Hal -

Point taken. However the router is far from a piece of crap, given that it has to supply voice, video and data all from one twisted pair. I'm currently getting 18Mbps, can record 4 channels at once, and made the switch to it's VoIP capabilities for price reasons. I too prefer POTS, but I like money more. It's also nice getting everything on one bill. I'm frankly amazed that any one device can do all that, and also maintain a footprint about the size of a hardbound novel.

The way I look at it is it's a merge of old and new technologies, letting me keep one foot in the past and one in the future, or present, if you prefer.

OK, so it doesn't meet Bell standards; I'm sure there are cost reasons for that. After all, landline subscribers have been declining for years, and of those that do have landline service, I'd bet the majority have $5 chinese phones connected.

AT&T came up with a solution that blows other providers out of the water (IMO), they rolled it out as fast as possible, but ramped up services slowly so as not to affect the quality of the existing base, and they provide it all at an extremely reasonable price with outstanding technical support.

Just because it doesn't support an old fuddy duddy like me who prefers WE SLT's and a 1A2 system, does not make it a piece of crap.

Sandman sells a ring voltage booster, problem solved. Or I can go with Silversams option. There's probably other things I can do to work around the issue as well; one of which is do nothing - because believe me, with all the 1A2 keysets I have installed throughout my house, there is not a doubt in the world when a call is incoming.

In closing, AT&T is keeping pace with current technologies, has managed to more or else reassamble itself, and provides a wide array of reasonably priced products and services to choose from.

The end result? Besides satisfied (in my case, ecstatic) customers, they also managed to provide some good 'ol American jobs in the process.

If a 'piece of crap router' can help to do all that, then I'll take it over POTS any day.

Respectfully,
Matt