Plug in Vonage and Internet Connection Goes Bad

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 4

I am having a curious problem, so I wanted to see if anyone else is having it before I go hounding Comcast about it.

I have a Linksys WRV54G router that works just fine, and has been for quite a while. Once I plug in one of several of the Vonage phone adapters to one of its ethernet ports, my Internet connection goes to crap. I can still ping sites, but my packet loss is terrible, and most sites time out when I try to browse them.

I am not trying to make any calls during this time. If I unplug the device (RTP300 or WRTP54G) and cycle power on my cable modem, everything goes back to normal. Once I power the Vonage device back on, my connection goes back down to sub-dialup speed.

Any clues?

BTW I am a network sysadmin for a living, so I am pretty sure I don't have anything misconfigured.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:06 am Post subject:

Do you have the latest firmware for that router and how do you have QoS configured?

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 13

Just to see, how is your connection when you disable wireless?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 4

Hmm. When I disable wireless on the WRTP54G, it is much better.

Question: Does Vonage use bandwidth when there are no calls going on?

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

not to speak of.

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 13

Figured as much, I was experiencing the same issue. Currently, Vonage is sending me another WRTP54G to see if the issue is resolved, but I don't think it will. As others have stated, wired and wireless makes this thing "The Router That Could Not". I was using a chepo RCA modem and replaced it with a Linksys modem, I have the network fairly solid on G-wirless (only) on channel 11. Still testing ..... Wink

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:11 am Post subject:

What are your (both Johnny5mm & donjefe) setups? Do you have 1 or 2 wireless routers? If you have 2 of them, they will "fight" if they're too close to each other. Actually what is happening is interference as the two are operating on the same frequency band, possibly same frequency if you've not changed the channels.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 4

When I first started having this problem, I only had one wireless router and the RTP300. I replaced the 300 because it would not "hold" my static IP settings after a reboot, thus rendering port forwarding useless.

Now I have two wireless routers, but only one is ever enabled (wireless).

Disabling the wireless on the WRTP54G appears to have solved the problem. I'm not sure why the router cannot do routing, Vonage, and wireless at the same time, but hey....

Posts: 193 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 193

What two routers do you have?
wrtp54g and what other wireless? Is it working now? Which router is in front off the modem?

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 13

I only have one wireless router coming from the WRTP54G. I solved my issues by purchasing a linksys modem. I now have wireless setup with hardly any degredation of the network.