It came as no surprise to me that AT&T and LinkSys would ink a deal to offer AT&T CallVantage on Linksys's home broadband router product line. Now, LinkSys has special VoIP customization for Vonage, AT&T CallVantage, and Verizon VoiceWing.
The Ethernet version is currently available directly from AT&T, and Linksys expects that all versions will be available at retail outlets such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples, and Office Depot later this month.
I hope the packaging is clear which VoIP provider you are getting when you buy it at a retail store (such as a Best Buy or CompUSA.) It would really suck if you planned on signing up with one VoIP provider but bought a LinkSys model with a different VoIP service provider embedded inside. Would this be grounds for SIPphone to sue Vonage, AT&T, Verizon, and LinkSys? If you don't get the joke, go read this blog entry: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/voip/voip-blog/vonage-sued-by-mp3com-founder-michael-robertson.asp
It's too bad LinkSys just doesn't allow their firmware -- including the VoIP service provider settings -- to be "flashed" to support any VoIP provider.
But NOOOOOO, if you switch providers, you have to throw away your existing LinkSys box or sell it on eBay. Ah well, at least your eBay ratings will go up, right?
