Noob Needs Basic Instruction, Please.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 5

Greetings all,

I have noticed that there are some very helpful people in these forums, and I am reaching out to some of you for some very basic installation help as I am very new to Vonage, internet, routers, modems, and a bunch of other things associated with this that I just dont get.. Here's my situation:

My girlfriend has Rogers Lite internet service, and the Vonage basic 500 plan. It is all set up and working just fine. I have moved in, and would like to switch to Sympatico Highspeed. That is the service I have had, and am happy with. I am bringing with me the same modem, cables, and software that came with the Sympatico package. I have signed up for a contract for Sympatico Highspeed, and ordered the dry loop service that comes with it. The rep from Bell said it will be activated remotely in a few days, and gave me its phone number.

My only question is, as basic and kinda dumb as it is, is what steps are necessary to disconnect or deactivate the Rogers hook up thats on this computer now, and install the Sympatico? I mean... is it as simple as just leaving the Vonage router as it is, and swapping modems? Or will I need to install the Sympatico software, tamper with router settings etc? I read these forums and see things likePPoE, DHCP, and get confused really quickly.

Anyone willing to explain these instructions to me as if I am a six year old?

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

You may have to install the Sympatico stuff on the computer. You will have to change some settings in the Vonage adapter all that is in the instructions, if she lost the instructions they are on the Vonage site. You are correct you will have to change if from DHCP to PPOE.

I figure you should have better sound quality since you are going from Lite to High Speed.

I hope this helps you out.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 5

roscopco wrote:

You may have to install the Sympatico stuff on the computer. You will have to change some settings in the Vonage adapter all that is in the instructions, if she lost the instructions they are on the Vonage site. You are correct you will have to change if from DHCP to PPOE.

I figure you should have better sound quality since you are going from Lite to High Speed.

I hope this helps you out.

Thanks Rosco, it does. I just today learned how to log into the Vonage router to tamper with settings, I have never had a router before so this is foreign to me. A friend told me that I shouldn't NEED to install the sympatico software, that I can just enter the Sympatico User ID and password into the Vonage router settings, and that Windows should recognize the set up.

I am just not sure on which screen to enter this info, I assume it would be under SET UP>WAN SETTINGS>PPPoE. what do you think?

Posts: 58 · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:59 am Post subject:

MickeyKnox wrote:

Thanks Rosco, it does. I just today learned how to log into the Vonage router to tamper with settings, I have never had a router before so this is foreign to me. A friend told me that I shouldn't NEED to install the sympatico software, that I can just enter the Sympatico User ID and password into the Vonage router settings, and that Windows should recognize the set up.

I am just not sure on which screen to enter this info, I assume it would be under SET UP>WAN SETTINGS>PPPoE. what do you think?

First off, no, you won't need the Sympatico software. In general I suggest people avoid ISP software on their PCs -- you don't need it, and its often a product of bundling business deals (i.e.: the ISP makes a deal where the software producers pay them to include their software on the CD they send their customers), and are not always in the best interests of the consumers. The might also put software on your system that you don't want or need, and it's totally unnecessary.

Your router can take care of converting between the type of packets your DSL ISP uses, and standard Ethernet packets that everyone else in the universe uses (which is one reason why I'm not a big fan of DSL, but that's another story).

Secondly, WAN is indeed what you want. WAN == "Wide Area Network", as opposed to LAN, which is "Local Area Network". The LAN is everything inside your home that is connected to your router (except the modem) -- the local stuff. The WAN is everything on the Internet outside your home, which you get to through your DSL modem.

So yes, you've figured it out -- set the router's WAN settings to PPPoE, give it your Sympatico name and password, and that should be it. The computer only ever connects to your router (and not directly to the Internet!), and it will continue to do so the same as ever. Your router takes care of the translation between the Internet as a whole (WAN), and your computer(s) (LAN) for you.

I hope this helps!

Yaz.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 5

Yaztromo wrote:

MickeyKnox wrote:

Thanks Rosco, it does. I just today learned how to log into the Vonage router to tamper with settings, I have never had a router before so this is foreign to me. A friend told me that I shouldn't NEED to install the sympatico software, that I can just enter the Sympatico User ID and password into the Vonage router settings, and that Windows should recognize the set up.

I am just not sure on which screen to enter this info, I assume it would be under SET UP>WAN SETTINGS>PPPoE. what do you think?

First off, no, you won't need the Sympatico software. In general I suggest people avoid ISP software on their PCs -- you don't need it, and its often a product of bundling business deals (i.e.: the ISP makes a deal where the software producers pay them to include their software on the CD they send their customers), .

Thank you Yaz, that is excellent news. It sounds like it will be a breeze to be up and running.

Thanks again to both of you for sharing your wisdom, You've saved me a lot of grief and and several hours on a phone with tech support.

The dry loop is supposed to be activated today, I will let you know how it goes.

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 5

All right, so Bell says although my Dry Loop has been activated, they havent activated my internet. That wont happen until June 11.... I will sit and wait. I am sure the suspense will be killing you folks, as much as it is me.

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

I hate Bell, why won't they activate your dsl?

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 5

roscopco wrote:

I hate Bell, why won't they activate your dsl?

I have no idea... They just said it would be done on 11th. I was routed to a call center in India so I didnt want to spend any more time on the phone than I needed to. it was difficult communicating.