Vonage VoIP Forum Digest - January 2, 2008

January 2, 2008

By Daniel Connor

Welcome to today's edition of the Vonage Voip Forum Digest. This is our first edition of 2008. Happy New Year!

First, let us catch up with some important Vonage news. Then we will go straight to two Vonage Forum threads, one from a Vonage user who is having some problems transporting his number to Vonage but has found some direct help from Vonage through the Vonage Forum, and  another thread about Vonage networking issues. Then we'll check on Vonage's stock price.

In The News

Vonage Announces Settlement of Two Patent Disputes

Over the holiday break, Vonage settled two patent suits, one with Nortel and the other with AT&T.

On December 31, Vonage and Nortel announced that they have agreed in principle to end the litigation pending between them. The contemplated settlement involves a limited cross license to three Nortel and three Vonage patents and will not call for any monetary payments by any party. Claims relating to past damages and the remaining patents will be dismissed without prejudice. The settlement is subject to final documentation.

"We are pleased to resolve this issue and enter into a productive relationship with Nortel," said Vonage Chief Legal Officer Sharon O'Leary.

Then, before that on December 21, Vonage and AT&T said they have entered into a definitive agreement to settle their patent dispute. The companies had agreed in principle to a settlement on November 7.

On The Vonage Voip Forum  

Vonage is claiming number is slammed is the title of a new Vonage Forum thread begun by Vonage Forum Member downsouth.

"My phone has been down for incoming calls only since Thurs," downsouth writes. "People that try to call my line get a fast busy or similar error. Vonage is claiming that my number has been slammed by Bellsouth. I can make outgoing phone calls just fine. There is a trouble ticket in the system, but I need to get my phone going ASAP.

" I ported this number over back in August, and things were fine since then. Anyone have any experience with this, or any suggestions? Our dog decided to escape today, and that is the number on his collar!," downsouth adds.

Fellow Vonage Forum Member butterman makes a post with some information:

"If this is really what has happened take a look at this link.

http://www.fcc.gov/slamming/

"It details what to do in order to try and get the problem addressed," butterman writes. "I can't speak to how fast or well the process works, but its a start."

But ultimately VonTechMgr, a top-level Vonage tech support person that also is a Vonage Forum Member, posts an offer to help downsouth with this issue.

Here's what he writes:

"downsouth....I see all kinds of customer complaints for issues that are out of our control. This being one of them. Since Vonage is not a LEC, we do not own the numbers we assign or that are ported to us. If your number has been slammed, we would not even be aware of it since the purchase order for your number would not come through us. It goes through one of our LEC's that builds your number into their switch for us.

"Now, the statement you made about not finding anyone at Vonage worth speaking to is also a common customer statement. This is because the level of agent that answers the phones cannot assist with matters not related to your device, installation, local network, etc...They would need to create a ticket which gets escalated and will eventually wind up in my department. All we can do for something like this is open a ticket with our carrier that released the number.

"There are a few options we can work on. Please PM me your phone number if you would like assistance in the matter or PM me the trouble ticket # if one has been created for you. I am the technical Manager of the Advanced Operations department which houses both Advanced Technical Support and Tier 3 Engineering."

Can't see my workgroup Computers on 2 separate boxes is a complaint turned into a Vonage Forum thread by Vonage Forum Member Smoke123.

Here's the issue as Smoke123 describes it:

"Currently I'm running a small business with Vonage has our primary phone company. I think I've made a great choice since I've never had a problem with Vonage service until now...

Here's my 3 part set-up

1) DSL
2) 3 Win XP Pro Computers w/Norton Internet 2008
3) 2 Vonage 4 Port Routers Motorola VT2442 (Wired) @ 3 Phone numbers + 1 Fax Line

Computer 1 and Computer 2 (back-office) can see each other fine and share files and these two are located in the same room and daisy chained using the same "Moto VT" box (a.k.a Box #1) on ports 1 & 2.

Now my problem lies within Computer 3 connected to another separate "Moto VT" box (a.k.a box #2) which is in the lobby is daisy chained in port 3 of Moto VT #1 box. The computer has full Internet access & The phone connected to box #2 can receive/dial phone calls great, but I just can't see Computer 3 on our network. When I first connected box #2 it came without a dial tone & the Tech support suggested I change the ip to this box to 192.168.16.1 which is connected to Computer 3. I noticed that the ip to box #1 is set at 192.168.15.1.

In Norton 2008 there is a network map (very cool) which can tell you all the details of your network. On box #1 I can see all three devices, but when I try to view the network on computer #3 all I see is this one computer and not the other two in the back office. Any help or ideas will be great. BTW Norton is running on all 3 computers. What is keeping me from seeing my other computers from computer 3?"

It is at this point where Vonage Forum Member Steve48, who has nearly 1,000 more posts than any Vonage Forum Member ever has accumulated, joins in with this advice for Smoke123.

Your computers can't see one another because they're on different sub-nets. See option three in (fellow Vonage Forum Member) Nate Hoy's writings here: http://vonage.nmhoy.net/tworouters.html .