What should my home network topography look like, etc....

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 31, 2005 Posts: 2

We are thinking of switching to Vonage but before we do that, we have some questions we need answered.

First of all, what should my network topography look like?

Here is what it looks like with Vonage (I hope it's ok to hotlink the picture for ease of explanation):

Here is what our home topography look like right now: we have 4 computers that are located on each of the 4 bedrooms on the 2nd floor of our house. Each PC is connected to a 4-port router (not wireless) using 100Mbps Ethernet, and the router is connected to our cable modem that is connected to a cable outlet on one of the bedrooms (therefore, the cable modem and router are located on the 2nd floor). Our main phone is located on the 1st floor of our house. Using the diagram from Vonage above, the phone adapter will obviously be located on the 1st floor near our main phone. How do I connect the phone adapter to my router? What is the connection that connects the phone adapter to the PC? Is it USB? Ethernet? Is it possible to have the router placed between the cable modem and the phone adapter?

Other questions, we have 3 phones in the house all sharing the same number. Is this possible with Vonage? If so, how? Do every phone have a phone adapter connected to the cable modem? We also have a fax machine that we usually use that also shares the same number as our phone, will this be possible with Vonage without adding a 2nd line dedicated to the fax?

Posts: 56 · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:54 pm Post subject:

1. You can keep your network the way it is now, just take one of the ports from your existing router and put it in the internet port of the Vonage phone adptor/router. The Vonage adaptor also has a 3 port router built in to it, you can then use the three ports on the Vonage phone adaptor/router to go to the 4th computer in your network for internet access since the 4th port on your existing router will be used for the Vonage adaptor.

2. You can plug an RJ-11 (phone cord) from the phone port on the Vonage adaptor to any phone jack in your house which will make every other phone jack in your house live. This means any phone you plug into any other phone jack will work with the Vonage line (i think 12 is the max the adptor can handle)

Posts: 23 · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:37 pm Post subject:

projectpete wrote:

2. You can plug an RJ-11 (phone cord) from the phone port on the Vonage adaptor to any phone jack in your house which will make every other phone jack in your house live. This means any phone you plug into any other phone jack will work with the Vonage line (i think 12 is the max the adptor can handle)

Make sure you disconnect your current provider from your internal wiring.. IF your currently provider sends any signals through the wire into your house and your adapter is plugged in, it could damage it.

Posts: 110 · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:14 pm Post subject:

If I'm in an apartment building, how would I make sure another provider is not sending a signal to damage my equipment. I havent had phone service for quite some time (I disconnected bell months ago), so how can I make sure

Posts: 91 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 91

djino wrote:

If I'm in an apartment building, how would I make sure another provider is not sending a signal to damage my equipment. I havent had phone service for quite some time (I disconnected bell months ago), so how can I make sure

Test the line for voltage... perhaps with a volt meter or a telephone line tester.

If the line is disconnected, there should be 0 volts on the line.

Posts: 18 · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 5:14 am Post subject:

If you keep your existing network and router configuration but plug the Vonage phone adapter into the exixting router, be sure that you forward ports in the existing router to the Vonage phone adapter.

See instruction in:
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic6824.html

David

Posts: 25 · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 5:18 pm Post subject:

wow this was a helpful thread.....do I disregard the CD that comes with the rtp and just go ahead and hook up everything? can I get some detailed instructions on what to plug where and how long to wait before I switch on everyhthing....?

Posts: 91 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 91

david0434 wrote:

If you keep your existing network and router configuration but plug the Vonage phone adapter into the exixting router, be sure that you forward ports in the existing router to the Vonage phone adapter.

See instruction in:
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic6824.html

David

Depending on which router you hvae... you don't have to forward ports Smile

Since I think the OP has a linksys router, it actually seems to work better without ports forwarded. Strange I know...

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 17, 2005 Posts: 5

coolspot wrote:

If the line is disconnected, there should be 0 volts on the line.

What about if you have naked/dry DSL running through the phone line, even though there is no Bell landline phone service?

Could you still plug a phone cord from the phone port on the Vonage adaptor to a phone jack in your house (which should make every other phone jack in your house live, like projectpete mentioned) without damaging your hardware?

thanks,
Anish

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: May 12, 2005 Posts: 18

That would probably kill your adapter.

The option my parents took (and one that i love) was to buy a multi-handset cordless phone system.

Like this one.

As for network topology......you can almost do anything you like provided you understand basic networking. I have a cable modem going to a linux box. The linux box connects to my phone adapter thru one ethernet card, and the other ethernet card runs to a wireless router. That works for me anyway.