Linksys WRT54GP2 Wireless-G Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports (Works with the Vonage Service)

Rating:
Summary: Unacceptable background noise, get PAP2 instead
Review: 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 don't want data traffic to interrupt a phone conversation. Go to the router's Applications & Gaming / QoS page and give the highest priority to the PAP2, using either its MAC address or the WRT54G port number it's plugged into. (If the QoS page isn't there, go to www.linksys.com and upgrade the router's firmware to the latest version.)

After setting that up I've 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.

Rating:
Summary: Router is great... But phone has background noise
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: vonage lock not disclosed on packaging, otherwise 4 stars
Review: The out of box experience was decent, the router's 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 it's 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.