Poor VOIP Quality and Application Drops on 802.11g WISP

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

A couple of additional things you could try.

I would remove ALL equipment connected to the WISP receiver and simply connect your laptop and see if the problem persists. If it does, you can rule out your network devices (routers, etc) as the problem.

Otherwise add in each component until the problem again presents itself.

WISP works via line of site and can be subject to interference. Double check the direction (your antenna may have been moved) that the WISP antenna needs to be pointed toward and adjust.

The frequencies WISP operates on vary (900mhz, 2.4, 2.5, 5.5-5.8 ghz as I recall), with the 2.4 ghz being the most crowded, this may or may not apply here, but a direct line to the transmitter antenna will negate (overwhelm) most interference. I am willing to bet that there is some utility that measures the signal available. Perhaps you ISP can give you a hand with this.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 10

I did what you suggested last night, after posting the ping information from that hour test I did.

I took out my Vonage portal, my wireless router, unplugged from the network and turned off all my computers and plugged a brand new Ethernet cable into this laptop and directly into the modem thing for the Internet and it still happened. In fact, today, it's the worst it's ever been, so I went ahead and hooked it all back up.

I found out I've missed three phone calls but the Vonage portal never even gets them so they're not even getting here, but the Vonage portal insists I've been physically connected to the Internet the entire time.

Can a shoddy signal cause this kind of loss with nothing ever being physically disconnected to the point any of the equipment REALIZES it's been disconnected?

Michelle

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

Based on what was said earlier about UDP vs TCP packets, I would guess it is possible.

BTW, a little research on WISP showed:

Signal Fading: Fading of the RF signal
Caused by several factors:
1. Multipath: The transmitted signal arrives at the receiver from different directions, with different path lengths, attenuation and delays. The summed signal at the receiver may result in an attenuated signal.
2. Bad Line of Sight: An optical line of sight exists if an imaginary straight line can connect the antennas on either side of the link. Radio wave clear line of sight exists if a certain area around the optical line of sight (Fresnel zone) is clear of obstacles. A bad line of sight exists if the first Fresnel zone is obscured.
3. Link Budget Calculations (too little signal to start with).
4. Weather conditions (Rain, wind, etc.) At high rain intensity (150 mm/hr that’s 6 inches per hour!), the fading of an RF signal at 2.4 Ghz may reach a maximum of 0.02 dB/Km.
5. Wind may cause fading due to antenna motion.
6. Interference: Interference may be caused by another system on the same frequency range, external noise, or some other co-located system.

Number 6 "could" be your neighbor or not.

Time to call your ISP (again?)

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 10

Thank you for that list. I am calling my guy tomorrow to suggest that there is a problem and that I think it resides with my signal, because I've done everything humanly possible to trace a problem within my own machines and network to no avail.

Interestingly, on your list, I see several possibilities for me.

1) My location is in between two towers, or whatever. He had a rough time deciding which one to point me at because of it, and settled upon the one I am aimed for. Perhaps something is up with this.

2) It's a straight line of sight for sure, as there arent any trees or buildings taller than 8 feet or anything at all out here in my neck of the sticks.

3) I will ask about this one.

4) We don't get rain at all here, but we do get some winds sometimes, and though the problems exist when there is no wind, perhaps the wind wobbled it off track and made it so it always **** now.

5) See above, hehe

6) Will ask about the neighbors - something I learned in my research is that what I'm picking up just means they have a wireless setup inside, like I do, not necessarily that theyr'e with the same ISP so I'm not sure.

Thanks again,

Michelle

Posts: 183 · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:06 am Post subject:

Michelle -

Just got in on this game. I know exactly the equipment you're speaking of because I've done some side work for a guy that has the same setup. Even the white little doo-hicky that you speak of with the ethernet and power. The connectivity they have is outstanding. There are no issues with jitter or clarity on their Vonage lines. Browsing and downloading via iTunes is smooth.

My reason for telling you this is that it seems to me that your WISP receiver is either not mounted correct, has been jolted due to wind or something of that nature, trees/branches are interfering with the line of sight or you are outside of the recommended range to the the nearest tower.

I would get the provider out there and tell them you want it re-mounted to make the connection bearable. If they do this, I think you'll find that your connection is very comparable to good quality DSL.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 10

Thank you for that... looking at the receiver, it's not plumb. My husband (who is in construction and has an 'eye' for these things, apparently) says its visibly out of plumb and wanted me to ask if that could be the issue.

Is there any way we can adjust this ourselves? My provider/installer guy lives over 100 miles away one way and getting ahold of him is going to be rough with my phone this bad.

Perhaps I can get another client of his that's a friend to phone him for me and explain what I need.

Thanks,
Michelle

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

ksig's post reminded me of something I experienced at our boat club. We have an amplified wireless set up with an antenna mounted at the top of our flag pole. For about a year we would have intermittent disconnection and poor range - - less than 1200 feet(previous range was almost a mile)

When the system finally failed (no internet via wireless) the member who installed it found that the antenna cable had pulled fully from the connector. In the end it was a poor connection, which finally became a non-connection.

So it COULD be something as simple as a poor connection at the antenna. Again, your ISP should be able to determine the problem easier than you.

Posts: 183 · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:30 am Post subject:

My assumption would be that you could adjust it yourself if you had a way to monitor the intensity of the signal to the tower you're aimed at. Back in the day, when I first put up DirecTV satellite on my house for t.v., I had this device from radio shack that would tell me the intensity/signal when aiming the device at the right angle, etc. If you call your installer, he might have something similar for detecting the WISP connection.

Just a thought... other than that I don't know enough to say anything more on the adjustments of your base unit.

Good luck - Let us know how it goes, I'm very intrigued now.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 12, 2009 Posts: 4

On a wireless network the Voip works better (mostly only works good enough) when the sip server address is prioritised on the network. (prior above other connections and bdwidth usage ) Perhaps your ISP can make this possible for a small charge?

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 10

Perhaps... if they ever bother sending the tech out. Got ahold of them Monday (and it's a small ISP) and wasn't given a date, or time, or anything, just 'when next someone has to be out there they'll check out your installation'.

I'm really irritated right now, but, going on the assumption that once this is fixed I will be as happy as everybody else who has them seems to be with their setup, I feel like I sort of have to bite the bullet and take their crap.

Thanks for the suggestion,
Michelle