The following is a list of known routers and modems that we have determined to be compatible, incompatible or compatible with changes to the device’s configuration. We have also provided a list of devices that we are aware of but have not yet tested ourselves. We highly recommend checking all network equipment on site against this list before deploying our Hosted PBX service in your office, or, if you are already using our service, before making changes to your existing network. If your router is not listed, please contact a Slingshot Business VoIP representative to discuss. Should you have additional information on a device and would like to add your findings to our list, please contact us.

General Business VoIP Router Notes

For optimal voice quality, we recommend the following setup:

• Use a standalone modem, or if one is not available from your ISP, bridge your modem/router to an external router.
• Maintain a physical connection to the phones. We do not recommend using wireless internet service or connecting the phones to wifi.
• If possible, the phones should be given their separate internet connection, physically separate from the one used by your computers. If this is not possible, then use a small business-grade router that has reliable QoS.

Some router settings can cause unpredictable connectivity issues such as dropped audio and calls that fail to ring:

1. SIP ALG – should be disabled. Consistent NAT. The router should keep the NAT port for the phones the same for as long as the phones are connected.
2. MTU. Make sure the router’s MTU setting matches what your ISP recommends for the modem they supplied.
3. Single WAN. The phones will not work across dual WAN connections. If there is load balancing, it must be disabled, and if there is an outage failover, the threshold should be set to a very high number, such as 30 seconds.
4. Use a single router.

Recommended Router Devices

The device or devices in this section are our current recommendations. Please note that this section can change over time as new information becomes available.

Cisco RV130 / RV130W

Current Status: Staff Recommendation
Suggestions: Suitable for offices of all sizes; unmanaged switch suggested for deployments requiring more ports.
Comments: This is a business-grade multifunction router, including Gigabit Ethernet, VPN and Wireless-N capabilities. We deploy this unit regularly and can recommend it for a range of small to medium business needs. This unit offers four Ethernet ports; consider adding an unmanaged switch if you require more ports.

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Other Compatible Devices

Apple Airport

Current Status: Compatible
Suggestions: Suitable for 1-3 phones
Comments: There are no known issues with this router, although it is best used for smaller offices (1-3 phones). This device is not believed to offer QoS, which may be a drawback in certain deployments.

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Cisco Routers (general)

Current Status: Compatible; may require changes
Suggestions: Confirm model with Slingshot
Comments: The Cisco routers we have encountered appear to be quality devices that are compatible with our service but may require some changes.

Cisco 837

The router’s NAT service for SIP should be disabled, with the command:
no IP nat service SIP UDP port 5060

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Cisco RV180W

Current Status: Not recommended; use RV130 / RV130W
Comments: We suggest using the Cisco RV130 or RV130W, as shown under our “Recommended Devices” section at the top of this page.Back to

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Cisco Linksys RV082, RV016, RV042, RV042G

Current Status: Compatible if the correct firmware version is used. May require settings change
Suggestions: Not Recommended
Comments: This family of routers will work well with our Hosted PBX services so long as the firmware version on the unit is v4.2.1.02. Other versions may cause issues. The MTU settings under ‘Setup’ -> ‘Network’ should be set to 1500 (Cable) or 1492 (DSL).If this router has issues with phones not ringing, the issue may be UDP sessions being closed early. Our staff have resolved this by upgrading to 4.2.1.02 firmware, then going to the hidden page at HTTPS://(router LAN IP)/f_general_hidden.htm and then changing the UDP Timeout from 30 seconds to 300 seconds.

Cisco/Linksys WRVS4400N

Current Status: Compatible as of last page update
Comments: This is an excellent router with all RV-series routers’ features (above) that also offer Wireless-N connectivity and Gigabit Ethernet speeds. The router has four ports; if more is required, we recommend connecting an unmanaged switch to the WRVS4400N.

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Cisco/Linksys E1200

Current Status: Compatible
Comments: Suitable for a small office of 2-5 phones

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Cisco/Linksys E2500

Current Status: Compatible
Comments: Suitable for a small office of 2-5 phones and offers stronger Wi-Fi than 1200 with Wireless-N.

