Existing Vonage customer adding wireless network...

Posts: 34 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Dec 14, 2005 Posts: 34

I'm trying to help out my Father (whom I introduced to Vonage). He's slightly computer literate, but looks to me for complicated matters.

He uses the phone adapter sent to him by Vonage when he signed up. This is connected directly to the Time Warner issued cable modem (no router).

My Father bought a laptop and would now like to have a wireless network...this is where I am requesting your advice and/or help.

Should he go and buy:
1. Wireless router (or similar) and connect it to the cable modem with the existing Vonage phone adapter connected to the new router?
2. A wireless router with Vonage adapter built-in?

Are there any advantages to one or the other?
Maybe there is a better setup?

Please recommend brands & models.

Thanks.

Posts: 881 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 881

Even though I have option 2 (Linksys/Vonage WRTP54G wireless router and it works great for me), I would go with option 1. Specifically, I would get the Linksys WRT54GL router. Plain and simple, the Linksys WRT54GL is a far superior wireless router compared to any Vonage wireless router.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833124190

Posts: 34 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Dec 14, 2005 Posts: 34

Thanks for the info.

What does the WRT54GL offer over the WRT54G?

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

If your father is slightly computer illiterate, I would go with option 1 and get the cheapest wireless router out there. I don't know how much the WRT54GL costs. Being around Christmas time, you should get some great deals. Your father obviously will not be needing a robust router. Just one that he can surf the web with.

I got a Dlink b/c it was the cheapest and it has worked fine.

I would connect it like this:

modem -> Vonage router -> new wireless router.

I would encourage you to make your wireless router simply function as an access point and not a router. If you have any questions on how to do this, I have an earlier post with more explicit instructions.

hope this helps.

Posts: 293 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Jan 22, 2006 Posts: 293

I think the WRT54GL was released to support third party firmware. Otherwise I do not think there is much difference. (I went for the WRT54GS -speedboost-myself.)

I'd also go with option 1. Personally, I prefer just to have some separation of devices on my network. As well you'll likely spend similar dollars for either option, so why have a router tied to Vonage just in case he ever went to another provider. As well, I do use the portability function on occasion and do not need to disrupt my home network to take the box with me.

I've had mixed results running the ATA's between the Internet and my routers. I prefer them after the router

Posts: 94 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Sep 15, 2006 Posts: 94

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I would recommend a wireless router that has quality-of-service built-in (and that you can turn on by simply checking a box), and that's a little faster -- even slightly computer literate people like speed! I'm using a D-Link DIR-635; it has QoS functionality that automatically detects Voip traffic and assigns it higher priority.

Posts: 293 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Jan 22, 2006 Posts: 293

miked2 wrote:

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I would recommend a wireless router that has quality-of-service built-in (and that you can turn on by simply checking a box), and that's a little faster -- even slightly computer literate people like speed! I'm using a D-Link DIR-635; it has QoS functionality that automatically detects Voip traffic and assigns it higher priority.

That's fair enough. Actually hadn't given much thought to QoS. That would be a "supposed" benefit of the router after the Vonage box. Personally, I think with many of the speed upgrades many ISPs have completed in recent years that QoS is a little less important for lighter internet users.

Truthfully, I run my setup a little unconventionally. I run a switch with flow control into two routers. 1 router runs two Vonage lines so I do have QoS in part.

Posts: 881 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 881

AlbanyHDTV wrote:

Thanks for the info.

What does the WRT54GL offer over the WRT54G?

The GL is a far superior router that can run 3rd party firmware along with many other features. Also, there is QoS built into the router...you just have to set the priority for the Vonage device.

Posts: 94 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Sep 15, 2006 Posts: 94

I do a little overkill myself. In one house, we have a Di-102 QoS box between the router and the cable modem. The router is a DI-LB604 that also has manual QoS rules. The Vonage box and everything else goes into the LB604. In the other house, I have the aforementioned DIR-635 setup, which is supposed to combine the functionality of the DI-102 box with the manual QoS rules of the LB604.

What I always suggest to people if they have any sort of voice quality-impairing issues with their Vonage lines is to first get a Di-102 box, plug it in between the router and the cable modem, and see if that corrects your issues. It's plug and play, and only $50-60.