If you sign up for Vonage and have them send you hardware, they will send you the router (Linksys RT31P2). It says somethine on their web site about making the PAP2 (or something else) available in the future.
You can also buy the hardware at a whole bunch of places. Currently, Circuit City has the PAP2 for $60 but there are $60 worth of rebates. So, after a few months, it's free.
It looks like it's much cheaper to buy the PAP2 than it is to get them to send hardware. If they send it to you, they will charge $30 for setup and $10 for shipping. As far as I can tell, the setup is probably mostly just reading the MAC address off the box and entering it into their system. I don't know that they do anything else. Then, if you cancel the service (after 14 days), they charge you another $40 for the router - which they will credit if you send it back.
If, on the other hand, you buy the hardware it looks like they don't charge all those extra fees (I may be mistaken about this).
I went ahead an picked up a PAP2 and set up the service the other night. So far, so good. They don't offer numbers in my area, but since I'm also keeping the land line this is not a problem. The Vonage line will only be used for long distance calls. I got a number near most of my family so now they will be able to call me by placing a local call - no more long distance charges for them.
By the way, if you know someone who uses Vonage and you want to sign up, get them to give you a referral. If you use the referral, you get one month free and they get two (actually, a credit for the level of service you selected x 2).
You can also buy the hardware at a whole bunch of places. Currently, Circuit City has the PAP2 for $60 but there are $60 worth of rebates. So, after a few months, it's free.
It looks like it's much cheaper to buy the PAP2 than it is to get them to send hardware. If they send it to you, they will charge $30 for setup and $10 for shipping. As far as I can tell, the setup is probably mostly just reading the MAC address off the box and entering it into their system. I don't know that they do anything else. Then, if you cancel the service (after 14 days), they charge you another $40 for the router - which they will credit if you send it back.
If, on the other hand, you buy the hardware it looks like they don't charge all those extra fees (I may be mistaken about this).
I went ahead an picked up a PAP2 and set up the service the other night. So far, so good. They don't offer numbers in my area, but since I'm also keeping the land line this is not a problem. The Vonage line will only be used for long distance calls. I got a number near most of my family so now they will be able to call me by placing a local call - no more long distance charges for them.
By the way, if you know someone who uses Vonage and you want to sign up, get them to give you a referral. If you use the referral, you get one month free and they get two (actually, a credit for the level of service you selected x 2).