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Cisco/Linksys E3500

Current Status: Compatible
Comments: Suitable for a small office of 2-5 phones and offers robust Wi-Fi.

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Cisco/Linksys WRT160N

Current Status: Compatible
Suggestions: Suitable for 1-2 Phones
Comments: There are no known issues with this model router at present. The router does not offer QoS, but this may not be a major issue in offices with only one or two employees. We would not recommend this router for larger-scale deployments.

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Cisco/Linksys WRT54G2

Current Status: Compatible
Suggestions: Suitable for 1-2 phones
Comments:
This router is compatible and suitable for 1-2 SIP phones. She appears to have problems with 3 or more SIP phones caused by NAT issues. Use DDWRT firmware instead in this case if hardware revision allows for this. Back to Top

Siemens Speedstream

Current Status: Compatible
Suggestions: Suitable for 1-3 Phones
Comments: There are no known issues with this router. This router has no QoS (Quality of Service), which is a drawback if you use it in an environment where there are computers or other non-VoIP equipment. We would not recommend this device for larger-scale office deployments. Back to Top

Sonic Wall

Current Status: Compatible
Suggestions: Firmware v5.8.1.12 or lower, Disable SIP ALG
Comments: Firmware v5.8.1.13 and higher contain a bug that causes issues with incoming calls. We recommend customers set to enable ‘Consistent NAT’ (check the box) and disable ‘SIP Transformations’ (uncheck the box). Ensure that the MTU is set correctly for your ISP.Select the Firewall Settings -> Edit LAN>WAN Rule -> AdvancedTCP Connection Inactivity Timeout (minutes) to 60
UDP Connection Inactivity Timeout (seconds) to 3600Select the Firewall -> Access Rules and add a new rule with the following:

Action: Allow

Service: Any
Source: WAN, Address Range 67.223.99.1 to 67.223.99.254
Destination: LAN, Address Range * to *
Comment: Slingshot D1
If there is an option for ‘Allow Fragmented Packets,’ then please enable this option.
TCP Connection Inactivity Timeout (minutes) to 60
UDP Connection Inactivity Timeout (seconds) to 3600Select the Firewall -> Access Rules and add another new rule with the following:

Action: Allow

Service: Any
Source: WAN, Address Range 64.15.155.1 to 64.15.155.254
Destination: LAN, Address Range * to *
Comment: Slingshot D2
If there is an option for ‘Allow Fragmented Packets,’ then please enable this option.
TCP Connection Inactivity Timeout (minutes) to 60
UDP Connection Inactivity Timeout (seconds) to 3600Back to Top

Devices believed compatible after changes

2Wire Routers and Modems

Current Status: Possibly compatible after Changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG or Bridge to Supported Router
Comments: To use this router, you need to log in to the router’s web interface and disable the ‘SIP ALG’ setting on it. If this option is not available, you will need to bridge the router to a compatible router so that the 2wire router acts as a simple modem rather than a router. If bridging is not possible either, you must replace this device to prevent you from using our service.

D-Link DIR-615

Current Status: Compatible after Changes, Hardware Revision B Only
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG
Comments:
This applies to Hardware Revision B only. Other hardware revisions are not compatible with VoIP as they do not have the disable SIP ALG option. This router has known issues with VoIP services if SIP ALG is not disabled. We recommend disabling the SIP ALG setting on the router available in firmware releases 2.2.4 and higher. This option is available within the firewall settings under the ‘Application Level Gateway (ALG) Configuration.’ The SIP option should be unchecked. Back to Top

D-Link DIR-625

Current Status: Possibly Compatible after Changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG
Comments:
We recommend disabling SIP ALG through the DIR-625’s web interface. After the change, this router appears to be compatible and serves up to three or four phones. Customers who have tried to connect a larger number of phones to this router have found that the additional phones fail to register with our server. We would not recommend this router for a larger-scale deployment as it does not appear to perform reliably. Back to Top

