No Dialtone in China

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 14, 2006 Posts: 18

ChinaMike: Are you saying that since you returned to China this weekend, the device was working again, then stopped working?

Which Vonage device are you using?

Are the phone lights coming on at all?

If you plug the phone into the unused port, do you get the "incorrect port" message?

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 14, 2006 Posts: 11

since you're using adsl most likely the protocol your using is PPoA w/c would not work for Vonage device (pppoe)

connect pc to your modem, run ip config, see if its getting a public or private ip, if its getting a public ip then you need to have a router that supports PPPoA or upgrade your modem into a modem/router, then after that, you could easily connect the Vonage device to the router (that supports pppoa) or modem/ router

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 18, 2006 Posts: 10

First here's the network:

ADSL Modem ==> DLink Router (4-port w/ PPOe ID & PW making all outputs LIVE) => PAP2 v2 (was VT1005)

Had the VT1005 working from Jan 2006 through Nov '06. Then it cut out a few times requiring me to reset the all upstream network devices. After early Dec, the VT1005 would just not REGISTER to Vonage. Had IP address, but wouldn't work. Even put it behind the Modem with PPOE settings, nothing.

Borrowed a neighbors (same complex) Linksys RT31P2 that seemed to be having similar issues at their place. Plugged it in and it worked fine!! That was around Dec. 20.

Took VT1005 to US over Xmas. It worked fine with Comcast Cable.

Tried the VT1005 when I returned to China today. Back to the same issues.

So, I went online and "moved" my account to a PAP2 I picked up in the US. I know other folks in the complex where these are running without issue.

Note that I had been to initialize several devices for other expats on my network over last year.

Now, the PAP2 says "this telephone line cannot register to the Vonage network".

Planning to try my device(s) at the neighbors to see what happens. May try moving to Port 2 as well.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 18, 2006 Posts: 10

Making good use of a jet-lagged Sunday evening!!!

After adding a line and placing it on Port 2 of my VT1005, I surprisingly got a solid light!!!

Of course I couldn't do just one thing and systematically figure out what was going on. Somehow the "shotgun approach" brought success.

Went to move my original number over to Port 2 of VT1005 and went right back to "no registration".

My Dlink router (with PPOe information) is a China model DI-504(no english and I can't read Chinese). After consulting sister US model DI-604 literature online I was able to clear some logs and reset the darn thing (other than power cycling).

Next thing I know I've got solid lights on the VT1005 and the PAP2. Numbers were moving device to device and all is as I wanted it.

Will call Vonage on Monday to cancel the 2nd line as well as the Softphone I was starting to work with for troubleshooting purposes.

Ordered Dlink DI604 for wife to bring with her so my router can talk to me!!! Can use the power supply from the DI504 (240V / 50Hz is always fun to deal with).

Now that I think of it, the other neighbor having issues has the same DI504 in his network.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 08, 2007 Posts: 4

I am using a Linksys WRT54G w/DDRT firmware with a PAP2. I don't have much to add to this site. I do have a friend that has Vonage still working in Shanghai but I haven't seen his setup. I did have him take my PAP2 to his house and it didn't work. Wondering if there is some MAC address filtering going on by ChinaTelecom after they determine what that device's MAC is doing. Another little bit of info is that if I power cycle everything and then lift the handset and reset using 80# and hanging up I can get the line light to come on and will have a dial tone. I can dial a phone number in the US but then start to get a rapid busy signal. After one or two attempts I get back to the state with no dial tone and no line light activated.

Any help will be apreciated. Oh, I also contacted China Telecom with the ports used and they claimed to not be blocking ports....not sure if they could block by filtering out the MAC address.

Here are the ports I had ChinaTelecom check...

The following ports are needed for OUTGOING Internet communications from the Vonage device to the Vonage servers.

DNS: Port 53 UDP (Domain Name Server - for resolving server IP addresses)
TFTP: Port 69 UDP (for profile upgrades/downgrades)
HTTP: Port 80 UDP (for firmware upgrades/downgrades)
NTP: Port 123 UDP (Network Time Protocol - so the device can sync to the proper time for Caller ID)
SIP: Port 5061 UDP is used for older Vonage devices (devices provisioned before 2005) Also, BSP Proxy Groups 1-8, and a.voncp.com communicate on port 5061.

The following ports are needed for INCOMING and OUTGOING Internet communications from and to Vonage devices and servers.

RTP (Voice) Traffic: Ports 10000-20000 UDP. When a call is made, a random port between 10000 and 20000 is used for RTP (Voice) traffic. If any of these ports are blocked, you may experience one way or no audio

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 14, 2006 Posts: 18

ChinaMike: on the VT1005 and the PAP2, once the lights came on were you able to send or recieve any calls?

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 18, 2006 Posts: 10

Can confirm I'm making & receiving calls on the VT1005. PAP2 is just sitting here without a number assigned to it.

Know of others using PAP2 without issue.

If you recall I was able to sniff out problems with my network router (DLink DI504) that were causing my issues.

Many users have noticed degradation since the Taiwan quake on Dec 26th severed fiber optic cables and severely limited bandwidth to mainland China.

Personal experience tells me there are places where Vonage simply doesn't work here. Especially properties where you never see the ASDL router providing service.

Would be could if Vonage provided some "sniffing software" we could run on PC's to check out the Port connectivity required. Seems like a software emulator of each piece of hardware wouldn't be too much to ask before we make an investment. Might even take some pressure off their tech support staff.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 08, 2007 Posts: 4

I was online with Vonage for over an hour last night until my IP phone card expired. I got so fed up with their 1st line tech support trying to walk me through plugging and unplugging cables and power cycling things that I almost jumped through the phone. One guy actually asked me to PING my own WAN IP address from my desktop machine.

Anyway, after an hour still nothing. I updated to the latest firmware on my router but still no luck. I may try to reset settings on my router tonight. Funny thing is that I know 4 or 5 other people with differnet types of Vonage devices that all quit working on or around November 15th and haven't been working since. All of these folks are computer design engineers from the US who are here on assignment so we all know a decent amount of what we are doing.

Me personally I have a DSL modem connected to a WRT54G with the DDWRT latest SP2 Firmware and that is connected to a PAP2. I have tried routing ports, turning on or off the SPI firewall, putting the IP address of the PAP2 in the DMZ and doing all kinds of power cycles and resets on the chain of devices and still have no luck.

I will try to buy another phone card and get back into Vonage tonight.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 08, 2007 Posts: 4

I found a friend that has China Telecom and the following setup and it is still working:

ADSL 831 ZTE Flowhizz connected to a Wireless Above Cable, Aircon 1100 4 port router that is connected to the Vonage Motorola VT2442 4 port device.

I'm moving my whole setup to a new place(moving apartments) soon and will check the connectivity there to see if changing locations makes a difference.

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 14, 2006 Posts: 18

ChinaJohn: Thanks for the info.

Could you say approximately where the person who's service is working, is located? Any information about which areas seem to support Voip and which don't would be welcome.