VOIP Routers

There are hundreds of different models of routers available, this is a list of routers that may be of interest to VOIP users.

Small Routers with Multiple WAN Interfaces

Having multiple connections to the Internet from different providers can be a challenging configuration puzzle. Some routers are designed to make this easy for simple installations.

• Astrocom Ecessa Edge and ClariLink – multiple WAN interfaces with load balancing and automatic call failover
• Linksys RV082 10/100 8-Port VPN Router with 2 WAN interfaces
• SmartShare Systems FairRouter Dynamic QoS router that automatically detects VoIP traffic (incl. Skype) and ensures high sound quality.
• SmartNode VoIP routers from PATTON Electronics are industry-renowned for set-it-forget-it reliability. And they come with free support! SmartNode integrates IP and TDM communications for Enterprise and Carrier access networks, offering VoIP gateways combined with IP access routing, WAN transmission, and VoIP border router functionality. SmartNode scales from 1 to 2,048 VoIP or fax calls with various telephony interfaces including analog FXS/FXO and digital ISDN BRI, PRI, DS3 and STM-1.

Small Routers with QoS and built-in VOIP ports

• Allwin Tech G220: 1 WAN 4LAN, 2 FXS with PSTN backup, QoS, NAT, Router, WLAN optional
• Atcom : * AG-268ADSL/ethernet/IPSec/Vlan 1 wan 1 lan, 2 fxs
• BATM/Telco Systems AC-211: 2 FXS, 1 Ethernet WAN, 1 LAN, NAT Router, 1 PSTN.
  • Advanced Traffic Shapping for Voice Prioritization and QoS
  • T.38 Fax, VLAN, VPN supports, …
  • Supports H.323, SIP and MGCP
  • Interroperability with most softswitch vendors
• Bewan 820VG
  • 1 FXS VoIP port for telephone (wired or DECT)
  • 1 FXO port for telephone line
  • Supports SIP, RTP/RTCP protocols
  • Built-in SPI Firewall
  • models with integrated WiFi accesspoint (IEEE802.11g/b)
  • ADSL2/2+ and NAT, port forward etc
    • Looks like a rebranded Draytek Router
• Bewan LanBooster 6104 Vx
  • • 2 FXS ports for VoIP facilities
    • Supports SIP, RTP/RTCP protocols
    • Built-in SPI Firewall and up to 16 robust VPN tunnels
      • Looks like a rebranded Draytek Router
• Cisco 827-4V ADSL/ethernet/4 FXS, T.38 Fax Relay
• D-link DVG-1120 2 FXS and one FXO port
• DrayTek VoIP Routers
  • SIP, RTP/RTCP protocols compliance
  • 2 FXS ports supporting up to 6 SIP registrars
  • 1 PSTN Fail-over port
  • QoS: Guaranteed bandwidth for VoIP
  • Integrated IEEE802.11g/b WLAN AP
  • Built-in SPI Firewall and up to 2 IPSec/PPTP/L2TP VPN tunnels
• DrayTek Vigor 2910VG
  • Dual-wan with fail-over/load-balance
  • SIP, RTP/RTCP protocols compliance
  • 2 FXS ports supporting up to 6 SIP registrars
  • Integrated IEEE802.11g/b WLAN AP
  • 3G USB Modem Support
  • QoS: Guaranteed bandwidth for VoIP
  • Built-in SPI Firewall and up to 32 IPSec/PPTP/L2TP VPN tunnels
  • Websense/SurfControl
• Grand Digital Information Ltd. GVR111 VoIP Router with 1WAN+4LAN+1FXS+1FXO
• Grandstream Handytone-486 1 FXS and one fall-back FXO port
• Grandstream HT-488 2 Ethernet Ports, 1 FXS Port, 1 FXO port and PSTN Pass-through
• HouTel 2 FXS ports and 1 FXS port, 1 FXO port and Life Line port.
• Intertex SurfinBird IX67 1-2 FXS and 1 FXO port
• Linksys RT31P2 Broadband Router – 2 FXS ports
• NetFabric 2 to 24 ports
• PLANET: – IP Telephony – Deliver Your Voice in Real Time
  • Wi-Fi DECT VoIP Router
  • 2~24-Port VoIP Gateway Router
• POLYPOWER VRC0 series
  • 2 FXS + 1 FXO (Life line)
  • 1 WAN port /1 or 4 LAN port
  • Router
  • T.38 FAX support
  • QoS support
• POLYPOWER VoIP ADSL Router
  • ADSL over POTS or ISDN
  • 1 or 4 Etnernet port
  • 1 FXS Port for VoIP application
• SpeedTouch 716 Residential DSL Gateway with Voice
  • ADSL 1/2/2+ modem with NAT router/firewall and 4 port switch
  • 2 FXS and 1 FXO ports
  • 716 and 716WL (wireless version)
• Sipura SPA-2100
  • Router
  • 2 FXS ports
  • T.38 FAX support
  • QoS support
• SimpleWAN Advanced 2
  • Auto VoIP prioritization
  • Can work with cable or fiber modem
  • Failover and Software Defined Voice
  • Cloud Managed
• TP-LINK TD-VG3631
  • ADSL2+ Modem Router, NAT router, Wifi 802.11 b,g,n300, introduced in 2012
  • Can work with cable or fiber modem
  • 2 FXS, 1FXO, 2 USB 2.0, ethernet switch
  • SIP (RFC3261), ITU-T G.729/G.722/G.711a/G.711
• Uniden DTA 200
  • NAT router and Firewall
  • FAX support
  • 2 FXS ports
• WorldACCXX
  • 2 Port FXS
  • QOS
  • HTTP & TFTP Provisioning
  • Fax Capable
• Zoom V3
  • NAT router and Firewall
  • 1 FXS port,
  • 1 FXO for powerfail and 911
• Zoom 58xx
  • FXO and FXS ports in a variety of combinations up to 4 FXS, 2FXO ports
  • Remote gateway “teleport” feature
• ViBE

