no VoIP and no internet access. RTP300 Linksys

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 4

Hello. I want to thank everyone up front for any help they can provide.

Here is what I have.

Atlanta, GA
Charter Communications -5Mbps cable service
Motorola SB5101 cable modem (Motorola connection tested via 192.168.100.1)
Linksys RTP300 (Vonage supplied)
Linksys NH1005 (10/100-5 port hub- store bought)

Here is what happened.
Cable TV and internet went out yesterday afternoon.
Charter was unable to help via the telephone.
A Charter technician came out today to fix.
He replaced my old Linksys shark fin type modem with the Motorola SurfBoard. We had the modem connected directly to the laptop (Sony FS840-W VAIO), all good.
He fixed the TV and the internet, he left, I went to hook up the RTP300 network and nothing works. (I am connected directly right now). SO I called Charter, they say the internet is fine up to their point of responsibility. So I called Motorola, they checked the modem and say it has plenty of capacity and connectivity. I called Linksys and they say the router is out of warranty and want $29.99 to talk to me (NICE, thanks linksys). So here I am asking for help.

Here is how I think the network should be. note - this is also how it was before yesterday with the old cable modem and had been for at least a year.
Charter Cable ---> Motorola Cable Modem SB5101
SB5101 ---> Linksys RTP300
RTP300 green phone 1 to main phone and house wiring
RTP300 green phone 2 to fax machine
RTP300 yellow ethernet 1 to wife's Dell 8400 desktop
RTP300 yellow ethernet 2 to wife's Sony VAIO FS840 laptop*
RTP300 yellow ethernet 3 to daughter's eMachine desktop
RTP300 yellow ethernet 4 to linksys NH1005 hub
NH1005 hub 1 to my custom desktop PC
NH1005 hub 2 to my HP laptop* (work)

* the laptops are not always connected.

Here is what happens.

I connect the RTP300 to the SB5101 and then to the PC's and the LAN connections flip flop from connected to unplugged to acquiring IP address to unplugged to low or no connectivity AND the phone / fax don't work.

I have tried several different things. Connecting a single PC to the RTP300, a single phone to the RTP300, everything to the RTP300, resetting the RTP300 various times and various configurations. without the NH1005 hub, with the NH1005 hub, all kinds of things.

The Motorola guy thinks it's the RTP300.
Also keep in mind that I do NOT have RTP300 set-up disk as delivered from Vonage.

My wife works from home and the lack of her PC and telephone is KILLING me. Please help. Thanks you. Matt

PS- sorry here are my Voip results (Motorola directly to Sony laptop)
Download 4,764,504 bps
Upload 491,088 bps
QOS 99%
RTT 26 ms
MaxPause 55 ms
MOS 3.9

Posts: 433 · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 7:58 pm Post subject:

Have you tried to reboot the modem while it is connected to your RTP? Power down your cable modem for a few minutes and your RTP. Power on only the cable modem and let it register and come online. Next power up your RTP and see what happens. To me it looks like your cable modem and ISP registered the MAC address of your sony laptop and will not communicate with another device until you reset the cable modem. A simple power cycle should do the trick but sometimes I have heard that you have to call the ISP and have them reset the modem to release the MAC address that is associated with it.

Also, can you log into your RTP and verify that you are getting an IP address from your ISP?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 4

TGLEA, thanks, I had done that cycle power thing more times than I can count.

BUT I did make some progress. I read a bunch of other posts and they suggested using the RTP only as a Vonage device. SO I had an old BEFW11S4 Linksys wireless B router that I connected and I got 3 computers to access the internet at once. All I had to do was a command prompt ipconfig/renew. SO now my goal is to try and get the RTP phone line and fax line working. I'll also have to add the hub back in to be able to get the 4th and 5th computers on-line.

BUT I'm making headway. HOWEVER I am so frustrated, I've been at this for like 5 hours (2 pm to now with like 2 breaks). I am NOT a computer person let ALONE a network person.

Posts: 433 · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject:

One word of caution for that plan though. When your RTP is the main router in your network and the first device after your cable modem, it is designed to prioritize Voip packets over other data to ensure that you have quality calls while other computers on your network are transmitting data at the same time.

And you do have many computers on your network that could be trying to access the internet while making phone calls. Now that you are going to put another router first, you will essentially lose that function of the RPT and could very well get everything up and running but have bad quality calls when other computers on the network are transmitting data while talking on the phone. Using the RPT as just a Vonage device is a good idea if you have a good solid router with QOS capabilities in front of it and I seriously doubt that your old wireless B linksys has those features.

Sounds like a very strange problem because essentially all you did was upgrade your cable modem and I don't see how that messed everything up so badly. I still think there has to be a way to get your RTP working as the first router after your cable modem. When your RPT was the first device after your new cable modem, were you able to log into the router and see if the router was getting an IP address from your ISP?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 4

I am not able to log onto the router. All the lights simply flash, the power, all 4 ethernet ports, 2 phone and internet. Different combinations. They have been blinking since last night (left it hooked up overnight).

I understand the Voip priority function. Good point. We had a power outage when all this went on the fritz so maybe there was a spike the surge protector didn't protect. Since the RTP300 is out of warranty I'm probably just going to get another Voip router.

Do you have any suggestions a new Voip router? I see the Linksys PAP2-CU, Linksys WRTP54G, and D Link VWR.

Posts: 433 · Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:56 am Post subject:

Sounds like a logical explanation about your equipment. I should have asked why they replaced your modem. I just assumed it was because the cable guy thought it was old (and you know that those techs tend to do the easiest things first, like replace a modem rather than checking any wiring and so on Very Happy

) and not because it was bad or causing the problems after your power outage. You could definitely do a search on the forum about the equipment you are looking to buy, I have never used any of those personally. The Linksys PAP2 is just a Vonage device and not a router so you would not have the Voip priority unless your router in front of it had QOS features. I think the WRTP54G is probably the best bet. I have read some pretty bad things about the VWR on this forum and now Vonage is giving them away to new customers.

A lot of people here suggest that the all in one Vonage routers are not very good and more suggest using a non Vonage router with QOS and just a PAP2 device behind it, but that would mean buying two pieces of equipment. I think if your RPT served your network well until it was fried, the WRTP54G should serve you well also.

Posts: 63 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2007 Posts: 63

Ask your ISP if the model of the modem is a DOCSIS 1.1 or higher..vonage only supports modems with DOCSIS 1.1 or higher..

if its fine log on to the web utility of your RTP300..try this IP 192.168.15.1...open a web browser and type that in the address bar.When it opens use admin as a username and password. Go to WAN config enable DHCP and in the LAN config. enable also DHCP..that way you can have internet connection..if you don't have a dial tone try resetting the device, there is a button there that says reboot. then click save settings..after that do a power cycle..make sure you follow the steps in turning them on..turn on the modem first then the Vonage device, then your PC attach to it..before using the device, make sure that the power light is lit ON..it means that your good to go..now try if you have a internet connection..open a web browser and go to some web sites.Now try if you have dial tone..if still no dial tone..try calling their customer support and let them check your configuration if it hits their server...

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 06, 2007 Posts: 4

Hello. Thank you everyone for your help.

The RTP300 was fried. So here is the new network.

Motorola Cable Modem
NetGear wireless G router WPN824
Linksys PAP2 phone adapter

I have the PAP2 phone adapter and 3 desktops plugged into the NetGear and the 2 laptops connect via wireless G.

So far so good. My wife can now carry out her home based business. Life is better again. It's scary how dependent we've become on technology.

Thanks again.