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Vonage Testing Mobile VoIP Service Routers

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the can-you-here-me-there dept.

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.""

5 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Wow! by PopeAlien · · Score: 4, Funny

    Imagine! Phones without wires!!

    We live in exciting times!

    --
    air and light and time and space
  2. So what happens... by DrEldarion · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Out in public? What happens when this becomes popular and there are a few people using up all the bandwidth at these hotspots? VoIP isn't exactly the least demanding application ever.

    If it becomes that popular, I can see places that offer free wireless access blocking VoIP access.

  3. Dialup 56K access by trailerparkcassanova · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next Vonage will offer 56K dialup through wifi.

  4. Softphone by Crim-Prof · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I currently use my laptop and softphone from Vonage quite frequently at the local coffee house that offers free wi-fi and have tried to use it at panera bread which offers free WI-FI. However, I have been able to get it to work rather infrequently at Panera. At the local coffee house I open up my laptop, load the softphone, and then attach my headset. The question people typically ask is why not use your cell-phone.

    I can receive calls for free which would otherwise use my minutes, I can dial 1800 numbers which is what my university uses for its conference calls for free, and most importantly, it is the best way to have office hours when I am away from the university. I recently did my dissertation's first defense using the softphone and system to connect to all my committee members and did not have an issue. Recently, at a conference the second author of the work was unable to attend but had some new data that he wanted to present. I loaded the softphone and dialed into him and using the conference system called raindance and the conferences system, he was able to present the data without an issue.

    I see the progression of Vonage being very useful for those of us that for work have seen our laptops becoming more important then the air we breathe.

  5. WiMax by clovercase · · Score: 4, Interesting

    while this might not be too practical right now, consider what happens when WiMax becomes available almost anywhere. no need for a separate internet and cellphone account - its integrated! Vonage seems to be planting the seeds so they are ready when wireless internet is available anwhere.