Motorola VT2442 Refuses to open NAT

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 12, 2009 Posts: 3

Well we have had Vonage for a little over two years now and the Motorola VT2442 router they gave us seems to be complete crap. I recently purchased Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 to play on Xbox 360. Well the VT2442 router simply refuses to open my NAT settings. It keeps them as strict which severely limits my game play.

I have opened ports 53, 88, 80, 50, 3074 all UDP and TCP just to be safe. So there should be NO issues, but guess what? Wonder router keeps my NAT as strict. I even setup a static IP for my 360, nothing. Placed it outside NAT settings using DMZ, surprise surprise somehow my NAT is still strict?!?!?! This is absolutely rediculous, yet Vonage keeps telling me it's a issue with my ISP. MY ISP IS NOT SETTING MY NAT, IT'S YOUR STUPID ROUTER.

Ok sorry for the rant, does anyone know anyway to force this POS router to actually work?

Posts: 350 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 350

The COD:MW2 NAT detection is a little wonky. For me, it often changes what type of NAT it detects. It would be nice if COD:MW2 supported UPnP correctly but that doesn't work right either.

First, you will probably need to reserve an IP address because the VT2442 won't allow you to blindly forward ports. Then try to forward 28960 to 29000.

Edit: oops I didn't see that you were using XBox 360 instead of a PC. Specific instructions for XBox Live are here: http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Motorola/VT2442/Xbox_Live_360.htm

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 12, 2009 Posts: 3

trekologer wrote:

The COD:MW2 NAT detection is a little wonky. For me, it often changes what type of NAT it detects. It would be nice if COD:MW2 supported UPnP correctly but that doesn't work right either.

First, you will probably need to reserve an IP address because the VT2442 won't allow you to blindly forward ports. Then try to forward 28960 to 29000.

Edit: oops I didn't see that you were using XBox 360 instead of a PC. Specific instructions for XBox Live are here: http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Motorola/VT2442/Xbox_Live_360.htm

Umm, as it says in the first post; all ports have been forwarded and static IP's set. It's not MWF2, I can run a network connection test through the dashboard and it still shows strict.

Bottom line is the router is just crap. I hate calling Vonage, the customer service people don't have any idea what they are talking about and don't listen to a word you say. I call them up "Yes the router you guys sent me doesn't work right, I would like another model". CSR: "What's it doing?" Me: "Doesn't let me connect right. I have reset it through the interface, did a factory default reset, reset by unplugging cord, held reset button, forwarded ports several times, set my connection outside NAT using DMZ, cut firewall off, and set static IP". CSR: "Oh ok, well lets try this, go unplug your router for 30 seconds".

I do as they ask as I shake my head and say my God what a moron, did they not just listen. Do all they want including resetting my cable modem (which has nothing to do with the freaking NAT). Oh and of course nothing changes. The end result, drum roll please: CSR: "Must be a problem with your ISP, you need to contact them". I think I'm going to just drop Vonage. The fact they don't stand behind their service and the sheer idiocy of their CSR's (and yes I have spoken to more than one).

Posts: 350 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Dec 04, 2005 Posts: 350

Well as I said, i didn't notice you were using XBox and just relayed my experience with the game on the PC. It seems really dumb that XBox Live relies so highly on configuring around NAT considering there is virtually noone who would be connecting their XBox directly to the internet, not through a NAT router.

Is UPnP enabled on the router? If not, try enabling it and disabling all other port forwarding and DMZ settings. If that doesn't work, can you post a screen shot of the port forwarding rules in the router?

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 12, 2009 Posts: 3

Yeah I didn't mean to come off as being smart. If I did I apologize. I have done the UPnP with nothing changing. I would change a setting, nothing, set it back, change another, nothing. Then went through the list changing them one at a time and leaving them on, still nothing.

I'm thinking of just picking up another router to use as a router before the Voip router then just use it for phone use. I can post a screen shot of the settings later. I tried to talk Vonage into just sending me a portal, but they insist the hardware is working fine and not the issue. Maybe it will accidentally get hit with a power surge Eek

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 26, 2009 Posts: 20

Doug684 wrote:

I'm thinking of just picking up another router to use as a router before the Voip router then just use it for phone use. I can post a screen shot of the settings later. I tried to talk Vonage into just sending me a portal, but they insist the hardware is working fine and not the issue. Maybe it will accidentally get hit with a power surge Eek

yes, using the ATA as a normal device behind a different router (with nothing attached to the ATA's lan ports) is your best bet imho. The v-portal has some issues as well, its really best to have the ATA on the LAN and put a router with a decent QoS function in front. Just configure that router to give precendence to the ATA's address in order to prevent voice dropouts.