Voice quality using two parallel adaptors

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 2

I'm thinking of getting Vonage but I have reservations because of my needs.

I need a residential line, as well as a business line and fax line. So that would make for 3 lines, which I understand requires two adapters (i.e. no adapter has three lines).

However, looking at the configurations for this scenario, the adapters would not be able to throttle non-VOIP traffic in order to assure quality connection. Am I missing anything so far?

For those that have this connection, how has the voice quality been?

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 1:13 am Post subject:

Once you start adding lines, it's more a question of bandwidth than anything else. A good router (which there aren't too many of) can handle this task without a problem. Just realize that if you have all 3 lines going at full-throttle, highest quality, you're going to have very little upstream bandwidth left over, at least with the typical consumer internet connection. Now, you can lower the sound quality on the voice lines and can probably get away with it, without having to get a higher bandwidth plan. I have a few friends who have 4 VoIP lines and haven't had an issue, but they're being VERY careful about using the right codecs to reduce the total bandwidth used.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 2

I haven't checked out my router's capabilities (I'm happy I got the secured thing working), but are you suggesting many routers have the ability to throttle traffic to each unique port?

Has anyone else tried this setup?

Thanks!

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 3:09 am Post subject:

I'm running a WRT54GS router with HyperWRT firmware, and it handles multiple VoIP adapters & calls without a problem. I have all of my VoIP adapters set up with static IPs (provided through the router) and then have Quality of Service controlled by IP. VoIP IPs are given highest priority, everything else gets low priority.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

I just added a fourth Vonage adapter (a Motorola VT2442) for a dedicated fax line. The other three are LinkSys WRTP54G. All four devices are behind a LInkSys WRT54GS (non-Vonage) router. The three WRTP54G devices work just fine behind the router, but the VT2442 could not connect. I was having some trouble interpreting the "blink" codes, but I think it was having trouble getting an IP address.

Well, I turned off the firewall on the WRT54GS, and the VT2442 got connected just fine. My issue is that I have no intention of leaving the firewall turned off, so I am wondering what the best way to handle this would be.

The Vonage tech suggested that I use DMZ for the VT2442, but since the WRT54GS can only supply DMZ for a single IP address, that would pretty much kill that functionality for any other use.

I read a blurb on port forwarding, but since I have four VOnage devices, I'm not sure how it would work out to forward a large UDP port range to any given IP address.

Any ideas on this?

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:53 am Post subject:

MrMark wrote:

I just added a fourth Vonage adapter (a Motorola VT2442) for a dedicated fax line. The other three are LinkSys WRTP54G. All four devices are behind a LInkSys WRT54GS (non-Vonage) router. The three WRTP54G devices work just fine behind the router, but the VT2442 could not connect. I was having some trouble interpreting the "blink" codes, but I think it was having trouble getting an IP address.

Well, I turned off the firewall on the WRT54GS, and the VT2442 got connected just fine. My issue is that I have no intention of leaving the firewall turned off, so I am wondering what the best way to handle this would be.

Could you post the details on your network? How it's connected and all of the devices you have connected to it?

Also, what is the version # of that WRT54GS (It'll say on the bottom of it.) If it's a 5.0 or later, it only supports 16 simultaneous connections maximum. Each VoIP call uses at least 3 connections, then add up at least 1 connection for each instant messenger/IRC service you use... then add computers. Even idle VoIP lines take up at least 1 connection. Also, the Linksys firmware in all of these (even the older ones) has a major flaw when used with file-sharing/ peer-2-peer programs and it'll choke. Aftermarket firmware can fix this, but only on the V.1.0->V.4.0 routers. The V4.0 also has reduced ram/rom on it, so it's not as robust as the older WRT54GS routers. Depending on how the router's firmware handles connections, even a single VoIP connection might max out the V 5.0 routers if it holds those connections open.

I personally run IPCop, which is far more flexible and far more robust, but it does require an old computer and a little bit of tech knowledge, but it smokes the WRT54GS in performance.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

Basically, the network configuration is something like this:

Ports 1, 2, and 3 have the QOS set to high. QOS is not set for Port 4, so needless to say, the RTP300 that is connected via wireless bridge does not get any priority, but it seems to work just fine.

I downloaded some third-party firmware for the WRT54GS (v.2), but it looked like there is some potential to trash the router, so I have not yet attempted to flash it. I don't know exactly what the new firmware can do, but if it will allow QOS via multiple MAC addresses, I would probably go with that option, as that would let me give some priority to the wireless RTP300, as well as the other three.

My WRT54GS is a v2 model. I'm not sure what you consider to be "peer to peer", but I have not had any problems at all with the WRT54GS until I connected the VT2442.

I worked as a network administrator for years, so I guess I could dig into how to make a software router solution work, but that's not really what I want. I have a lot of hardware, and it's hard enough to get everything to fit in my wiring closet without adding another device with the size, noise, heat and backup power requirements that would be associated with adding another PC.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject:

I think 3rd party firmware is probably your best bet for that router. I'm currently running Thibor on my WRT54GS routers: http://www.thibor.co.uk/

I have ~10-20 WRT54GS routers out in the field and so far no issues with flashing them. As long as you follow the instructions: http://www.thibor.co.uk/#upgrade it should go smoothly. DO print out your config pages and don't attempt to backup/restore settings from different firmwares (ie: Linksys & Thibor firmware.)

Thibor allows QoS by MAC, IP, TCP/IP port. I've never had any luck with the QoS by physical port on the WRT54GS.

Posts: 131 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Apr 06, 2004 Posts: 131

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for better firmware, but If the VT2442 cannot connect with the firewall enabled, how is different firmware going to help with that problem?

Posts: 276 · Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 4:39 pm Post subject:

VonageTPA wrote:

I'm running a WRT54GS router with HyperWRT firmware, and it handles multiple VoIP adapters & calls without a problem. I have all of my VoIP adapters set up with static IPs (provided through the router) and then have Quality of Service controlled by IP. VoIP IPs are given highest priority, everything else gets low priority.

I have exactly the same identical setup that you have, except mine's just a WRT54G, not the GS. Everything worked perfectly for the longest time, but after what I've been going through for about the last 60 days, I have to advise to be VERY wary about connecting more than one adapter. I had an old RT31P2 with my personal line on it, and in January ordered biz service - phone & fax lines, and got a new RTP300 for those lines. Worked absolutely perfectly for about 3 months, and then suddenly didn't. The RT31P2 wouldn't lock and hold the line - phone light kept going on and off, and when off there's no dial tone and calls get forwarded to my network availability number. After several hours on the phone with level 1, 2 and 3 tech support, trying numerous things nothing of which worked, I discovered if I unplugged the RTP300 with its lines, then the RT would lock and be rock solid. Plug the RTP back in again, and within a few seconds the phone light on the RT would go out again.

Support finally decided (last resort) to send me out a new adapter, so I now have a VT2442, but it has exactly the same problem - if I unplug the RTP300, the VT works fine, if the RTP is plugged in, I have intermittent phone service from the VT. I'm now over 60 days into this, have spent over 20 hours on the phone with support (about half of that on hold), have been lied to about followup several times, and still have exactly the same problem. Vonage seems to have no earthly idea what the issue is, and just as important - they don't really seem to care much either.

So although it worked perfectly for me for months, and I know it works for you and others, I have to say be VERY wary of multiple adapters.