Working QoS settings WRT54G & Shaw

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 16

I am posting this in case it can help someone with similar problems. I had major problems with clicking sounds and choppy voice while using the Internet at the same time as Vonage (and sometimes even without using it). After switching from Telus High Speed (1.5Mbps max upload) to Shaw (5Mbps max upload), I still had problems. I tried tweaking the QoS of the WRT54G in many ways but could not get a decent phone call until I set it up the way shown below. Even though I had set-up the VTA-VA MAC address as highest priority, I still had problems until I did set the Flow Control of Port 1 (in which the VTA-VA is plugged) to Disable. I also tried to set the upstream bandwidth to 85% of the max but found that it works as well, if not better, in Auto mode, at least for me.

Posts: 1327 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1327

How do you have your Vonage set up:

I had mine like this:

cable modem, Vonage adapter then the Linksys router.

I tried it the way I think you have it set up and also the way Vonage shows it in their package:

cable modem, Linksys router and then Vonage adapter.

For the Mac address that is for the Vonage adapter as well, correct? Where did you get that from?

Did your Voip test get any better? Mine **** this way and also the download speed is really bad. When I use speedtest.com my speed stays the same in both set ups. I get 9.4 Mbps down and 607 Kbps up.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 16

The VTA-VA cannot be put in front of the router, so I have the cable modem going to the router and the VTA-VA plugged in the router, Port 1. The MAC address of the VTA-VA is printed at the bottom of the unit (MAC ID:). MAC adresses are 12 digits long, usually in the form 00XXXXXXXXXX.

I have had weird results with the Vonage speed test. Sometimes I was getting 99% QOS in the test, sometimes 44%, without any particular change to the settings and with bad voice on all my calls despite the good results.

I have good QOS reports now but I don't think it's an accurate representation of the settings I have changed as the test does not go through the VTA-VA and should not get the priority treatment from the WRT54G as the data stream is coming through port 2 where my computer is plugged in and not through port 1 with the proper MAC address. I don't know how I can really test the actual QoS settings I have changed...

The real test for me is phone conversations which are now pretty good while they used to be pretty crappy!

Posts: 1327 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1327

I have the Motorola VT2442 and I can have it set up both ways, before or after the wireless router.

I did find the Mac address, but I went to the ip address of the Vonage adapter (checked on the bottom to make sure it is correct)

Have you tried downloading something while talking on the phone? If so how was the call quality?

I have my set up like this:

RCA cable modem (Cogeco Cable 9.4 Mbps down and 607 kbps up)
Linksys WRT54G wireless router
Motorola Vonage adatper VT2442 connect to router port 1

A good speed test is speedtest.com this doesn't test your Voip speed but lets you actually see what speeds you are getting.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 16

I have used speed test and am getting around 4900 download, 490 upload.

I have used the web on purpose while talking on the phone, loading pages with lots of pictures and even a progressive download streaming video. Besides an occasional really tiny glitch, everything worked fine. Before, I was getting huge clicks and voice chops using the same web pages. I did clear the computer cache before running these tests to make sure I was really downloading.

One more thing: Vonage voice quality is set at Best.

Posts: 1327 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1327

Your speed is half as mine.

I have another question for you, what do you have your bandwidth saver at? I set mine at 90 Kbps, I get 60 gigs of traffic with Cogeco Cable and I haven't used it yet and I download a lot.

I will have to make a call and see what the quality is like now that I have done what you said. I sometimes had an echo effect or the person I talked to said they couldn't hear me.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 16

Bandwidth saver is at Best (90Kbps). With my previous problems, I did not see any improvement with lowering the bandwidth and it seemed to be even more susceptible to deterioration when it is low to start with. Maybe just an impression though.

The speed I get is what I expected with the plan I have from Shaw (also with 60 gig/month). Shaw says: up to 5Mbps download, 512K upload.

Posts: 1327 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1327

I would figure the higher the bandwidth the better. I think Vonage told me to put it at the middle setting, but I ignored them.

With my cable company I pay $47.95 a month, but I don't have cable with them and I am supposed to get up to 640 up and 10 mb down so I am very close to what they say.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 9

When it comes to Voip it all comes down to upload speed and this is where everyone including myself has problems because we don't have the bandwith like we do in downloading. Have you tried to DMZ the Voip, maybe the NAT Firewall is causing issues. I did it to mine.

Just a thought.

Posts: 1327 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1327

I disconnected my wireless router and my Voip speed test has greatly increased, the results are while on the phone.

Speed test statistics
---------------------
Download speed: 9461256 bps
Upload speed: 532968 bps
Quality of service: 97 %
Download test type: socket
Upload test type: socket
Maximum download pause: 29 ms
Average download pause: 3 ms
Minimum round trip time to server: 54 ms
Average round trip time to server: 55 ms

Voip test statistics
--------------------
Jitter: you --> server: 4.8 ms
Jitter: server --> you: 8.4 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: 9
Estimated MOS score: 3.9