Home network topography and some other questions

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

I originally posted this on the Vonage Canada forum. But since this question isn't really qeographically specific, I hope there are Americans on this board who would be kind enough and knowledgeable enough to help me out...

Anyway, 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: 170 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 05, 2004 Posts: 170

Assuming that Vonage ships the Linksys RT31P2 to Canadian customers as well (like all U.S. customers are now receiving), all you have to do is replace your existing router with the one Vonage sends. It has 4 ports for computers as well as the phone ports. You can add the phone adapter to your existing router if you wish (most will work without additional configuration) but you will lose the quality of service feature. What this feature does is insures that the phone is getting enough bandwidth by limited the speed of what your computers can transmit while you are on the phone.

Some people have been able to use a regular Vonage line with a fax machine but it is not supported nor recommended.

Maaz

Posts: 170 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 05, 2004 Posts: 170

Sorry, I forgot to address your other question. It is possible to wire your house so that all 3 phones can use the Vonage line. Vonage won't help you do it but they post instructions on their website. It involves disconnecting your landline though so you wouldn't be able to keep both if you wanted to. Alternatively, you can just purchase a cordless phone system with multiple handsets.

Maaz

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

Maas,

mine shipped with only 3 computer ports but 2 phone ports.

Heymikey,

in response to your question, you will want to keep the router that you have and place the configuration in this order:

Cable Modem -> rt31P2 -> 4 port router

If you want to cancel your landline and switch completely over the Vonage, then you can unplug the landline from the box outside your home and plug in the phone port on your rt31P2 into any jack in the home. If you want to keep your landline, you will have to use a wireless base phone system if you want multiple people using the Vonage line. I hope this helps, Dan

I haven't tried using the phone line as an occasional fax line but I believe Vonage discourages it (I'm not sure if they doing this to make money or not). I have used my regular landline in the past as an occasional fax line in the past. But I haven't tried it with Vonage. My suspicion is that it should be fine.

Posts: 170 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Dec 05, 2004 Posts: 170

You were correct about only 3 ports. For some reason, I thought this unit came with 4. However, my recommendation would be to attach a small hub to one of the ports instead of a router. They are very inexpensive ($20-$30 US dollars for 5 port). This would avoid any problems caused by double NATing if you had both routers. While web browsing and e-mail should work fine, other applications may have problems without opening up ports and this could get confusing with 2 routers.

Maaz

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

Maas,

currently, I have the rt31p2 with a wireless router behind it. it works fine since I have disabled most of the router setting on my wireless router and use the rt31p2 as my dhcp and nat. In essence, my wireless router has just become an access point and a switch rather than a router.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

It also didn't make any sense for heymikey to go out and get a switch or hub since he already has a router on hand.

Posts: 56 · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 4:21 pm Post subject:

where did my reply go?

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 04, 2005 Posts: 1

mundy5 wrote:

Maas,

mine shipped with only 3 computer ports but 2 phone ports.

Heymikey,

in response to your question, you will want to keep the router that you have and place the configuration in this order:

Cable Modem -> rt31P2 -> 4 port router

If you want to cancel your landline and switch completely over the Vonage, then you can unplug the landline from the box outside your home and plug in the phone port on your rt31P2 into any jack in the home. If you want to keep your landline, you will have to use a wireless base phone system if you want multiple people using the Vonage line. I hope this helps, Dan

I haven't tried using the phone line as an occasional fax line but I believe Vonage discourages it (I'm not sure if they doing this to make money or not). I have used my regular landline in the past as an occasional fax line in the past. But I haven't tried it with Vonage. My suspicion is that it should be fine.

What make you believe Vonage discourages using the phone line as an occational fax line? I regularly fax stuffs a couple times each month since Dec 2004 and haven't have any problem yet.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

marscheung,

I guess I assumed that Vonage discourages it b/c they heavily adveritise a cheaper price for a dedicated fax line. Mea Culpa.