Broken upstream audio - Tests show Jitter and/or QoS issues

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

I just installed my new Vonage service behind Time Warner Cable service in NYC (I recently upgraded to their Extreme plan which should give me 15mbps down/1mbps up, though I'm not seeing quite that much). My cable modem is an RCA DCM315.

The cable connection goes into my router (WGR614 v5 with latest firmware) and then out to the V-Portal. I have 2-3 computers connected, but also Xbox and iPhone occassionally. No torrents or any upstream stuff going right now.

On my calls, I can hear the other party perfectly clear, but they can't hear me - there are large blocks of completely broken audio. Sometimes it works fine, but for the most part the call is terrible.

When I first ran the Voip tests, I was getting very high upstream jitter (40-55ms) with 96% QoS. Now, I'm getting very low jitter (1.9ms) but my QoS is terrible (usually less than 50%).

I should also note that when I ran diagnostics on the V-Portal itself it said call quality, bandwidth etc were all good.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Suggestions?

Also, I tried going from my cable modem directly into my V-Portal but for some reason it wasn't picking up a connection. (It said to check PPoE settings, but I thought that was only relevant with DSL not cable?)

Thanks!

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

As a test try hooking your Vonage directly to the cable modem leaving the WGR614 out of the connection. Make a call and see if you are dropping audio. Then attach a pc to the Vonage device and check your bandwidth.

After you do this re-connect the WGR614 to the cable modem and leave the Vonage box disconnected and ony the PC you used on the Vonage device and re-check your bandwidth.

If the same, add the Vonage device and make a call and test. Add another device, check the bandwidth, make a test call until all devices are conected.

Let us know the results.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

Now something odd is happening - the Vonage device is connected to the Internet and the Vonage servers, but the phone is not working at all. (Same behavior when connectd directly to the modem or behind the router).

On incoming calls, I answer but I can't hear the other party and they can't hear me (and it sounds like it never really connects). On outgoing calls, I get a dial tone but it never rings after I dial the number.

I re-ran the test connecting my computer through the V-Portal and it came out a little better... upstream jitter was 6.4ms and QoS was 76%.

Are there any settings on the router which might help? I usually disable UPnP - does the Vonage device use that at all? Are there other settings like MTU wch might help?

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

I was able to eventually get it to dial after rebooting the Vonage device and a few tries... and the call quality was MUCH better. (And this is with the computer still connected).

I'm going to try again with just this computer and the router, disabling all other devices - but it sounds like the router may be the issue? It's fairly old, so it could just be the problem.

Are there any settings on the router I shoudl check first?

Are there any recommended routers for Vonage? (Or, if not, should I get something that I can flash with Tomato or whatever?)

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

This is going to sound silly, but I think the problem might have been the network whip I was using between the router and the cable modem. When I went directly into the Vonage device I wasn't using this, and it was a little older... I swapped it out on a whim and call quality and everything seems to be fine now.

(I had also noticed my router dropping internet connection int eh past, at times, I'm wondering if this might have been related.)

In any case, so far so good - hopefully this resolves my issues! Thanks again for the help.

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

tmarman wrote:

This is going to sound silly, but I think the problem might have been the network whip I was using between the router and the cable modem.

Not silly at all, as cables for some inexplicable reason can go bad. Think

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

I do think I still have some QoS issues, and on further inspection my router doesn't support QoS stuff - so if I'm using anything else it seems to be much more unreliable.

I'm thinking about picking up the Linksys WRT54GL and throwing the Tomato firmware on there. Thoughts?

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

I would simply put the Vonage router first, then your current router and see if you have any problems. The Vonage router has built in QOS, and "should not" affect your bandwidth to any extent.

I finally got rid of my Linksys router and just use the Vonage device and switches.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 22, 2009 Posts: 8

ed56 wrote:

I would simply put the Vonage router first, then your current router and see if you have any problems. The Vonage router has built in QOS, and "should not" affect your bandwidth to any extent.

I finally got rid of my Linksys router and just use the Vonage device and switches.

Wait... so you run from cable modem -> Vonage router -> wireless router -> computer/xbox/etc?

Another issue is that I usually use port forwarding/DMZ host/UPnP for my Xbox so I get an open NAT connection... assuming the Vonage router wouldn't support that, especially if I go through two layers?

The upstream problems are back tonight... I don't know if it's my connection which is flooded or just QoS-related issues...

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

tmarman wrote:

ed56 wrote:

I would simply put the Vonage router first, then your current router and see if you have any problems. The Vonage router has built in QOS, and "should not" affect your bandwidth to any extent.

I finally got rid of my Linksys router and just use the Vonage device and switches.

Wait... so you run from cable modem -> Vonage router -> wireless router -> computer/xbox/etc?

Another issue is that I usually use port forwarding/DMZ host/UPnP for my Xbox so I get an open NAT connection... assuming the Vonage router wouldn't support that, especially if I go through two layers?

The upstream problems are back tonight... I don't know if it's my connection which is flooded or just QoS-related issues...

When you have upstream problems, I would disconnect all of the machines including the xbox on the network except 1 PC. If that fixes it, I would re-add each device in turn, and see when you have a problem (assuming the upstream problem persists for an adequate amount of time.)

My network has only one router, which is the the Vonage device. I use switches and a wireless access point after that. Your Vonage device IS a router, and can do port forwarding DMZ, etc.

I typically have 4-5 computers and sometimes a Wiii on my network.

My configuration is:

Time Warner Road Runner > Motorola SB5101 Cable Modem / Motorola VT2142-VD > 5 port switch>8 port switch > Linksys wireless access point WAP54G

The reason I have two switches in series is the cable modem, Vonage and a PC are at one location, with the 8 port switch distributing through the whole house from my home office (upstairs).

So the 5 port switch is connected to a run to the second floor, as well as a PC next to it. The 8 port switch is on the second floor and picks up through an uplink and feeds two machines and the wireless next to it,and feeds jacks in the basement and two bedrooms (6 connections in all).

The advantage is I have a single network (all the same subnet) and have no slow down that MAY be introduced by packet inspection via a 2nd router.