connection. I have a cable modem (Time Warner - Roadrunner)... modem is always up... Vonage is always up. When it has gone down... you can easily set up Vonage to forward to another phone (cell).

Have service at work through a DSL line... doesn't sound as good as through my cable modem at home.

Really like the Vonage web site and Internet services... email notification of voice mail, forward your calls to another number, real time list of calls in/out, get voice mails sent as email attachments, etc.

Vonage seems to be leading the VoIP pack when it comes to features... like 911 dialing.

Two other members of my family have hooked up Vonage recently... including my 80 year old grandma.

One thing about installation... look at the Vonage site on how Vonage will connect with the other phones in your house. Will either need to use one base phone with multiple wireless. Base phone needs to be where cable modem/computer is... because Vonage adapter hooks into cable modem then computer. Or, back feed your land line phone cord from the phone service box on the outside of your house. I for one use the base phone with a handset. Buy a phone you can add a handsets to later.

I have been looking into the newer wireless/router/phone adapter all in ones from Vonage/Linksys... look they have some major issues to work out. i.e. Linksys WRTP54G, Linksys WRT54GP2. For now looks like keeping your wireless and phone in two seperate devices is best.

I got this modem to replace the motorola one that I was having problems with,and I must say that it is much better. The motorolla would always have to be rebooted and reconfigured and I had problems getting it to work with my linksys wireless router. I was able to daisy chaim this box to my wireless router, and it worked without any problem. I would definately recommend this bix.

I upgraded from the Motorola MTU to the Linksys RT31P2. The voice quality is significantly better -- especially the incoming voice quality. The new device also allows placement of a small server as part of the network with appropriate port-forwarding. I believe the port prioritization within the Linksys device, and its ability to prioritize voice traffic over other traffic makes the improvement. The router is missing some features like a listing of attached devices, but makes up for it with other enhancements.

I confirm that a simply power surge seems to damage these routers; I am now having to buy a 2nd because of this. When the service is running without technical difficulties this is a superb product giving you the ability to control your phone service via the web.

BUT if you run into technical difficulties and are forwarded to India for tech support, expect to be on the phone a long time due to the language problem. I was run through several steps, with lots of "excuse me could you repeat that" from both ends, very frustrating.

I recieved this router through Vonage and not Amazon, but it is the same one.

Just beware that there is a problem with certain versions of this router that cause excessive line noise which sound like a phaser. The problem is a bad resistor causes the noise and to make it go away, you have to short out port 2, if your phone is plugged into port 1. The easiest way to do this is plug in a old phone and leave it off hook. This does work as I have had the noise problem.

Vonage knows of the problem and will send you a new router (if you got it through them), but you have to document the problem first. I contacted them and within a week had a new router and no noise.

Other than that, I have had no problems with this router. I have it in front of Netgear wireless router(with DHCP turned off) and everything works great.

If you have a broadband connection, I would highly recommend Vonage. For the price and features, you cant beat it.

This device was sent to me by Vonage about eight months ago when I first signed on. Remarkably easy to setup, given that I have a business class router (acting as a bridge) and a pre-existing wireless router already installed in my home office. The quality was always 95% or better for the phone audio (part of this depends on the phone, in all fairness), and very little down time (unless the internet service became unavailable); otherwise a reboot of this router always got me up and running again.

That said, the device just stopped working a day ago, and provided for me nothing but a blinking power light along with a seizure for staring in disbelief for too long.

So, my rating of two (2) stars is for the abrupt end to a device that I feel should have lasted more than a year at the very least. I am currently without business phone, and that is a very unpleasant place to be ... sorry Linksys, you lose on this one.

BTW, I have had two support experiences with Vonage: the first was dreadful, and the one I had this evening which was very efficient and helpful, save the fact that I now have to _purchase_ another router if I choose to keep the Vonage service. The quality of Vonage support in no way affected the rating I'm giving of this product.

I purchased my unit from Vonage in July 2005. I paid a $40 setup fee and they sent the package. Everything has been fantastic until a week ago. Now the unit has stopped giving a dial tone and I am finding out what all the negative reviews are about. This unit only works with Vonage and Vonage tech support is slow and terrible. All they seem to know how to do is unplug things. It is clear to me the device has malfunctioned since all my network is fine save the phone.

Not sure I need this anymore with Comcast phones available and cell phones so cheap. Pity. I liked the service but the tech support is not good.