SMC SMCWTVG travel router with VoIP gateway

We've seen enough travel routers, and they all have pretty much the same features: plug one into the Ethernet in your hotel room, and your room is a hot spot. SMC's $130 SMCWTVG does that too, but adds another feature that makes it worth looking at: it's got an phone jack that turns any analog phone into a VoIP handset. Of course, you could accomplish much the same thing by plugging a headset into your PC once it's connected to the network, but this gives you one less thing to pack -- assuming, of course, that your hotel or other destination has analog phones. Otherwise, be prepared to pack your own or just go ahead and use a headset.

[Via the Wireless Report]

[Ladderless @ Mar 2nd 2006 2:09PM]

I can't remember the last hotel room I was in that had an analog phone... They've all seem to have gone to proprietary digital systems (I guess it cuts down on theft)

[bookishboy @ Mar 2nd 2006 7:34PM]

This is not especially new. I use a Grandstream 496 analog-VoIP telephony adapter. I use it primarily for the VoIP functionality, but it also functions as a router.

The nice thing about buying one of these devices is that you can "bring-your-own" equipment to just about any VoIP provider. This is convenient because it helps to avoid the lock-in and pile-up of useless boxes that can happen when you get a "free" (but vendor-locked) adapter.

Cheers