D-Link has long provided affordable, relatively consumer-friendly network devices. That's not necessarily the case with its new VOIP products aimed at the small-business market: The products can be confusing, and, when fully licensed, are not as inexpensive as they seem at first glance.

Indeed, D-Link will rely on its network of resellers to promote, sell and install its small-business voice over IP products, rather than have customers go it alone.

Click here to read a review of Four Loop Technologies' Switchvox SMB.

eWEEK Labs tested D-Link's DVX-1000 xStack IP Telephony SIP IP-PBX with Conferencing Server, the DPH-140S Express EtherNetwork Business IP Phone and the DVG-3004S xStack IP Telephony SIP Analog Trunk Gateway.

During tests, eWEEK Labs found that the DVX-1000's conferencing features worked adequately, but the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system was somewhat limited in depth and scope—especially when compared with those of Asterisk-based solutions such as Switchvox (formerly Asterisk@Home) and Four Loop Technologies' Trixbox.

We tested the DVX-1000 using firmware Release 2.04, which was made available in June. The firmware lists stacking, conference recording and call parking among its new features.

As for the handsets, we were disappointed to find that the DPH-140S defaults to in-band DTMF (dual-tone multifrequency) signaling. This means that the phones cannot interact with the DVX-1000's conferencing and voice mail features out of the box. D-Link officials claim the DPH-140S will default to out-of-band DTMF once the next firmware revision comes out.

Meanwhile, the four-FXO (Foreign Exchange Office)-port DVG-3004S trunk gateway is a mess, with terrible documentation, an arcane interface and odd structural decisions. However, D-Link officials make it clear that configuration of the DVG-3004S is meant to be performed by a trained and experienced reseller, so customers likely will be able to avoid managing this device.

Nonetheless, the DVG-3004S is bad enough that D-Link is putting it out to pasture in October and will replace it with the new DIV-140 trunk gateway, which should provide an administrative experience more in line with that provided by the DVX-1000.

Technical Analyst Andrew Garcia can be reached at andrew_garcia@ziffdavis.com.

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