I want wireless internet at my house... I have a DSL line and I use Vonage phone services on the Linksys RT31P2 broadband router.
Not too many wireless routers have the two phone ports on them so my slection is limited to just a few models. After looking at the Vonage website I fell in love with the Linksys wireless router # WRTP54G.
My local BestBuy has this 'Vonage' router for $109.99, which is regular price. No rebated to be had and I have to add tax, so my bill is ~$120.
I checked over at Circuit City and found the same router for $29.99 after an $80 mail-in-rebate. The webpage linked above says nothing about Earthlink other than it's EarthLink-enabled. The guy in the store said it shouldn't matter if I have Vonage or Linksys as the model number was the same...
I buy it, get home and setup the router in minutes with no problems at all. I go to setup the Vonage phone part of the device and find out I have an invalid MAC address because it's not in the Vonage block... What a bunch of crap. It's the same router, but just because the MAC address isn't in there system I can't use it. Screw that. How much you want to bet when I take it back they give me problems.
Screw Vonage and Linksys
If you are already are or ever have been a Vonage customer you are not eligible for any of the rebates
I just took back a Vonage WRTP54G to bestBuy (was 98.99-$100 rebate, plus they give you a $50 gift card)
nothing really wrong with the service, except many hidden fees,
WRTP54G is an OK router, lots of controls, but a little laggy at times, wireless was decent with a good set of config controls. I'm fairly sure the lag was due to the QoS for the voice, unfortunately both the earthlink and vonage versions lock you out from the voice and QoS controls
there is a WRTP54G-NA which is unlocked (always full-price, never a rebate on these) for use with other VoIP providers but neither EL or Vonage will allow these (at least not on sign up)
Alot of work going on over here
http://www.dslreports.com/forums/59
on breaking the lock in case you want to leave vonage EL after your contract in up, plus lots of other VoIP info.
when I was shopping (looking for the best rebate/deal) for the WRTP54G neither BB or CC in store employees had a clue about what the terms of the Vonage offer (CC was the worst by far, at least the BB guys tried) and their websites had circular links that sent you back and forth between their site and special custom version of the vonage site "more info" set you back to the sales page. Only after I signed up could I find out about the full terms and extra fees
I just took back a Vonage WRTP54G to bestBuy (was 98.99-$100 rebate, plus they give you a $50 gift card)
nothing really wrong with the service, except many hidden fees,
WRTP54G is an OK router, lots of controls, but a little laggy at times, wireless was decent with a good set of config controls. I'm fairly sure the lag was due to the QoS for the voice, unfortunately both the earthlink and vonage versions lock you out from the voice and QoS controls
there is a WRTP54G-NA which is unlocked (always full-price, never a rebate on these) for use with other VoIP providers but neither EL or Vonage will allow these (at least not on sign up)
Alot of work going on over here
http://www.dslreports.com/forums/59
on breaking the lock in case you want to leave vonage EL after your contract in up, plus lots of other VoIP info.
when I was shopping (looking for the best rebate/deal) for the WRTP54G neither BB or CC in store employees had a clue about what the terms of the Vonage offer (CC was the worst by far, at least the BB guys tried) and their websites had circular links that sent you back and forth between their site and special custom version of the vonage site "more info" set you back to the sales page. Only after I signed up could I find out about the full terms and extra fees