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The Komodo Fone 300 (KF300) is a small Internet appliance (sporting a neat
blue translucent cover), which turns a regular phone into an IP phone
without a PC. This product works with the various broadband types, including
cable modems, xDSL, fixed-wireless, and other Ethernet connections. The
KF300 can also be connected simultaneously to an Ethernet link and a regular
telephone line so users can place or receive VoIP calls as well as regular
phone calls.
In addition, with an Internet telephony service provider (ITSP) such as Net2Phone,
calls can be routed to any phone in the world at a rate much less than
standard long-distance. One final usage of the Komodo phone is the ability
to call directly to another Komodo Fone, which is 100 percent free, since it
is an IP-to-IP phone call. The version that we tested supported SIP, but not
H.323. Another flavor of the KF300 is available that supports both H.323 and
SIP.
INSTALLATION
Setting up the KF300 was relatively simple. First, we connected a
telephone to the PHONE input on the back of the KF300. We also connected a
standard analog phone line to the KF300, which is only required if you wish
to make or receive regular phone calls through the KF300. Next, we connected
an Ethernet cable from a cable modem sharing gateway to the RJ-45 Ethernet
port on the KF300. Finally, we connected the 12-volt power adaptor to the DC
input on the back of the KF300, which immediately powered on the unit.
(There is no on or off switch.)
We picked up the telephone handset and could hear the KF300's simulated dial
tone. We pressed the only button (on top of the KF300) twice to access the
IVR-like main menu of the unit. A friendly female voice greeted us with a
list of menu choices, including entering the configuration menu, and
reviewing the Komodo number assigned to the unit. We entered the
configuration menu, followed by the advanced menu, where we were able to
confirm that the unit was set to DHCP mode and also confirm that it had
acquired a proper IP address. In our case, it was set to 198.168.0.4,
assigned by our NAT-compatible UMAX UGATE-3000 cable/ADSL modem-sharing
gateway.
We could have changed the modem from DHCP to static and then assigned the
IP address, subnet mask, and route address, but since the UGATE-3000
supports DHCP, this was the preferred method. Had we connected the KF300
directly to our cable modem and bypassed the UGATE-3000, our broadband
provider (Cablevision) also utilizes DHCP. From the voice-prompted menus, we
could also enter our Net2Phone ITSP account number and PIN. Komodo set the
unit up with a $5 Net2Phone test account, so we didn't need to enter the
account parameters. All in all, except for some strange network issues
discussed in the Operational Testing section, the installation process was
very easy.
DOCUMENTATION
The documentation was concise and to the point. It included step-by-step
instructions for setting up and configuring the KF300. Diagrams of the KF300
were included to show how to connect various items, such as the telephone
line, power, Ethernet, etc. Overall, we were pleased with the documentation.
FEATURES
The KF300 includes advanced pre-processing to optimize full-duplex voice
compression. Also, high-performance line echo cancellation eliminates noise
and feedback. Another feature included is "Voice activity
detection" (VAD), which saves bandwidth by delivering voice, not
silence. Similarly, the unit provides a regular telephone call experience
with comfort noise generation (CNG). Several voice codecs in the H.323
version are supported, including G.723.1, G.729a, and G.711.
Other features include:
- Dynamic network monitoring to reduce jitter artifacts;
- DTMF tone detection and generation for touch-tone compatibility;
- Out-of-band DTMF signaling for reliable transmissions;
- On-board flash memory for configuration storage and upgrades;
- On-board controller to establish H.323 and SIP calls; and
- DHCP and static IP support.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
Since Komodo had already pre-configured a $5 Net2Phone account and DHCP
had already taken care of assigning the network settings, all that remained
was trying to make a VoIP call. We picked up the telephone, entered a phone
number (i.e., 12125551234) followed by the "#" key to initiate the
call. After a few seconds, we heard the voice prompt say "Your current
balance is five dollars..." and then the phone we were dialing rang. We
picked up the phone and tested the voice quality of the call. We noticed
that only the remote party (regular phone) could hear the KF300 user
speaking, but not the other way around.
Immediately, we knew this was due to the UGATE-3000 cable/ADSL
modem-sharing gateway we were connected to, which is both a hub and a
firewall. We logged onto the Web interface and attempted to allow the VoIP
traffic through the firewall. Unfortunately, we weren't sure which UDP ports
the KF300 uses and we couldn't find it in the documentation, or on their Web
site.
Fortunately, we discovered a feature on the UGATE-3000 that allows you to
grant "unrestricted" two-way access to an IP address you specify.
After entering the IP address of the KF300 into the "unrestricted"
field, we attempted another VoIP call and this time it worked flawlessly.
The VoIP packets could be sent both inbound and outbound. Alternatively, we
could have unblocked all the UDP ports from range 1025�65535 on the
UGATE-3000.
Overall, the voice quality was excellent. We had a fairly lengthy
conversation and only noticed a few breakups in the voice, and latency was
minimal. However, we did notice that we had to hold the telephone that was
connected to the KF300 very close to our mouth when speaking or else the
voice sounded very soft and distant on the other end.
For our next test, we tried connecting the KF300 directly to the cable
modem's Ethernet port. (After all, not everyone has a
firewall/Internet-sharing device.) After resetting the cable modem
(required, since our ISP only allows one device and one IP address, unless
we pay more money for additional IP addresses), we also reset the KF300, and
we checked its network settings to confirm that it had attained the proper
settings. Sure enough, it had been assigned an IP address in the range that
we know Cablevision assigns. The subnet mask and router address were also
correct, and we proceeded to try and make a VoIP call once again.
Unfortunately, all we heard was silence when attempting a VoIP call. We
waited a bit longer. Nothing. We checked the LEDs on both the cable modem
and the KF300 and could see that some sort of activity was going on, but
still no connection. We tried various diagnostics to resolve the issue to no
avail. For some reason the KF300 would only work when it was connected to
our UGATE-3000 firewall device. Usually VoIP products have problems working
with a firewall, not the other way around! Go figure. We contacted Komodo,
but it was the first they heard of such an issue.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Adding a security code to the KF300 would be a nice addition to prevent
others from making changes to the configuration. Also, a feature that allows
the customer to enable a security code for making outbound calls to prevent
phone abuse might be useful. Fans of the Brady Bunch will remember the
episode where the father installs a pay phone and grants each of the kids a
"phone allowance." Similarly, we feel that the Komodo 300 would
benefit from the ability to store multiple accounts (currently it only
supports one), each with their own private PIN. This would also help aid in
tracking who is making the most calls. Support for other ITSPs in addition
to Net2Phone would certainly be a plus. Although the documentation contains
a diagram of which RJ-11 jack is "phone" and which RJ-11 is
"line," it would be nice if the unit itself were labeled. Finally,
it would be great to be able to add minutes to the ITSP account via the
KF300, simply by dialing a special IP address or phone number and entering
the proper account information, password, credit card information, etc.
CONCLUSION
Besides sporting a cool translucent blue cover, the Komodo Fone 300
sports some very good features. The voice-assisted menus make it easy for
novices to configure the KF300 and be up and running in no time, which is
important since this product is targeted towards consumers. We should also
mention that Komodo has an OEM arrangement with Net2Phone, which will
release the Fone under its YAP Jack brand. TMC Labs was pleased with the
performance of the Komodo Fone 300 and would highly recommend it to those
looking for a non-PC VoIP solution to save on long-distance charges.
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