Vonage Testing Mobile VoIP Service Routers

kamikaze-Tech writes "In a Vonage VoIP Forum article titled Vonage Testing Mobile VoIP Service Routers we learn that Vonage is doing customer trials involving a new Linksys Wi-Fi mobile service router. From the article comes the claim: "With the special router and handset, individual customers would be free to roam about their home or office, untethered from a modem or phone jack and without a connection to a laptop or desktop computer." Suggesting the new routers are geared for installation in Wi-Fi hot spots: "In theory, someone should be able to walk into a Wi-Fi-enabled cafe, fire up a laptop, log on to the Internet and start dialing. But that now requires technical know-how and configuration hassles that most consumers don't want to deal with. The new routers are designed to do most of the heavy lifting.""

Comments

solution already exists

[SethJohnson]

At the router level, you can prioritize packet types. It is no big deal to lower the VOip traffic to ensure web users maintain acceptable bandwidth. In most installations, people apply the reverse standard in prioritizing VOIP over http, but in the cafe scenario, I can see it going this way.

Seth

Good thing it's easy to configure

[Kid Zero]

Because you won't get Customer Service to help you at all. I tried for the final three months I had Vonage to get in touch with _anyone_ there about the service issues I was having, with zero luck. I finally went back to Ma Bell, who will at least listen and provides the services I need.

I'll go back when they get some decent CS skills.

A couple reasons

[EvilStein]

* No contracts
* Your virtual phone numbers
* Calling to Canada
* Unlimited minutes. No worrying about going over minutes/roaming.

Just a couple reasons. I have a bare-bones cell phone service through MetroPCS and my home phone through Vonage. For everything, I pay about $50/mo total. Something like this might me useful to me, as I'm often in a hotspot.

Re:What is wrong with standard cordless phones?

[radish]

Nothing's stopping you doing that at all, in fact that's exactly what I do with Vonage today, and have done for 6 months. A single base station hooked up to the Vonage box, and multiple handsets located throughout the house. Works very well indeed, highly recommended.