My internet drops when any call makes a connection

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2006 Posts: 5

I am a new user based in Arlington VA. I have Comcast Cable with high speed internet service. Just moved in last month.

For the first week, Vonage was awesome. Today, without any changes to configuration, anytime a phone call is made, it kills the Internet connection. It didn't used to do this. Dial tone does not kill the net, dialing does not kill the net, but as soon as it connects to something, right after dialing but before the target line 'rings', the internet is cut off.

My configuration is Cable --> Linksys wireless router WRT54G --> Vonage Motorola VT2442 voice gateway ( I don't know if this is a PAP2 or other) ---> to Sony SPP-A2780 phone.

The Linksys router and the phone were mine. The only thing Vonage sent me was the Vonage motorola adapter. My detail stats are below from the VOIP test.

In general, no calls have dropped, sound quality super, internet super all up until now. Also, this happens every time now, it's not inconsistent and never has. It always used to work fine together and now phone call and net can never work fine together. Any ideas?

Speed test statistics
---------------------
Download speed: 6386592 bps
Upload speed: 722424 bps
Quality of service: 93 %
Download test type: socket
Upload test type: socket
Maximum download pause: 128 ms
Average download pause: 3 ms
Minimum round trip time to server: 16 ms
Average round trip time to server: 198 ms

VoIP test statistics
--------------------
Jitter: you --> server: 4.9 ms
Jitter: server --> you: 8.4 ms
Packet loss: you --> server: 0.0 %
Packet loss: server --> you: 2.6 %
Packet discards: 0.0 %
Packets out of order: 0.0 %
Number of supported VoIP lines: 9
Estimated MOS score: 4.0

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject:

just for kicks, try it with a 5.8ghz, 900mhz or wired phone. I don't really think that's the problem because it should kill it as soon as it's off-hook, but it's a step that will need to be addressed sooner or later.
after that I would completely power off the wrt54g and plug the vt2442 directly into the cable modem. once you get internet up and working on it, try the phone then and see if you still have the problem.
and apparently there's some issue about using mac cloning which will cause this same problem. it doesn't sound like the problem here sicne there have been no changes, but check to see if you're using mac cloning in either of the routers.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2006 Posts: 5

I did not try the phone switchout as I don't have another phone handy for that although I think I can get one in an hour.

I did remove the Linksys router from the configuration and the problem went away. Now the configuration is Cable --> Vonage adapter -- > both phone and to computer via Ethernet cable. With a mobile handset and with the handset on the base I could not, by calling, get the internet to drop. Interesting! That said, I do want to have wifi internet so I want to get the Linksys back in the mix. How could the phone connection *beep* the Linksys?

What does that tell you because I am still stymied.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2006 Posts: 5

I just reconfigured the Linksys back into the loop. Then it worked! I could make a call using the base handset. However, using the mobile handset killed the Internet. I am now focusing on the handset. What is interesting is that this is handset #2. Meaning there is the handset on the base, there is handset #1 and handset #2. My wife just found handset #2 recently (like 2 days ago). So perhaps all our success with Vonage was with Handset #1. Perhaps it is the phone after all. More data to follow.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:09 pm Post subject:

handset 2 may be on a different channel, I dunno. at any rate, sounds like it will be expensive for you to buy new phones, so good luck with it. (or just lose handset #2 again, sounds like you've been without it for a while anyway).

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2006 Posts: 5

john, you are the man, thanks for hanging with me on this. Definitely handset #2. Handset #1 and base now don't hurt me at all. But handset #2 consistently kills the net. You are right about my choices. Either a) lose handset #2, b) convince my wife we don't need handset #2, c) get her to use the VTech 5.8Mhz phone we have which does have worse quality sound and buy another handset for it, or d) buy a new phone. I think I'll try for #b....

If anything changes I'll let you know but I consider this solved. By the way, when I first bought this phone it had only 1 handset. Handset #2 I bought a year later, and it works flawlessly. Just another data point as you help others. I also don't know how to check the 'channel' but at this point am not going to mess with it...

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

Shawnd, I hate to rain on your parade, but a 2.4 GHz cordless phone and a wireless router together are a recipe for trouble. We've had countless reports in here of people who used them together for months without trouble. Then one day, for no apparent reason, things go bad.

The solution you've arrived at has solved your problem for the present, but things might change. I hope not, but the ultimate solution is to ditch the 2.4 GHz phone and go with something else.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2006 Posts: 5

Thanks Steve. I am happy to hear that my problem is one you've seen before because it makes me feel like at least I am not at fault. Couple of questions

a) what have you seen that alleviates the problem, is it a 5.8 Ghz phone that's key?

b) have you heard of people having success with Vonage with multiple handset phones? After yesterday I assumed that we'd just have to live in a single handset world. Since the Vonage adapter and phone base have to be in our basement, then the single mobile handset would be for the main part of the house. If you know there's a way to get multiple handsets working with Vonage we'll be psyched.

c) any recommendations about specific phone brands or models to buy

d) is there anything to my thought that all the mobile handsets need to be 'in place' when setting up Vonage for the first time? When I set up Vonage only the phone base and mobile handset #1 were 'in place' (because handset #2 was still lost). I was thinking maybe that's why mobile handset #2 *beep* it, in that it hadn't been 'seen' by Vonage or the router before. I know this handset issue is a red herring or solves the problem for now, and I will get another phone, but just wondering...

Thanks
Shawn

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:51 am Post subject:

fwiw, here's my response.
a. anything that isn't 2.4ghz
b. people who don't have success are the minority (the phone really has nothing to do with vonage or voip, so it's kind of an inapplicable question)
c. there are many many threads on this forum of phone recommendations. the ones that pop up the most are the uniden tru series.
d. coincidence

Posts: 4751 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4751

Shawnd, I agree with Reebok on every point.