Changes after installing Vonage/VoIP

[abyrne]

I recently switched to Vonage/VoIP phone service. That requires adding a phone adapter box, which plugs into my router.

I did all this about simulataneously with a reformatting my HD and reinstalling all my software, so my system had many changes.

Once I finally got around to GBPVR, it was recording fine, and the MVP would start-up fine. But I had the dreaded 'contacting server' message each time I hit play for an mpeg. It was basically the same error log as groover_km posted last year... so I spent a long time fiddling with dongle.bin and other bits of the software. When I killed GBPVR and tried run only the Hauppauge SW... basically got the same result - the app boots but mpegs wouldn't play.

Eventually I unplugged the phone adapater box from my router, and voila, everything played fine on the MVP.

So my final solution was to plug my VoIP phone adapter box into my router, and plug both my PC and MVP connection into the ethernet ports of the phone adapter box

A couple questions I have:
1. Anyone else have the same experience?
2. Is this expected? (I'd love to a bit more about the 'why')

[HtV]

Could it be that your vonage acts as a router as well.
What is the exact name and specs of it?

[groover km]

By a strange coincidence, I also have vonage! I'm not sure if the problems I was having were related to the voip setup though (basically the same; the vonage box - which is basically a linksys router with phone ports - is plugged into the main router. The MVP is seperated from the router by a switch).

I think I know the issues you are referring to - in my case, it was a bloated/ corrupted gbpvr.mdb database; a quick repair and compact fixed it. you may want to look at that and see if it looks unusual.

[abyrne]

Yes, two routers.

a) Dell TrueMobile2300 wireless/4-port router. Cable modem output is plugged into this one. Linksys VoIP is plugged into this, as per their setup directions. (PC and MVP were plugged in too, unless the troubles started).

b) Linksys RTP300 phone adapter/4-port router (doesn't have 802.11). Now it has phone, MVP and PC plugged into it. And it is plugged into the Dell router.

I presumed I could just plug one into the other...
I need four functionalities out of all this:
1) PC/internet
2) VoIP
3) MVP
4) wireless 802.11 for my laptop.

Thanks for any suggestions and education.

[-stattik-]

Perhaps the MVP was getting the DHCP address from the RTP300 and not the Dell. Turn off DHCP on the RTP300 and see what happens.

[HtV]

Maybe even better idea: remove the dell router and just use the Linksys, as far as I can see you would have ports enough.

[guy2545]

I have vonage along with the same router as you do. I also have a wireless router (not dell though). You have two options.

1. Log into your vonage router (linksys). The very first screen that pops up should be the setup one, look all the way to the right and you should see a sub-tab that says "Advanced routing." Click it. The very first option is "Firewall & NAT", click the option to disable. What this does is disable the firewall and network address translator (NAT) essentially turning the linksys router into a hub or switch. You basically leave your physical setup the same, plug the linksys router and everything else into the dell router.

2. Turn your Dell router into a hub/switch with wireless capability. Basically log into your dell router, setup the wireless security and everything. Set the IP address to something outside the DHCP range of the linksys router, then turn off the DHCP function of your dell router. Plug your cable modem into your linksys router along with everything else (mvp/pc/etc.) You will also run a cable to one of the hub ports of your dell router, not the WAN port. And viola, you should be up and running.


I had to use setup #2 because for whatever reason my wireless router was not forwarding the port used by yahoo IM webcam service. I use that a lot to all my kids to talk to their grandparents.

I hope this help you out!

--
Steve

[capone]

If your router has a dmz, plug it in there. It puts it outside the router. You can also set the address for the call router to an IP like .50, if your DHCP starts at .100. That also keeps it from being inside the firewall.

If there was a security issue putting these in front of/outside a firewall, cnet would have run the "help, my vonage was hacked!" expose already.

[djtaylor]

Just to add, you're generally better using the Vonage box as the first (and only) router as that way it will be able to prioritise the voice traffic.

The downside of using the Linksys box, if it's an RT31P2 is that the Vonage firmware has broken the uPnP facility. I have awful problems with MSN Messenger which keeps disconnecting, if you google for this you'll find other confirmations. You can fix this by doing a double NAT and putting the Dell wireless router as a router behind the Linksys but that does further complicate things.

David.

[abyrne]

Thanks for your help, guy2545 et al.
I will have a chance to try your suggestion in a couple days. Not knowing what under the hood wrt routers, I'm a plug and pray networker, so I do appreciate your specific advice.

HtV: I do need both boxes becuase only the Dell router has wireless, and only the linksys has the phone ports.

Cheers.