New VoIP hardware from ZyXel
posted Mar 21st 2005 6:30AM
The quizzically-named ZyXel has a couple of new offerings in the VoIP space. The ZyXel P-2302R gateway is a VoIP router that comes with two built-in phone jacks, enabling you to have two different phone numbers on the different ports — which means you could be, like, so bi-coastal it hurts. This is not really new, as most VoIP routers are now shipping with two ports, though the trick still remains to get those two numbers to work with a single handset. Also on deck is the next revision to ZyXel's Prestige 2000W VoIP WiFi phone (pictured, right, in all its retro clunky handset glory). Version two will support SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which basically gives you more interconnectivity options out of the box by keying you into SIP-based call servers and IP-PBXs as well as the usual VoIP client devices.
I think that each and ever one of us who bought the original ZyXel P2000W would recommend that potential buyers of this version test it first. The original is so poorly made as to be almost useless in a serious office environment (the latest, unofficially released firmware is better, but the phone still has a looooooong way to go).
Caveat emptor isn't quite strong enough in this case.
I own the original one. Umm.. The original one does SIP. That's the protocol it's using for VOIP. Just a wee fact checking moment.