| Linksys WRT54GP2 Wireless-G Broadband Router for Vonage Internet Phone Service |
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Model: WRT54GP2 (Works with the Vonage Service)
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 29
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
All-in-one Internet-sharing Router, 4-port Switch, and 54 Mbps Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point
Shares a single Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired and Wireless-G and B devices
Two standard phone jacks enable feature-rich telephone service over your cable or DSL Internet connection
High security: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), wireless MAC address filtering, powerful SPI firewall
Web Based configuration through a build-in web server |
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| Description: |
| Includes: power adapter & network cable. Linksys WRT54GP2 Wireless-G Broadband Router with VOIP - In addition to wired and wireless networking and Internet sharing, this router features 2 phone lines that can be used with an Vonage VOIP Internet-based telephone service. Each line runs independently, just like a regular 2-line telephone. With Vonage service, you can enjoy low domestic and international rates as your calls are routed through the router and over the Internet. Small Buisness Unlimited Plan (with free fax line) - Unlimited calls to the United States & Canada, plus free long distance, for $49.99 a month Small Buisness Basic Plan (with free fax line) - 1,500 minutes to call anywhere in the United State & Canada FREE Caller ID FREE Call Waiting FREE Voicemail FREE 3-Way Calling FREE Call Return (*69) FREE Call Forwarding Built-in 3-port 10/100 Ethernet Switch Supports 802.11g wireless networking (backwards compatible with 802.11b equipment) Built-in NAT Firewall Up to 256-bit WEP data encryption WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) Wireless MAC Filtering Support QoS (Quality of Service) to ensure best quality voice Port Filtering & DMZ Hosting Web based configuration through a built-in web server Supports auto-provisioning with remote firmware upgrade Supports FSK Caller ID, DTMF Caller ID & FSK VMWI Supports Echo Cancellation and Voice Activity Detection (VAD) Supports Fax Tone Detection Pass-Through |
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| User Reviews (29 total): |
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No company support Product failed within 15 days, March 25, 2008
By user (Council Bluffs IA)
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.
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Works well, February 27, 2008
By user (Baltimore, MD)
I've 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.
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Linksis WRT54GP2 rOUTER AND vONAGE SERVICE, January 14, 2007
By user
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.
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good seller and good product, January 11, 2007
By user
works well/ linksys is the best product in the market today. period.
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Linksys WRT54GP2, January 10, 2007
By user (NJ United States)
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.
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Do not buy this router for Vonage service, October 18, 2006
By user (seattle)
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 you're online throughout the day, do not use Vonage.
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Vonage is a sinking ship, October 13, 2006
By user (Minneapolis)
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 didn't 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. Don't 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.
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Linksys Router for Vonage review, July 20, 2006
By user (Greensboro, NC United States)
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.
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1 star is too high., June 25, 2006
By user
Customer service is horrible. 3 hours on hold, 2 hours on with a "technician" that speaks English as well as my dog and they couldn't 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!!!!
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allow zero stars just for vonage, May 22, 2006
By user (panama)
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.
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Vonage is a disgusting company, think carefully, May 9, 2006
By user (Fremont, CA)
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. I'll 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, [...]
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Vonage with WRT54GP2 ROCKS, March 27, 2006
By user (Durham, N.C. United States)
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.
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Buyers Beware!, March 23, 2006
By user (Vancouver, WA)
Buyers beware! I have never written or posted a consumer rating in my life. I am so disappointed with Vonage's 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 Provider's 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.
Vonage's 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 Vonage's 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. Vonage's 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 Vonage's 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.
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Get rid of the Motorola VT1005V adapter, March 15, 2006
By user (Queensbury, NY USA)
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 adapter's light was on solid, just like it was working correct, only I had no dialtone on the phone and no Internet connectivity. I'd 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 I've 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.
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$50 is all its worth, if even that, February 27, 2006
By user (MI, USA)
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.
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Compact unit, but router part needs improvement, December 5, 2005
By user (Dublin, Ireland)
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 doesn't work. Thus your wireless LAN is visible in your neighborhood even when you want it hidden.
It's 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 it's 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. You'll have to bear the inconvenience of having two rather than one box and using up an extra power outlet.
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DMB, October 16, 2005
By user (NJ USA)
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.
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Vonage v. Packet8, August 23, 2005
By user (Santa Ana, CA United States)
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 can't match. Vonage's 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 don't mind paying more, Vonage wins. If you don't 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 I'd sum it up this way: Don't 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 doesn't 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.
I've tried Vonage and another company called Packet 8. Vonage's sound quality is fantastic and reliability is good enough for a second line. In contrast, Packet8's sound quality sounds a bit mechanized or computerized. Also, Vonage's 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 doesn't. Vonage also supports fax calls, but the audio on Packet8 is so bad that most fax machines can't handle it.
In sum, if you don't mind the extra $10.00 per month, Vonage is the way to go. If you want cheap, won't fax or use TIVO, and you won't 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
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Easy Setup & works great, July 12, 2005
By user (Greenville, SC)
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. I've had my system up and running for 4 weeks now. The new Internet phone service and network operation is working great.
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Beware of buying previously owned Vonage routers, May 20, 2005
By user (California)
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.
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