What You Need to Know
Not every router plays nicely with VoIP — and that can lead to frustrating issues like dropped calls, one-way audio, or phones that don’t ring at all.
That’s because some routers include features (like SIP ALG) that interfere with VoIP traffic, or simply lack the performance or configuration options needed for smooth operation. While VoIP is designed to work over most internet connections, the quality and reliability of your phone service can depend heavily on your router.
To help you get the most out of your VoIP setup, we’ve compiled a list of common routers and how well they work with VoIP — including what adjustments (if any) are needed to make them compatible.
VoIP Router Compatibility Overview
Router | Recommended for VoIP | Remarks | Guide |
Apple Airport | ✅ Up to 5 devices | Good choice for home or small office use. | No configuration available |
Cisco ASA (general) | ✅ Yes | Suitable for VoIP in small offices. | No configuration available |
Cisco IOS (e.g., 800) | ✅ Yes | Ideal for offices up to 50 users. No web UI – CLI only. Very stable. | No configuration available |
Draytek (general) | ⚠️ Depends on model | Older models often problematic. Newer ones are generally more reliable. | Disable SIP ALG!
See |
FRITZ!Box | ✅ Up to 5 devices | Reliable and well-suited for home or small business VoIP. | See |
KPN Experiabox | ❌ Not recommended | VoIP is unlikely to work reliably. | As a workaround, phones can register via sipproxy.voipgrid.nl:6060 and optionally use TCP instead of UDP.
See |
Linksys/Cisco RV082, RV016, RV042 | ✅ Yes | Recommended for VoIP, except RV082 has known issues with Microsoft Lync. | No configuration available |
Linksys WRT610N | ⚠️ Not recommended | Old model, maybe still useful for 1-3 devices. | Disable SIP ALG!
See |
MikroTik (general) | ✅ Yes | Very capable and stable for VoIP use. | No configuration available |
Netgear (general) | ⚠️ Not recommended | May work, but unreliable without configuration changes. | Disable SIP ALG!
See |
SpeedTouch (Thomson) | ⚠️ Not recommended | May work, but unreliable without configuration changes. | |
SonicWall (general) | ⚠️ Possibly works | Can work with VoIP, but requires careful configuration of NAT and SIP features. | Tune Consistent NAT and SIP Transformations.
See |
ZTE H220 (KPN) | ❌ No | Not compatible with VoIP. | No changes possible. Replacing the router is the only viable option. |
Zyxel (general) | ⚠️ Not recommended | Known issues with VoIP, exact cause unclear. | Disable SIP ALG!
See guides for |