Is VT1000 a good firewall ?

Posts: 6 · Posted: Fri May 07, 2004 12:25 pm Post subject: Is VT1000 a good firewall ?

Hi,
I blew my router, but have a woking wireless access point. My current configuration is Modem -> MTA -> Wireless AP. This configuration works great and I have no problems. So I know that I can use the MTA as router effectively.

I ran the port scan from DSLReports.com and did not find any problems. My question is how good is VT1000 as a firewall ? Is it secure enough that I don't need to go out and buy a new wireless router.

Any comments are welcome.

Raj

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Good question. I don't know if the Moto box can assign multiple IPs downstream and do all the NAT needed for them. I read somewhere that it can only handle a single downstream IP. Do you have more than one computer used at the same time? If so, are you also file sharing between them?

Posts: 6 · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 8:12 am Post subject:

Hi,
I do have multiple computers and I am using them simultaneously. I have not had any problem yet. Also, I also perform file sharing between the computers and that is working fine too.

When I had it behind the router ( before the router blew in the thunder storm), the party on the other end of phone line were often getting echo and bad connections. So I switched it to before router.

The system did not lock up when I did the port scan. I am going to leave this setup until another need arises. At that time I will take a look again at my network setup.

Thanks

Raj

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

That will be my "fallback" configuration, too, if I notice voice quality problems when I go full time on my Vonage line after my existing phone number ports. Yesterday I called my mother in Florida (from Michigan) on the Vonage line while one 'puter was allowing uploads from K-lite and I surfed on another 'puter. Voice quality was good, not stellar, with some possible momentary glitches. My wife did the same thing earlier under the same conditions and didn't notice any problems.

But it's good to know that the box can live in front of the router if needed.

There's another possible configuration, I think, but I don't see any particular advantage to it. I see this as doable:

Modem -> Router -> ATA -> Switch -> Computers

That would isolate the ATA a bit, but again, it may not be necessary.

Thanks again for the info. here, it's all good to know.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 9:52 am Post subject:

Hi,
Remember that the voice quality problem is more at the other end. I had crystal clear connection on my end, but the other end is the one who complained when I had my MTA behind the router.

Raj

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

rajs wrote:

Hi,
Remember that the voice quality problem is more at the other end. I had crystal clear connection on my end, but the other end is the one who complained when I had my MTA behind the router.

Raj

Hmm, it could be that your upload speed was being maxed out with the combined MTA and computer traffic. The fact that you could hear clearly might imply that you had plenty of download capacity.

Moto wrote:

I keep my moto box behind my Netgear RP614 router and have not problems with voice quality.

Same here (excepting the type of router), but so far with very little testing. I'm leaving the house phones on the POTS line until the number's ported and have only my fax machine on Vonage so far. So while my deliberate tests have been clear (with some stress, using K-lite for upload traffic and even running a speed test while on the phone), I'm not quite ready to declare it "good" until it's in full use by the rest of the family. But so far, so good.

One caveat: My son was playing Unreal Tournament and we lost the dial tone on the Vonage line. He terminated the game and restarted it, the dial tone returned. May have been a coincidence, because I don't think gaming uses a LOT of bandwidth.

Posts: 61 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 29, 2004 Posts: 61

Garys_2k, what router are you running? Just courious.

Moto glad to hear that things are working behind the Netgear. have you had any packets drop and how often do you need to reboot the whole system?

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

k5 wrote:

Garys_2k, what router are you running? Just courious.

It's an old, slower PC outfitted with Smoothwall (linux) and lives to do two things: route packets to/from the web, and run Folding at Home. I have to say it's been a pretty reliable package.

Its single "green" LAN-side Ethernet adapter feeds an eight port 10/100 "SOHO" switch, onto which most of the LAN is hung. The ATA just occupies one of the ports on that switch.