Garbled audio with DI-524 router and Time Warner cable

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 30, 2006 Posts: 8

1. My location is Houston, TX.
2. My ISP is Time Warner / Road Runner cable.
3. DSL Reports says my download speed is 3100 kbps and my upload speed is 366 kbps.
4. Cable modem is an Ambit U10C018.
5. Vonage adapter is VTA-VD
6. Setup of Network: Cable Modem --> DI-524 --> VTA
--> PC (both PC and VTA is connected to the DI-524)
7. I am experiencing choppy audio.
8. My speed test results follow:

Speed test statistics
---------------------
Download speed: 4873592 bps
Upload speed: 367880 bps
Quality of service: 99 %
Download test type: socket
Upload test type: socket
Maximum download pause: 12 ms
Average download pause: 2 ms
Minimum round trip time to server: 57 ms
Average round trip time to server: 81 ms

VoIP test statistics
--------------------
Jitter: you --> server: 4.6 ms
Jitter: server --> you: 8.5 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: 6
Estimated MOS score: 3.9

The choppy calls always occur if I am doing a download at the same time as a call. I understand that is because the router does not have QoS.

The DI-524 is also occasionally dropping the Wifi. About once a day we have to reconnect to the DI-524 from our wireless laptops. Sometimes we can do this by restarting at the laptop, sometimes we have to repower the router. I have upgraded firmware in the router and it didn't help.

Should I get a WRT54G router to replace the DI-524?

We also have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone. Is it likely it is causing a problem with the wifi?

Last question. Time Warner will not help with setup of the DI-524. So I was on my own when I configured it. To get it to work, I set the WAN settings to Dynamic IP address and left primary and secondary DNS addresses to default of 0.0.0.0 and MTU to default of 1500. Is there anything I should change on my router setting?

Posts: 4694 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4694

clarks wrote:

The choppy calls always occur if I am doing a download at the same time as a call. I understand that is because the router does not have QoS.

That's right. Without QoS you'll probably continue to have this problem. Your VoIP test is quite good otherwise.

Quote:

Should I get a WRTP54G router to replace the DI-524?

Definitely not. The WRTP54G is not a robust router. Instead, keep the D-link VTA and get a non-Vonage router to replace the DI-524. A lot of the networking gurus recommend the WRT54GL, and they like to put third part firmware on it.

Quote:

We also have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone. Is it likely it is causing a problem with the wifi?

Quite possibly.

Quote:

Last question. Time Warner will not help with setup of the DI-524. So I was on my own when I configured it. To get it to work, I set the WAN settings to Dynamic IP address and left primary and secondary DNS addresses to default of 0.0.0.0 and MTU to default of 1500. Is there anything I should change on my router setting?

I'll leave that one to the networking experts, but it sounds fine to me.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 30, 2006 Posts: 8

Steve

Thanks for your reply. Actually I meant the WRT54G router. However I think I will order the WRT54GL. I appreciate you bringing that router to my attention. I did some quick googling on it and found it has outstanding ratings and the DD-WRT 3rd party software also seems to be highly rated.

Posts: 399

clarks wrote:

We also have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone. Is it likely it is causing a problem with the wifi?

Most definitely it could cause an audio problem. If I am to close to my wireless router when talking on my 2.4GHz phone, I can hear clicks, pops and static. It could also cause a problem with the signal quality between your router and wireless PCs.

Posts: 4694 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4694

clarks wrote:

Steve

Thanks for your reply. Actually I meant the WRT54G router. However I think I will order the WRT54GL. I appreciate you bringing that router to my attention. I did some quick googling on it and found it has outstanding ratings and the DD-WRT 3rd party software also seems to be highly rated.

You might want to do another search on the router and forum author NateHoy. I think he's recommending something he calls Tomato these days for firmware.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 30, 2006 Posts: 8

Steve48 wrote:

You might want to do another search on the router and forum author NateHoy. I think he's recommending something he calls Tomato these days for firmware.

Thanks Steve. Took a quick look at Tomato this morning and it does look really nice, especially the Bandwidth Monitor charts.

If I can figure out how to do it, I think it will be the first one I install once I get my router. Amazon says it arrives on Thursday. Can't wait.

Clark

Posts: 36 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 36

1. Get rid of any and all 2.4mhz phones forever.
(i recomend 5.8mhz)
2. power cycle everything (modem, router, vonage device)
2. put vonage device on the routers DMZ
3. power cycle again all equipment (modem, router, vonage device)
4. reverify (just check) that vonage device is on DMZ.

i would try this first before buying any new gear.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 25, 2006 Posts: 6

I using Time Warner with the 10mb service but have only 6.5 MB and 900KB upload. I'm using a Dlink DCM-202 cable modem, DI-524 & Motorola VT2442 . Worked fine under Comcast until RR entered the scene and downgraded the service.

Right now, I have an RR tech scheduled for Saturday ( just a P.R. trip, I assume). My symptoms are poor sound, missing words, and a randomly flashing internet light on the VT2442.

My RR signal has so many drops, I expect an egg to fall out!

Worked fine when Comcast delivered a standard, smooth 9.5 MB.

RR offers 6MB standard and 10MB upgrade option. Looks like I picked up a BW adder charge and poor quality service to go with it.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 30, 2006 Posts: 8

Your cable is still pretty fast although I can see why you are mad, having to spend more for less.

I seem to have fixed my problem by assigning my Vonage adapter a fixed IP address and putting that IP address in the DMZ. I did that this morning and have had no voice quality issues since. For some reason, the Wifi also seems to be working better too. I'll know for certain after I get a few more days of testing with the new configuration.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 25, 2006 Posts: 6

Thanks, I'll try that. One other point you may wish to check (I'm in Dallas) and going through the Time Warner/Comcast swap just as you are.

Go to "Run" cmd

and do a:

tracert -d www.vonage.com

You will see all of the time out and * (overtime) errors you get in your trace route. Most of the errors are on a 68.87.2XX.XXX
address. which, I understand is a group of Comcast servers in N.J. we are routed through that is acting up. I hope they fix it soon but a trip to the house won't fix routing problems.

As a matter of fact, most any site you trace will show the same type of errors.