Small NAT Routers with SIP Proxy

• Intertex IX66 AirSIP SIP Firewall and Router with built-in SIP Server (Proxy and Registrar)
• Intertex SurfinBird IX67 SIP Firewall and Router with built-in SIP Server (Proxy and Registrar)
• Linksys WRT54G with SIP Express Router
• Linksys WRT54GL with OpenSER preconfigured for NAT traversal
• ViBE
• SmartNode VoIP routers from PATTON Electronics come with upstream and DownStreamQoS for toll quality voice on every call. SmartNode is industry-renowned for set-it-forget-it reliability. And they come with free support!

If you are considering VoIP or even an internet enabled company, you need a business router. A broadband business router connects a network to another network. Most commonly, a router is used to connect a Local Area Network (LAN) to a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet. In addition to connecting the 2 networks, broadband routers will also route the internet traffic to the internet-enabled devices in your home or office.

• Cisco Voice, Data, Fax Universal Gateways AS5350, AS5350XM, AS5400, AS5400XM, AS54HPX, AS5850

Do-it-yourself Linux or BSD Routers with QOS

• Mesh Router Linux Distribution
  • wired and wireless support
• Monowall (FreeBSD)
  • just boot and run
  • web based configuration
  • includes real-time traffic graphing
  • magic shaper wizard aids in setting up traffic shaper rules
  • configs stored in convenient XML format
  • PC version runs on slow old PC with dual NICs. Boots from CD and stored setups on floppy. No HD required.
  • Embedded versions run on Soekris Engineering and PCEngines small format boards. Boot from and store setups to CF card.
  • includes VPN server and client capability.
  • may be configured as router & wifi access point.
  • can enforce VPN over wifi
• pfSense (FreeBSD)
  • fork of M0n0wall
  • pfSense has very nice QoS for VoIP and traffic shaping, different from m0n0wall.
  • embedded version runs also on generic PC hardware, but unlike m0n0wall the output is directed to the serial port in this case. Therefore, for the embedded version you need a null-modem cable to connect from the serial port of your PC to the serial port of the router. Under Windows XP you can use HyperTerminal with settings for the serial connection of 9600 bits per second, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit and flow control set to hardware to see the output when the router boots. On linux you can use minicom as your terminal emulator.
• IPcop
  • Web based configuration
  • Traffic shaping
  • Intrusion detection
  • VPN
  • etc.
• Linux Router: How to build a powerful low-cost router using linux
• AstLinux: A small Linux distro that includes traffic shaping, IPSEC, etc. and Asterisk.
  • IPSEC
  • IPv6
  • QoS + WonderShaper
  • It includes Asterisk and Zaptel, all around the 2.6 Linux kernel
• Endian Firewall – linux security distribution initially based on IpCop that creates a full featured security appliance
  • GPL
  • Traffic Shaping / QoS
  • AntiSPAM
  • AntiVirus
  • SIP VoIP Proxy
  • Web based configuration
  • VPN
  • etc.
• ZeroShell – A live CD and CompactFlash router for embedded devices with web interface
  • QoS and traffic shaping capabilities
  • QoS classifier that using Layer 7 filters allows to classify VoIP protocols such as SIP, H323, Skype and MSN Messenger
  • VPN Lan tp Lan and Host to Lan
  • Captive Portal
  • DNS
  • DHCP
  • Bridge and VLAN
  • etc.

Bandwidth Shapers

StreamEngine-based product

StreamEngine is a technology by Ubicom, that is incorporated in other vendor’s network devices. Lets you prioritize your WAN’s outbound traffic based on a proprietary protocol. Few adjustments are needed/possible.

• Hawking HBB1 Plug and play between router and cable/dsl modem. Works with single WAN IP.
• D-Link DI-102 VOIP Accelerator Same as HBB1, but seems discontinued. Seemingly replace by D-Link’s SecureSpot.
• D-Link DI-724GU Wifi Office Router Router that includes the technology, therefore no need for an additional device like the HBB1 or DI-102.

Other technologies

• Traffic Shaping for VOIP With Linux and FWBuilder
• SmartShare Systems provides truly plug and play traffic shaping products with DQoS that guarantees high VoIP quality (incl. Skype) for SMB segment
• http://www.netequalizer.com/ implements QOS on existing network
• http://www.packeteer.com/products/packetshaper high-end traffic shaper can prioritize VoIP and many other apps as well as give detailed stats etc.
• Cisco 1841for VoIP implementations will require a separate appliance since the 1841 router capabilities do not include VoIP or voice even though it has 2 WICs
• ViBE

See Also

• VOIP and VPN