Intermittent "Error Code 002" w/ V-Portal

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 16, 2009 Posts: 7

Hello, all. Let me start by saying that I've been a long-time Vonage user, with an account each for my home and business. However, over the past couple of weeks, we've been having wierd problems with our home connection. I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction for correcting it, or at least explaining it.

Our Vonage device is a V-Portal, which has been, for no apparent reason, losing its connection to Vonage and displaying "Error Code 002 - lost Internet connection" (or something to that effect). Restarting the V-Portal and sometimes the DLS modem "fixes" the problem. However, when this happened again today, I was happily browsing the Internet when my wife complained about not being able to make a call again. So Internet connectivity was fine, it just wasn't connected to Vonage. We've also had problems where someone will call us and we will not be able to hear the person on the other end. I'm not convinced the two problems are related, but they've both started happening about the same time.

Our Internet connection is Verizon DSL (1Mbps/384Kbps) using a Westell 2200 modem. (Yeah, it's really old, but it still works fine.) Our network setup is the typical...

DSL Modem -- V-Portal -- home network

The DSL modem is a router serving up an address using DHCP - it's not a network passthrough.

My question is basically, do these problems sound like the V-Portal device itself, Internet connection quality (Verizon), or the Vonage service? I suspect that it's the V-Portal going bad, but I'd hate to spend $80 on a new one just to find out it's not that even though it's the only thing I can actually change. Any reasoned insight would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 22, 2007 Posts: 23

I suggest that you take up a bandwidth reading..(measure your internet-signal) both thru your connection to the device and also directly connected to the modem..
you may notice a marked difference..also same is true when you are surfing the net and the phone is in use ..it appears from your description that there may be an intermittent issue w/ the down-load side of your internet connection..which is rare..try adjusting the bandwidth setting to (normal/med..see if this helps ) via your web account..it may just resolve the frustration.
hope this suggestion helps ..keep me posted.

Posts: 38 · Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:28 pm Post subject:

Before doing anything it would be best to run some test. Also do NOT purchase a new Vonage device from a retail store. if you call technical support you can get a new replacement for a defective device sent to you in most cases absolutely free.

Please run both Pingtest.net and Speedtest.net and post your results. Also try holding down the reset button on the back of the device for a full 60 seconds (The device will reboot aprox 3 times while holding button, this is normal). As suggested before run these test both with and without Vonage device connected to determine if there is a difference. Post back with these results and we will make sure your issue gets resolve in the best fashion possible.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 16, 2009 Posts: 7

I apologize for not getting back about this. I'm not home very much during the week and just gat a chance to research this a bit further.

I looked at the logs of the V-Portal, and compared them to the logs for the DSL modem. (I should have done this at the beginning.) I can now definitevely explain many of the outages as drops in DSL service. However, there are still many 15-30 second blips that were not logged as disconnects by the DSL modem. These log entiries look like this...

May 09, 04:20:13 pm Internet Connect Error[Code 002] Check if your Internet is down. Try restarting modem. For DSL; Check PPPoE setup.
May 09, 04:20:31 pm Connected to Internet

I'm assuming these might be IP address changes, though if anyone could confirm this, I would appreciate it.

As far as the one-way sound, I should have remembered that I've experienced this before, and proven it was a Vonage system issue. It was happening with simul-ring calls with me cell phone when I wasn't even picking up the call on the Vonage device.

Bottom line, I think all the issues are outside of my control, at least without swicthing provides of some kind.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: May 19, 2010 Posts: 2

I am having the same problem (intermittent 002 problems) that started 3-4 months ago. I have been a Vonage user over 1 year. My setup is fairly typical (llike Jkeyser) except that I have a business in my house so I have 2 Vonage devices attached to a Linsys router along with a Westell (verizon DSL) route, one computer is physically attached and 2 units via wireless. The is no consistency to when the errors show up. Sometimes on the phone, sometimes on the net, sometimes both. I have rest, re-powered all devices appropriatley. I have been in the IT buisness 23 years so I realize the difficulkty in doing 6this over phone/email/chat, etc. but also know the basics around tyhe system. Interestingly, this never hyappened until 3-4 months ago so it must be possibly code that was downloaded by Vonage? One of my Vonage devices has an IP address associated with my network "tree", 192.168.1.xxx but one of the devices show 192.168.15.1, does this make sense?

I can't use the website v-configure.com as the error I receive says my network is not setup correctly.

I ran the pingtest and speedtest and here is the results;
with Vonage devices in the network

pingtest
Line Quality=A Ping=20ms Jitter=6ms

speedtest
download=2.89 Mb/s Upload=0.57 Mb/s ping=31ms

without Vonage or the linksys router in the way (all turned off)

pingtest
Line Quality=A Ping=31ms Jitter=1ms

speedtest
download=2.90 Mb/s Upload=0.57 Mb/s ping=32ms

Posts: 38 · Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 11:21 am Post subject:

The problem you are having JKeyser seems to in fact be the DSL Modem. The logs you posted confirm this. The only reason a VDV would get a 002 then reconnect is from the device in front of it ceasing to provide connection, being your DSL modem contains a DHCP server even your internet going down would not produce a 002, but a 003 or 004. It is also a distinct possibility that the Modem going bad is also causing the One way audio problem. This would be a malfunction in the NAT of the modem.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: May 28, 2010 Posts: 1

Hi,

I'm also getting intermittent 002 error codes with my V-Portal. I have had Vonage service for just a few months, and the problem is getting more and more frequent.

My configuration is also typical:
Cable modem -> V-Portal -> Router

Sometimes when the V-Portal reports no internet connection, I still have internet access on my LAN. More recently, I get a Vonage page that reports no internet access. And of course the phones don't work.

Anytime my V-Portal stops working, if I plug my router directly into my cable modem, I immediately get back onto the internet.
I use the cable that connects my cable modem to the V-Portal to connect my cable modem to my router, so it is not the cable.

Tonight, I cannot get the V-Portal to "see" the internet at all. I have power cycled my cable modem, then power cycled my Vonage V-Portal - both several times.

Any advice would be really appreciated!

Regards,
Peter

PS. Is there a phone number for Vonage support? (I could only find a link to post a support request form.)

Posts: 38 · Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:06 pm Post subject:

1-Vonagehelp
1-866-243-4357

Always ask where the call center is located once you get a technical support agent. Holmdel, NJ and Concord/Charlotte, NC are the two American centers. Anywhere else hang up and call again your talking to India or the Philippines.