Using Vonage in Europe (France specifically)

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 3

No , I didn't try plugging a computer since the Livebox give me the wireless acess to my computer.

I also had plugged the Vonage router with the ethernet cord, one end at the Vonage (WAN) and the other direct on the Ethernet port on the Livebox.

I don't have anything from USA connected to the Vonage router, my connection before was from Comcast Cable and I used a router for wireless, so nothig connected.

The big thing for me is that Vonage say that you have to connect the cable on the Vonage router but since it's ADSL I have to keep this conect in the LIvebox to keep my internet and TV working.

Actually my question is wich cord I conect where in order to have the Vonage router work together with the LIvebox from FRance telecom.

But thank's for your answer.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 3

I finally discovery the problem. I had to access the IP address and configure the DMZ to open all ports .

And them work it!

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 27, 2007 Posts: 2

I borrowed my friend's Vonage box to use in France before subscribing. I have tried it with a portable english phone and a french wired phone with adapters. In both cases I get a terrible hissing sound as interference. I do not think I can use it in France unless anyone has an idea.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 03, 2007 Posts: 1

I am using my Vonage (linksys) router from the US here in France. I had a couple problems getting it to work, so I hope this will help anyone else with trouble. It does work.

Problem 1
Symptom: Hissing, It sorta works for 10 mins then stops working, you hear a dial tone, it's great, 5 minutes later it's back to a lot of noise.

Solution: You probably did what I did which was bring your Vonage router and buy a 12 volt plug for it once you got to France, not really thinking about amps. 12 volts 500 mA seems to be the standard plug in most stores. You need AT LEAST 12 volt 1 amp (1000 mA) for your US Vonage router. The only one I could find that was close was 12 volt 1200 mA for under 20 euro, which seems to work ok - - i guess you can go over on the amps. In any case, the amps are the problem.

Problem 2
Symptom: Vonage works, you can even plug in a laptop to the router, but some almost random combination of vonage+livebox+ 1 (or more??) wireless computers results in not being able to get online at all. If you unplug everything and start from scratch, you can get it working with limited results, but getting Vonage + 1 or more wireless connections just isn't working. You definitely have connectivity, and can stay connected, but if you try to get back online wirelessly while Vonage is working, you just can't connect.

Solution: Give the Vonage router a static IP address.
My best guess on this is that the livebox (acting as a dhcp server) and the Vonage box (also acting as a dhcp server) aren't getting along with their dynamic IP address allocations. I think I finally have this fixed (it's been working for 2 days now) by giving *just* the Vonage router a static IP address. Everything else (i.e. your wireless laptop, etc., will still get a dynamic ip). Do this as follows: start by remoting into your livebox (browse to http://192.168.1.1 and login with admin/admin)
Informations->Language->English Smile

Lan Server->Add
Server Name: Vonage
Access Activated: Yes
Protocol: UDP <== !!!!
Port from: 1
Port to: 20000
Local Ip Address: 192.168.1.66
This tells the Livebox that there's a fixed IP address of 192.168.1.66 on the home network.
Now you need to tell Vonage to use that address.
Do this by remoting into your Vonage router. There are much better ways to do this, but just for the sake of speed and simplicity here in the forum, do it this way: first PLUG INTO your Vonage router. You won't be able to connect to it wirelessly. Once you've plugged in to it, make sure you're online, and open your browser and start trying (guessing)
http://192.168.1.2
up to
http://192.168.1.15 or so, until you get a prompt to log in. This is your Vonage router prompting you. Try admin/admin or perhaps admin/highspeed. One you're in there, disable dynamic IP allocation, and fix the IP address of your Vonage router to 192.168.1.66, with a route of 192.168.1.1 (that's the livebox's IP).

Hope that helps.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject: Re: Vonage + Livebox + France

jknight wrote:

i guess you can go over on the amps.

Just for clarification...

Yes, you certainly can. The amperage rating on a device is a maximum the converter is capable of delivering, not what it actually delivers. So as long as the converter you choose is at LEAST 1A (1000mA), you are in good shape.