Time for an equipment upgrade?

Posts: 103 · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: Time for an equipment upgrade?

I have a linksys RTP-300. It is connected directly to my Road Runner modem and the RTP-300 is then connected to a Belkin 54G wireless router. Road Runner just increased in speed from 6 to 8, so that promted me to conduct a speed test.

When I ran I speed test with the network set up in its normal everyday state, I was getting +/- 6100 Kb/s.

With the modem connected directly to the wireless router I was getting +/- 7100 Kb/s.

With the modem hard wired to a computer I was getting 7600 kb/s. The service is rated at 8 down/500 up.

I was getting a constant 440-470 upload speed, with all connection types.

I ran several tests on 3 different computers.

Is Vonage taking too much bandwith or is the RTP-300 just too slow at routing? 1000 Kb/s seems excessive to me. Would I be better off going for a new Vonage box to increase the speed? This RTP-300 has been rock solid. It has never failed once is the past 3 or 4 years that I've had it.

I'm thinking about getting a Wireless N+ wireless router to increase range and security also.

What do you think?

Posts: 1178 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1178

there is no reason for vonage to eat up download bandwidth when it is not in use. it seems like you might have reached the max download ability of your rtp300. I'm not even sure what my rt31p2 is. it is probably lower since it's older.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject:

mundy5 wrote:

there is no reason for vonage to eat up download bandwidth when it is not in use. it seems like you might have reached the max download ability of your rtp300. I'm not even sure what my rt31p2 is. it is probably lower since it's older.

What is the RTP-300 rated at as a max routing speed?

Would a V-Portal or something newer offer increased speed?

Posts: 1178 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1178

Quote:

What is the RTP-300 rated at as a max routing speed?

I don't know. what does your user's guide say?

Quote:

Would a V-Portal or something newer offer increased speed?

it might, it might not. vonage devices have never been known to be robust routers. they are usually at the very introductory level and so perhaps a new router with qos ability is a better option. that is what I did.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject:

There is no mention of the routing speed in the manual.

Posts: 4750 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4750

I suspect that Mundy is correct- you've reached the limit of the RTP300's ability to pass traffic through. Try putting the RTP300 after the Belkin. Set QoS in the Belkin to favor the RTP300, preventing problems during phone calls.

If you do decide to try the V-portal, we'd all be interested in hearing how it does in passing the traffic through. As the latest Vonage offering, it may be more robust than earlier units.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:06 am Post subject:

I would need to know the max routing speed on both my RTP-300 and the V-portal before I did any upgrades. I would have to pay full price for the V-portal.

Someone out there must know the routing speeds or has tried this upgrade already.

Posts: 4750 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4750

I've been reading this forum for awhile, and if anyone has put real numbers on the maximum capability for either the RTP300 or the V-portal, I haven't seen it. The collective wisdom, as Mundy said, is that the Vonage routers aren't very robust, but that doesn't quantify it.

As for the relatively new V-portal, we've seen people working through some problems, but no definitive report on its "robustness". I haven't seen any reports similar to yours with the system working pretty well but max speed reduced. I have seen one report in which a member indicated that the V-portal was doing well in demanding situations, but he didn't quantify it either.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject:

If I put the RTP on the end of the chain (after the 54G wireless router), how do I tell the router to prioritize the RTP? I don't want to loose my crystal clear incoming/outgoing rock solid reliable Vonage line.

Posts: 1178 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1178

that depends on whether your belkin has QoS or not.