Just Curious About RTP300 Wiring

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 15

I just received the RTP300 for my new Vonage service. I can't install until they get the phone number transferred from the current Telco but in reading the setup information I notice that if you have an existing router (I do - a Linksys WRT55AG) they have you use what appears to be a normal Ethernet cable to connect the RTP300 to the existing router while for users with no existing router it looks like they connect the RTP300 to the PC with a crossover cable.

That just seems backwards to me? Am I misunderstanding something here?

Posts: 1123 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 1123

Basically use straight thru (normal) cables. Most devices these days have auto-detect and will configure themselves to whatever device they are connected to. I think it's called MDI-MDIX or something similar. In your case, if your existing router has QOS, I would connect Modem--->Existing Router---->RTP. This way the Vonage device isn't controlling your gateway for your PC's.

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

WayneW wrote:

I just received the RTP300 for my new Vonage service. I can't install until they get the phone number transferred from the current Telco but in reading the setup information I notice that if you have an existing router (I do - a Linksys WRT55AG) they have you use what appears to be a normal Ethernet cable to connect the RTP300 to the existing router while for users with no existing router it looks like they connect the RTP300 to the PC with a crossover cable.

That just seems backwards to me? Am I misunderstanding something here?

I think you are misunderstanding something. With an existing router, the normal connection would be a normal ethernet cable from your router (LAN port) the the RTP WAN port. PCs could plug into either the router LAN ports or the RTP LAN ports.

The normal configuration without another router is modem to RTP WAN port and RTP LAN ports to PCs. All cables normal- no crossovers.

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 15

Steve48 wrote:

I think you are misunderstanding something. With an existing router, the normal connection would be a normal ethernet cable from your router (LAN port) the the RTP WAN port. PCs could plug into either the router LAN ports or the RTP LAN ports.

The normal configuration without another router is modem to RTP WAN port and RTP LAN ports to PCs. All cables normal- no crossovers.

According to the setup instructions, if you have no existing router you connect the "Yellow Cable" which they supply from any RTP300 LAN port to the PC. That yellow cable looks like it is a crossover. For people with existing routers they tell you to use the Blue cable which they also supply - that one looks like a normal Ethernet cable.

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 15

navydavy2001 wrote:

Basically use straight thru (normal) cables. Most devices these days have auto-detect and will configure themselves to whatever device they are connected to. I think it's called MDI-MDIX or something similar. In your case, if your existing router has QOS, I would connect Modem--->Existing Router---->RTP. This way the Vonage device isn't controlling your gateway for your PC's.

Thanks for that information. I hadn't thought about that.

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

WayneW wrote:

According to the setup instructions, if you have no existing router you connect the "Yellow Cable" which they supply from any RTP300 LAN port to the PC. That yellow cable looks like it is a crossover. For people with existing routers they tell you to use the Blue cable which they also supply - that one looks like a normal Ethernet cable.

I think both the blue and yellow cables are normal cables. They're just color coded to match the ports on the RTP300- blue for the WAN port and yellow for the LAN ports.

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 15

Steve48 wrote:

WayneW wrote:

According to the setup instructions, if you have no existing router you connect the "Yellow Cable" which they supply from any RTP300 LAN port to the PC. That yellow cable looks like it is a crossover. For people with existing routers they tell you to use the Blue cable which they also supply - that one looks like a normal Ethernet cable.

I think both the blue and yellow cables are normal cables. They're just color coded to match the ports on the RTP300- blue for the WAN port and yellow for the LAN ports.

Makes sense. I made an assumption that the yellow was crossover. I'll test it tomorrow to verify.

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

Let us know. It'll save me having to dig out my ohmmeter.

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 27, 2006 Posts: 15

Steve48 wrote:

Let us know. It'll save me having to dig out my ohmmeter.

They both are "regular" ethernet cables. Bad choice to color on yellow. In my experience that usually signifies a crosssover cable.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:09 am Post subject:

WayneW wrote:

Steve48 wrote:

Let us know. It'll save me having to dig out my ohmmeter.

They both are "regular" ethernet cables. Bad choice to color on yellow. In my experience that usually signifies a crosssover cable.

Actually, sadly enough, color doesn't signify anything with Ethernet cables. I've got GOBS of yellow patch cables here, none of them crossover. I have two crossover cables, one grey and one black.

Usually, if a cable is crossover (and it's a professionally-built patch cable), the word "CROSSOVER" will be printed on the cable somehow, either screen printed directly on the insulation (usually) or using an attached label.

Fortunately, since most Linksys devices support auto-crossover detection and correction, it really shouldn't matter too much any more.