Updating firmware or otherwise unlocking RTP300

I have US Vonage service and am paying about $35 a month for the 15 buck a
month service plus international calls for which they charge me. I want to
change service if they want to overcharge me for this service, especially as
I discovered that Vonage charge me 30 cents a minute for calls to cellular
phones abroad whereas Broadvoice 'only' charge 23 cents.

I just got connected to an VOIPFone service and wanted to change to
Broadvoice who will charge a flat $20 for all this service and provide me
with the same Linksys RTP300 router. But THEN I discovered that like the
Vonage service, Broadvoice's routers are locked into their
service and I can't use the unused second RS232 port for the UK VOIP
provider.

Is there a way of unlocking any of these RTP300 routers by for example
changing or updating the firmware?

 

I can't help you with the unlocking but, if you are not able to unlock
it, have you considered buying your own box, independently of a VSP?
That would, with most hardware, permit routing, automatically, based
on a dial plan, via a variety of providers depending on the call
type. The providers who offer subsidised locked boxes do so because
they know that they can rip you off, with on going inflated charges,
in the longer term.
If you are calling internationally, particularly to mobiles, you might
also consider using a company from a different country. For example,
I don't use UK companies for international calling as I can route far
cheaper via a foreign VSP. There are hundreds listed on the Sipbroker
web site. Find one that you think looks good and then check them out,
for reliability etc., on a suitable forum.
Remove 'no_spam_' from email address.
Skype Free Zone!!

 

Yes, I think you are right on that one: The only problem is that there are
apparently first tier and second tier VOIP services, and the first tier ones
give performance like the Telcos whereas the second tier ones drop calls,
cant apportion bandwidth properly, have crackly lines etc

Thus far all I have discovered about the firs tier ones are that they are
Vonage and Broadvoice both of which supply their own boxes. It SEEMS to me
that buying your own SIP or router makes the whole process no longer cost
effective.

That is exactly what I want to do with this European VOIP service which I
cant seem to connect up!!

There are hundreds listed on the Sipbroker

 

Has Google stopping working in your part of the world? 'RTP300' and
'unlock' will help you part of the way to possibly solving your problem.
On your journey you'll might want to drop in at www.linksysinfo.org.

And it would be advisable to revisit Vonage and Broadvoice to read their
Terms and Conditions before your RTP300 is either altered as you desire
or converted to a paper weight.

Brian.

 

I think that much of this is hype. There are several good UK
providers. I don't have any technical trouble with my main UK VSP.
If you pick a good provider I think that they will be as good as
Vonage and Co. Further, if you are independent you can always dial out
via an alternative VSP if your usual one went down. However, I have
not tried any U.S. VSPs for anything serious so I don't know how the
reliability of U.S. VSPs compare to those of the UK.

You only have to buy your equipment once - this isn't an ongoing cost
as with a VSP. I think that it is definitely worth buying your own
gear that you can control. Far better than being tied to one VSP.
I know that some people do have sucess with unlocking but, even if you
adopt a tried and tested method it is still possible to get a glitch,
during flashing, and end up with a paperweight.
Remove 'no_spam_' from email address.
Skype Free Zone!!

 

Thanks guy(s): The position here is that there is NO break for using your
own equipment: That is why I posted here AND had already found that you can
easily turn your unit into a doorstop if you try playing around with the
firmware (and dont know how to re-flash it). The VOIP companies don't charge
a rental fee for the router/SIP: In fact Broadvoice offers to let you have
the locked Linksys 'free' or SELL you one of various others which are all
also locked into their network! They even have a special page to tell you
how you can benefit from bringing in your own router or SIP and so save lot
of money. But when you scratch the surface, you find that the only break
they will actually give you is that they will condescend not to charge you
for shipping their locked router to you!!

Not absolutely sure I want to be associated with a company which pulls
tricks like this overtly blatant con!

As I already have VoIP service, and three lines and want to use a fourth to
link to VoipFone (and one day may well want to switch my RCN line to another
VoIP service when I get thoroughly sick of being made to pay for expensive
telephone service just because they are providing slightly expensive
television service and good cable modem service) it SEEMS that I need to
find a cost effective way of buying an ATCOM AG-468.