D-Link EBR-2310

Current Status: Compatible after Changes, Hardware Revision B Only
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG
Comments:
This applies to Hardware Revision B only. Other hardware revisions are not compatible with VoIP as they do not have the disable SIP ALG option. This router has known issues with VoIP services if SIP ALG is not disabled. We recommend disabling the SIP ALG setting on the router available in firmware releases 2.2.4 and higher. This option is available within the firewall settings under the ‘Application Level Gateway (ALG) Configuration. The SIP option should be unchecked. Back to Top

Fortigate/Fortinet

Current Status: Compatible after Changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG
Comments: Step 1:In the CLI of the FortiGate, type the following: config system settings
set sip-helper disable
set sip-nat-trace disableReboot the device in the CLI type the following: Config system session-helper
show
(now look for SIP, mostly it will be “12”)
delete 12

Don’t use any protection profiles on the firewall of the sip rules. Step 2:– change the default –VoIP –alg-mode. Run the following commands: config system settings

set default-VoIP-alg-mode kernel-helper based

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Juniper – Netscreen

Current Status: Compatible after Changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG
Comments: You must disable the SIP ALG on the Netscreen router. Navigate to the ‘Configuration’ page and choose ‘Advanced.’ Then choose ALG and un-check the SIP check box.

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Motorola Surfboard

Current Status: Compatible after changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG and ensure appropriate firmware is running
Comments: The following changes/checks are required:

1) Must be running firmware v3.3 or higher
2) Must have SIP ALG disabled.

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Netgear FVG318

Current Status: Compatible after Changes
Suggestions: Update firmware and disable SIP ALG
Comments:
This router is known to cause issues related to storing configuration and failed firmware downloads with Aastra series phones. Aastra phones on this router require frequent reprogramming and firmware replacement. This router appears to work with VoIP services with the SIP ALG setting is disabled. The router does not work properly with VoIP with the SIP ALG setting enabled (which is enabled by default). You should make sure you have the most recent firmware for this router before using it. First, to disable the SIP ALG, log in to your router and select ‘Rules’ from the left-hand side menu. Next, check the box that says ‘Disable SIP ALG.’

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Netopia

Current Status: Possibly compatible after changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG or replace a device
Comments:
Netopia has SIP Passthrough “on” by default and will not work with VoIP services properly unless SIP ALG is disabled. (Or SIP ALG in newer models) To work with voice-over-IP, you must turn SIP Passthrough (SIP ALG) off. Note that not all Netopia routers may allow this change; if yours does not, you must replace the device with a compatible router to use our service.

The SIP ALG setting is not in the web GUI. You have to telnet into the router, then type. Each line is a new command.

configure
set IP sip-passthrough off
save
exit
Restart

On the Netopia 4622xlt
Telnet into the device
Use the arrow keys to highlight ‘quick menu’ and press “ctrl-n.”
That brings you to the console.

type:

IP nat alg sip enable no
save
exit
restart

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SMC 3100

Current Status: Possibly compatible after changes
Suggestions: Bridge device to a supported router
Comments: This router is not compatible with VoIP services unless it is bridged. We recommend bridging the router to an alternative router so that it acts as a modem only.

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Tomato Firmware Routers

Current Status: Possibly compatible after changes
Suggestions: Adjust router settings
Comments: We have encountered a scenario in which a router running the Tomato firmware would only let one phone register at a time. We were able to resolve this problem by entering the router settings under ‘Advanced’ and then ‘Conntrack/Netfilter,’ where we enabled the SIP option for ‘Tracking/NAT Helpers.’ The router on which this was encountered was an Asus RT N16, but this issue and resolution may apply to other routers running Tomato.

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Zxyel

Current Status: Possibly compatible after changes
Suggestions: Disable SIP ALG or bridge device to the router
Comments:
This router is not compatible with VoIP services without modifications. We recommend either bridging the device to another router or disabling the SIP ALG. To disable the SIP ALG, you must first telnet into the router/modem. Choose (24) System Maintenance and (8) Command Interpreter Mode. From the command line type:

IP nat service sip active 0

You will receive the message “SIP ALG Disable.”

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