Problems with outgoing calls but Incoming calls work well

Posts: 30 · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 4:06 pm Post subject:

That was posted while I was typing mine. I will take a look.

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Aug 10, 2005 Posts: 19

What size is your antenna? This also can play a role in degradation. You probably have a .96M antenna. We use 1.8M antennas and it make a huge difference. It also helps to have a more powerful BUC, transmitter. I have suggestions on how to get it to work, but they cost quite a bit of money. Also, check to see if DW has any for of CIR.

We have used many different Voip providers. We even hosted a SIP server at our location with Mediatrix units at each remote site. Vonage worked the best so far. We can call and fax over the internet regularly. The only issue is that these suggestions may not work for DW.

Posts: 30 · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:03 pm Post subject: Another stab at it

I have been arguing that bandwidth was not the problem all along. Otherwise, my logic says that it would be equally poor both ways. But I do see that one difference between inbound and outbound is the SIP initiation. When someone calls me, the initiation has been done, but when I call them, my router is the initiator, so it has to instigate the initial routing.

I have been reading some about SIP and have decided that it would be an incomplete set of tests if I do not increase the available bandwidth and see if it makes any difference.

I would like to point out that during all of my tests I have been well above the 90Kbs uplink requirement, but I am not sure how much the latency affects that.

My plan is to call DirecWay and attempt to get my bandwidth allocation on the uplink increased to as much as I can get. I will then run the same outbound call test and see if it is still choppy. If the call goes through clear then I will come back here and admit that I was absolutely wrong about the bandwidth. I hope that I have to do that.

M@

Posts: 30 · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:22 pm Post subject: Inbound still clear

I just verified that inbound is still clear, I called home and talked to my wife for about five minutes and only heard one glitch...sounded like part of one of her words got dropped. She said I was perfectly clear.

Once I get home I will call DirecWay and see if they will bump up the bandwidth for me and also find out if they can provide and QOS in the routing. I think I already know the answer but I am going to ask anyway.

M@

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Aug 10, 2005 Posts: 19

QoS is nice, but if the bandwidth is not there then QoS will not help. Ask about CIR when you speak with them. CIR guarantees the bandwidth all the time. CIR is a nice alternative to a dedicated connection.

Posts: 423 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Oct 03, 2005 Posts: 423

It's not that you're being ignored, it's just that everyone knows that Vonage over satellite, in all but very few cases, STINKS. The End, thanks for showing up, sign up for cable, wireless, Fiber, ISDN or DSL on your way out. Can't get those services where you live? Well speaking for myself, a person to whom broadband is vital, that is one reason I don't live on a mountaintop in the Ozarks.

You know about latency, packet bursts, etc. I would like to hear what you think a Vonage rep can conceivably do about a satellite ISP's network. Tell me a setting you want changed and I will do it.

Also, refresh my memory since this thread has been beaten into the floor so far that I can't remember, which device is it that you have, and what version of the firmware. Only thing I can think of is that firmware is scrambled somehow.

Why would this only affect outbound calls and not inbound calls? Congestion, deprioritization of uploads VS downloads by your ISP possibly...You don't have Bittorrent running in the background or something do you...

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:34 pm Post subject:

Congestion on the UL is what would do it along with latency. That would be why the outgoing voice sounds choppy but not the incoming.

Have any of you sat users done the www.testmyvoip.com test yet?

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Aug 10, 2005 Posts: 19

Do you have your account setting for bandwidth set at 30? There is no reason to have it any higher.

Posts: 1389 · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:38 pm Post subject:

Folks, go back and start reading this thread from the first post. There are numerous reasons why the inbound is good but outbound is choppy. Also there are many other links to people discussing the same issue..

You are pointing it as a Vonage problem when it is actually explained many times over.

And Mr. Sorento, your issue is totally different than what you are experiencing. Cable and Direcway etc are apples and oranges.

Posts: 30

What could Vonage do to correct it? If I knew that I would post it. I suspect that there is nothing that they can do. I am not really blaming Vonage. I just find it odd that at any given moment I can pick up the phone and call my Voip line and it is very clear and when I had the Vonage guy on the line he said it was "choppy and unusable" both ways. Maybe it was a fluke.

I don't think Vonage is doing anything to cause the problem. I have said all along that I suspect DirecWay of being the problem. I just wanted to rule out configuration, etc. on the Vonage side before I called them because the first thing they will say is "Its a Vonage problem".

This forum (as I understand it) is for discussion. If we want to talk it to death, I don't think this thread will overload the servers.

To answer other questions...no, I am running nothing in the background. In fact, I have tried it numerous times with only the Vonage router plugged directly into the satellite modem's ethernet port with no other devices connected.

I guess my overall point in pushing this discussion is this: I have seen many posts about this and they just die off. They don't solve anything, but worse than that, they don't conclude anything. If it can't be done, then fine. I just want to know why. I don't want it to be attributed to a knee-jerk thing that can't be solved (such as latency) because that doesn't explain it. Lack of bandwidth may, but I am not to the point of being convinced.

My equipment is an RTP300 2-line router with 4 ethernet ports. I have my bandwidth set to 30. Last night the Vonage tech set my packet size to 20 then 10, then back to 30 with no noticable difference.

Yes, I know Voip over satellite isn't ideal. But I don't believe that it is impractical or impossible. Not yet anyway.

I cannot get broadband in any other form where I am. Otherwise I sure wouldn't be on satellite.

I have a perfectly good Bellsouth land line with unlimited long distance, so I could just give up and use it, but what fun would that be?