VoIP depends on the strength of the local network, and the backbone of the network is its router/firewall. There are many choices in choosing a router/firewall. Some guidelines are:
- Avoid home-grade routers - always use business class firewalls. Linksys routers will work if a solution is needed quickly, but lack features such as the ability to establish QoS and customize the firewall rules.
- Avoid Netgear, D-LInk, and Asus routers. There are consistent issues with these routers, and replacing them usually fixes the problem.
- Cyberoam, Sophos, SonicWall, and Ubiquiti Edgerouter series firewalls are recommended. These have proven to be consistent.
- While the lower end Cisco RV series is not recommended below, newer models, however (RV320+) do not fall under that restriction. Older models like the RV042 and RV082 are specifically not recommended.
| Not Recommended | Recommended |
| Netgear1 | Cytracom Bridge |
| D-Link1 | Sophos or CyberRoam UTM |
| TP-Link1 | Sophos XG |
| Linksys1 | Ubiquiti Edgerouter lite |
| Asus1 | Cisco Meraki |
| Cisco RV042, RV0822 | Datto |
| Cisco RV130W3 | Fortigate |
| Ubiquiti Edgerouter X4 | ZyXEL |
| Apple Airport5 | UDM/USG & UDM/USG Pro |
| Sonic Wall | |
| pfSense | |
| Untangle | |
|
MikroTik RouterBoard (coming soon) |
Typically, routers/firewalls purchased from general office supply stores do not have the ability to establish best practices for setting up the network. Stores specializing in electronics carry a better assortment of business-grade routers/firewalls. It's essential to have the right device in place for a quality VoIP solution.
1 Netgear, D-link, TP-link, and Linksys Routers are typically not recommended due to low UDP timeout, non-configurable SIP ALG or traffic filtering, and other miscellaneous routing options that may hinder SIP traffic. Netgear Nighthawk series experiences a specific issue with symmetrical NAT where ports are not set to the correct outbound port and are therefore dropped on the return SIP signaling from our host servers.
2 Cisco RV042 and RV082 can experience port saturation and low UDP timeout due to processing power and are also end of life per Cisco product retirement recommendations.
3 The Cisco RV130W has non-configurable SIP ALG traffic filtering, no options to change UDP session time-out, and is end of life per Cisco product retirement recommendations.
4 Ubiquiti Edgerouter X, not to be confused with the Edgerouter lite, is not recommended due to the low processing power of the unit. The routing functions are all purely emulation as well and the unit does not currently have dedicated hardware for most of its functions like the ER lite.
5 Apple Airport Routers and access points are not recommended due to a fixed low UDP timeout of 30 seconds, possible port saturation on certain models, and UDP flood protection. Apple has also dropped support for these devices found here.
Feel free to submit a help ticket by emailing support@cytracom.com if you have any questions.