do I need a router?

Guest

Hi.

I have Time Warner Road Runner cable. I pay for 2 IP addresses for my tiny home network. My cable modem plugs into a simple 4-port hub and then into my two computers.

My question is, if I sign up for Vonage, will I need to purchase a real router?

It's my understanding that I could just plug in the Vonage adapter between my cable modem and my hub. But I want to be sure before I take the plunge.

Thanks in advance!
~Nok

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 16, 2003 Posts: 11

this is actually preferable, in a way, since the ATA won't be at the mercy of your linksys (or whatever) causing problems. the ATA is locked down anyway, so it's not like anyone can hack into it...

Posts: 433 · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:58 pm Post subject:

I am confused, or missing something. If I connect the cord from the modem to the ATA, then to the router as stated. If I do that, would I not have to somehow split the signal to then go to the router since the ATA does not have a outbound port?

Thanks

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 16, 2003 Posts: 11

but if you have a hub, plug the cable modem into the hub. then plug your router (or pc if you don't have a router) into the hub. finally, plug the ata into the hub. it should "just work".

Posts: 38 · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2003 9:16 am Post subject:

OK, I'm going out on a limb here since I don't actually have one, but:

With the new Motorola VT1000 (1005) ATA/router, your connection should be more like this:

Connect the Cable or DSL modem network output (RJ45) to the WAN connection on the VT 1000 >

Connect the PC port on the VT1000 to the hub >

Leave your 2 PC's connected to the hub >

Oh, yeah, plug the phone into the VT1000.

That way the ATA/router will be in line with the modem, and your connection should work best, from what I'm reading. This works because the WAN port on the VT1000 is incoming, and the PC port is an outgoing port.

With the Cisco ATA, the previous notes are correct in that you'd just plug the Cisco into the hub along with all your other stuff. HOWEVER: you'll have to have a third IP address, or disconnect one of your computers. Purchasing a router for use with the Cisco ATA would solve this issue, as the router would replace your hub and would assign internal IPs to your two computers and the Cisco ATA. With the VT1000, this should not be necessary, as I believe it contains a router already.

Which ATA are you using?

Hope this helps.

Posts: 28 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Nov 18, 2003 Posts: 28

You are going to have three devices with only two IP addresses. The only way this will work without a router is this:

Cable-->Hub--->ATA--->PC
.............. \---->PC

I don't know if connecting the ATA in front of the hub will work with the two IP addresses. If it does, you will probably only be using one IP address, making the other one pointless.

Is there a reason you need two IP addresses? If not, then paying for the extra is a waste. Just use a router. A hub doesn't provide any firewall protection, whereas a router does.

Posts: 11 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 16, 2003 Posts: 11

a friend of mine is doing it. if you put the ATA in front of the router, the router AND the ATA will each get an IP from the cable system via DHCP. this works better for some people, since some routers degrade performance of the ATA...

Posts: 24 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 18, 2003 Posts: 24

The VT1000 manual shows to attach the VT1000 to the router and the router should be the first thing after your cable modem. This works like a charm for me and I haven't had any problems with it, even when surfing/downloading from the web.

I would think this is the prefered way, since that is what they recommend in the manual.

Posts: 38 · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 10:04 am Post subject:

Isn't the VT1000 a combined ATA and router?

If so, and assuming you're using a HUB, not a ROUTER, the WAN line from the cable/DSL modem should go to the input on the VT1000, and the output from the VT1000 (labelled PC) should go to the hub. This will require only one IP from the cable/DSL provider.

It would work to route from modem > hub, then from one port on the hub to the VT1000 and from the PC port on the VT1000 to one PC; while running the second connection from the hub to the second PC. This will require and use two IPs from the provider.

Wiring from the modem to the hub, then connecting both PCs and the VT1000 to the hub would require three IPs from the provider.

If you purchase a router, you could wire the modem to the WAN input on the new router, then connect both PCs and the VT1000 to the new router. Assuming the router is running DHCP, this would require only one IP from the provider. The permutations continue, but I think you get the drift.

If the manual shows connecting the VT1000 to the modem, then to the router, I suppose it would work as well, although DHCP conflicts might be an issue, with two DHCP servers trying to operate on the same network.

In short, if you're using the VT1000, you may not need to buy a hub, and may be able to stop paying for the second IP address.

Hope this helps...