[Asterisk-Users] Vonage ATA 186 Factory Default & use with Asterisk ?

[Brian Capouch]

John Schmerold wrote:
> I've canceled my Vonage service because of the requirement to prefix 
> every call with a 1.
> 
> Vonage has charged me $42 & will refund this when they get my ATA186 
> back.  I'm thinking I should keep the 186 for possible use with Asterisk.
> 
> Anyone know if this will work out?
> 
> As I understand it, the procedure to set the ATA186 back to factory 
> defaults is as follows:
> Press the function button on the Cisco ATA.
> Press the digits 322873738 (FACTRESET) then # on your telephone keypad.
> Press 3 on your telephone keypad to confirm ATA reset & hang up phone
> 

Not any more.

Vonage got Cisco to include a "password protect the config" in the 
latest version of the firmware, and as far as I know now all the Vonage 
ATAs are forever destined to be used with Vonage and only Vonage.

I have stridently communicated my concern in this matter to them (I have 
been a Vonage customer almost from Day One, and I spend quite a bit with 
them) but they seem resolute that (as far as I know) even though nowhere 
do they tell you that they maintain ownership of the ATA interface in 
perpetuity, that is in fact in practice what all of this means.

I object most stridently to this on "green" grounds: they are purposely 
setting things up so that perfectly good hardware is only fit for the 
dustbin.  I know there are arguments against this perspective, but of 
all the things Vonage does, this one I find to be reprehensible and 
damaging to their ultimate interests.

Time will tell, of course.

B.