RTP300 Setup / Networking Question

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 02, 2005 Posts: 5

This is not really a Vonage question, but I am hoping some smart technical folks on this board can help.

Vonage just sent me a Linksys RTP300 to replace the Motorola adapter.

My connection is Cable Modem-RTP300-DLink 624.

I have some computers directly connected to the RTP300 Ethernet ports. I also have computerd linked wirelessly and wired to the Dlink 624. Both Linksys and Dlink act as DHCP server to their respcective computers attached.

Dlink addressing is 192.168.2.xxx

Linksys is what came default. I think 192.168.15.xxx

I need to be able to route between these routers. I need computers plugged into Linksys to be able to communication with computers plugged into Dlink.

Any help on how this is specifically done.

If you only know how to do this on the Linksys side that is fine I can get help on the Dlink from Dlink message board,

Thanks

Posts: 476 · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:48 pm Post subject:

Some people have reported success in configuring such a setup as follows:

- Disable DHCP (and presumably NAT/firewall services) on the Linksys
- Power down all components
- Connect an ethernet cable from the modem (cable or DSL) to the WAN port on your main router (this is probably already done)
- Connect an ethernet cable from a LAN port on the main router to a LAN port on the Linksys router
- Connect an ethernet cable from a LAN port on the Linksys to the WAN port on the Linksys (thus effectively making it a bridge)
- Connect ethernet cables from a LAN port on the Linksys to additional network devices as needed
- Power main router on, followed by Linksys, followed by any network devices attached to the Linksys

YMMV.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 02, 2005 Posts: 5

Do I then lose any of the supposed QOS capabilities.

Is this QOS even for real?

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

Since your RTP300 was described as being the main (first) router in your initial post, I think you need to configure the Dlink as the bridge. That way the RTP favors your phone. Whether the Dlink can be configured as a bridge using the procedure described I don't know.

If the Dlink has good QoS capability, then move it to first in line, configure the RTP as described to make it a bridge, then set the Dlink QoS to favor the RTP.

Posts: 86 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:54 am Post subject:

I have a similar setup, except I am using a WRT54G where you are using the D-Link.

The cable modem connects to the WAN port of the RTP300.

Instead of using the wireless WRT54G as a router, it is used as a combination switch + access point. Here's how: A standard (not reversing) CAT5 cable connects one of the LAN ports of the RTP300 to one of the LAN ports of the WRT54G. Very important, the WAN port of the WRT54G is not used at all. DHCP and the firewall are disabled in the WRT54G. This way, all ports on both routers share the same gateway and DHCP service of the RTP300.

I left the RTP300 at its default 192.168.15.1 router address and changed the WRT54G to 192.168.15.2 because both routers share the same gateway. Having a single gateway in the system simplifies everything.

Now any computer on the network can see the exposed resources of any other computer on the network whether it is a wireless computer using the WRT54G, or a computer connected to a port of either the WRT54G or the RTP300.

It's like having a single router with 6 ports and wireless all on the same gateway, all on the same level, with no router "behind" the other router. There is no difference between using a LAN port on one router or the other.

NOTE: While the QOS in the RTP 300 should give the phone service top priority by default this way, the QOS does not seem to work as well during uploads as I expected. I can see that file uploads are limited in a way that always leaves about 100k for Vonage uploads, but people I call still say I break up under these conditions. I wish I could tweak QOS manually. I would like to double the bandwith allocated to Vonage while Vonage is using the uplink.

Posts: 143 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Dec 22, 2005 Posts: 143

For some reason you can't tweak the QoS with the new routers. The WRT54G2 has the capability to manual set the QoS settings. Just adjusting the MTU size. This has helped in the past.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 02, 2005 Posts: 5

csnet,

Based on your setup can you still have multiple computers connected wirelessly? They all get an IP address from the RTP300 somehow?

That is the part I really do not understand.

And just to confirm. Nothing gets plugged into the WAN port on the Dlink (secondary) router?

Thanks

Posts: 86 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:47 am Post subject:

mdevine wrote:

can you still have multiple computers connected wirelessly? They all get an IP address from the RTP300 somehow?

Yes. The DHCP server in the RTP300 provides IP addresses to its LAN ports, the LAN ports on the 2nd router, and to all the wireless connections.

That's what I like about this setup. It works as if you have a single integrated piece of hardware.

Yes, nothing is connected to the WAN port on the 2nd router. The WAN port would introduce a heirarchy into the system that we do not want or need.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 02, 2005 Posts: 5

I just finished the install. All is working like you stated. Except for some stuff I had with static addresses that needs to be changed.

awesome.

Thank You.

Posts: 86 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:09 pm Post subject:

yw. It's good to have confirmation that this setup works with the D-Link just as it does with the WRT54G.