QoS Issues

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 11, 2006 Posts: 2

I have been having problems really from day one with calls sounding horrible when we are uploading. Normal web surfing doesn't seem to make a difference, but if we are, for example, uploading photos to flickr then things get really bad. Either the call is choppy or in worst the caller can't hear us at all. I don't seem to have a lot of control over the QoS features on this router (sent to me through Vonage).

Manchester,TN
Charter Communications (Cable Modem)
supposedly 3Mbps/256Kbps
Motorola SB4200
WRTP54G
Network: SB4200 --> WRTP54G --> PC
Issue: Choppy calls and/or caller cannot hear us when uploading a file... for instance uploading pictures to Flickr.

Speed test statistics
---------------------
Download speed: 2024512 bps
Upload speed: 113232 bps
Quality of service: 53 %
Download test type: socket
Upload test type: socket
Maximum download pause: 105 ms
Average download pause: 6 ms
Minimum round trip time to server: 143 ms
Average round trip time to server: 200 ms

Voip test statistics
--------------------
Jitter: you --> server: 3.9 ms
Jitter: server --> you: 8.3 ms
Packet loss: you --> server: 0.0 %
Packet loss: server --> you: 0.0 %
Packet discards: 0.0 %
Packets out of order: 0.0 %
Number of supported Voip lines: 1
Estimated MOS score: 3.9

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

The WRTP54G is supposed to favor the Voip automatically, but it's known that it doesn't function all that well as a router. Search, for example, for the writings of member NateHoy on the subject. On top of that, your upload speed is a bit marginal to start with.

I suspect your best bet is to get a good router with QoS and use it ahead of the WRTP54G. Use the Vonage unit just for phone service.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 11, 2006 Posts: 2

Thanks for the advice!

I'm not sure why my down/up speeds were showing so low with this test. Any other test (speakeasy for example shows 2935/242) I can find on the net shows my down/up much higher.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:04 pm Post subject:

Steve is being generous on the WRTP54G's QoS capabilities. In fact, in my experience even saying that the WRTP54G *HAS* QoS capabilities is being generous to a fault.

Get a router with QoS, put it in front of the WRTP54G, and call it a love story. Two major alternatives:

1. WRT54GL, paired with aftermarket firmware like HyperWRT, DD-WRT, or Tomato. Tomato is my current favorite ( http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato ) because it is small, simple, and darned fast.

2. Hawking HBB1 series or any router with the StreamEngine chipset (disclaimer: I have no personal experience with these, but many on the forum seem to like them).

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 04, 2006 Posts: 5

I just purchased a D-Link 724GU with the StreamEngine chipset, and it works very well.
My only complaint is that I cannot adjust QoS of all packets: it is completely hands off.
Solid router though. I will miss VPN from my Netgear though.

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

NateHoy wrote:

Steve is being generous on the WRTP54G's QoS capabilities. In fact, in my experience even saying that the WRTP54G *HAS* QoS capabilities is being generous to a fault.

Get a router with QoS, put it in front of the WRTP54G, and call it a love story. Two major alternatives:

1. WRT54GL, paired with aftermarket firmware like HyperWRT, DD-WRT, or Tomato. Tomato is my current favorite ( http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato ) because it is small, simple, and darned fast.

2. Hawking HBB1 series or any router with the StreamEngine chipset (disclaimer: I have no personal experience with these, but many on the forum seem to like them).

I can personally vouch for the Hawking HBB1...I use it along side my WRTP54G and the call quality is perfect while browsing the internet and or uploading and downloading simultaneously. There are no settings that you have to adjust with the HBB1, it's simply a plug-n-play device.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 13, 2006 Posts: 8

You should goto the properties of the line and adjust your packetization.settings are 10/20/30. Play with these when nothing else has worked i can almost promise it will fix the problem.Also utilize the bandwidth saver.