WRTP54G Installation problems

Posts: 192 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:50 am Post subject: WRTP54G Installation problems

Can someone help? I have tried calling Vonage support to no avail.

I just bought the Linksys WRTP54G. I am trying to get the router functionality of the box to work and then I will sign up with Vonage for the Voip part. But when I connect the box to my cable model (D-Link DCM-200) the router will not get an IP address from my ISP (Cox Communications).

There is nothing wrong with my ISP, if I re-connect my old router everything works fine. Also, if I connect a notebook directly to the cable modem, it works fine. It is just the WRTP54G which will not get the IP address (using DHCP) from my ISP.

The router is running 1.00.20 firmware.

Every time I call customer support, they keep asking me for my account and MAC. But I haven't signed up yet since the router doesn't seem to be working. Oh, and if I take the router to work and connect it to our network there, it DOES get an IP address.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Posts: 646 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:36 am Post subject:

I have a DCM-200, and it's got a funky ethernet port. I've described a couple solutions in this thread:

http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic1951.html

Basically, you either have to put a switch/hub between the cable modem and router, or you could try my capacitor trick.

Alternatively, you could get a modem that doesn't suck... I'll probably do that someday Smile

Posts: 192 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:04 am Post subject:

Darn! Never thought it was the DCM-200, since everything else works with that modem.

I have a powered switch, so I will try the switch tonight when I get home. In the longer term, I don't want another powered devlce sitting behind my TV, Confused

so I may splurge on another modem. Any suggestions?

Posts: 646 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:07 am Post subject:

I think the Motorola SB5100 / SB5120 is among the best.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 11:18 am Post subject:

I have a SB5100 and like it, but before we get all consumer on this issue are you sure it isn't a case of your ISP/cable modem not recognizing the MAC address of the new router? Had you previously cloned you notebooks MAC address on your old router? Have you tried power cycling the cable modem?

Now, go buy a SB5100.

Posts: 192 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the advice on the modem. I'll see if it is approved by my ISP.

In answer to the other questions, yep, I tried cloning the MAC address, even though my ISP doesn't care about the router MAC, just the modem MAC. And I went through the whole recycle business. I've had enough issues over the past couple of years to know the drill. Smile

Posts: 93 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 93

you got a very problematic cable modem there man. even d-link got problem with that product that's why they discontinued it. so yeah, just get a new cable modem

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 21, 2005 Posts: 8

I had the exact same problem today, I was running 1.0.29 i downloaded from the linksys forums website. The router was running fine but my telephone side had died, so i rebooted the router and suddenly it stopped getting an ip address, gateway address etc from the cable modem. Spent an hour with Vonage support on the phone, in the end escalated from low level tech to level 2 to senior tech and he reinstalled the firmware from scratch, i.e. went back to a really old version which took a good 20 mins to install remotely and then applied the 1.0.29 firmware. Everythings working now but im still not very happy with the performance, the internal webpages take way too long to come up (unlike my old dlink router).
I am thinking of returning the wrtp54g and getting a wrt54g (for QOS) and a PAP2 device, its supposedly more stable.

Posts: 93 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 93

good idea. wrt54g and pap2 is a more stable setup. gotta get the older device that has been tested and not a new one that might still have lots of issues

Posts: 192 · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:25 pm Post subject:

Well, this weekend I went ahead and bought a new cable modem. I got the Linksys BEFCMU10, since that was all the store had and I didn't want to wait for mail order.

Not only does everything work now, but I'm finally getting the 5MB downstream that my ISP says I should get. With the D-Link, I barely got above 3MB.

Should have done this a long time ago...if I had known that the modem was the problem! Mad