The economical Zoom Model 5801 Voice over IP Telephone Adapter allow standard analog telephones to make and receive calls over a cable or ADSL Internet connection. Simply plug a conventional or cordless phone into the adapter and then plug the telephone adapter into a broadband connected router or Internet gateway. A minimum of five attached phones can be rung simultaneously using the built-in ring generator.
4 of 5Not so simple yet Tuesday, August 07, 2007 A Customer from Crown Point, IN
This was my first VoIP experience, and with my extensive technical background it was still difficult to install my chosen provider. The providers don't provide the settings you need in an easy-to-find location, so it's partly their fault. But the product doesn't have any features to automatically configure itself for various providers as some other models do, which would be useful for anyone who is not technically skilled. Another problem that is the fault of the VoIP world and not the product in particular is the difficulty in configuring your router to forward the necessary ports to the VoIP adapter. VoIP will also not work on an indirect Internet connection - that is, one where a small-time internet provider gives you a local IP address and all users in your area share a common public IP address (this type of connection is often sold by apartment communities and retirement homes). Overall though, this product seems to perform well. Once configured with your chosen provider, you just need to pick up the receiver and dial just like a regular phone.
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