Cant make any phone calls!, can receive without problems !!

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 14, 2005 Posts: 2

I noticed it about 3 days ago (don't use Vonage as primary line) that I am unable to call anyone. I have a dial tone but when i dial I cannot hear it ringing on the other end(sometimes 1 bell) or other person speaking, however if they call me, i don't have any problems !

I have used the bandwidth saver and reduced it to 30, also opened the ports on the router (5061/10000 - 20000).

Also spoke to CS who said that cable modem may be the culprit coz its Motorola Surfboard SB4200 (Docsis 1.1 only)

But before changing the modem, i wanted to check if there could be any other problem/solution(s).

If I connect my adapter directly to the cable modem, then I am able to make phone calls however that is not what I want to do as a permanent setup and adapter was working earlier so I dont think that router could be a suspect.

1. Location: New Jersey (Princeton)
2. ISP: Comcast Cable
3. Download 3,290,056 bps / Upload 341,032 bps
4. Cable Modem: Motorola Surfboard 4200
5. Vonage adapter : PAP2
6. Modem---->Router--->Vonage Adapter
- [connected to router] |--->Switch--->PC's
7. Router: Netgear WGR614
8. Cant make any phone calls!, can receive without problems !!

Bandwidth Test:
-----------------
Download 3,086,672 bps
Upload 266,688 bps
QOS 81%
RTT 51 ms
MaxPause 47 ms

MOS Analysis from You TO Boston :
---------------------------------------------
Media Quality MOS 4.4 / 5.0
(Best with G.711 is 4.4)

Degradation Sources
Codec 0.57 96.8%
Latency 0.00 0.0%
Packet Discards 0.02 3.2%
Packet Loss 0.00 0.0%

Codec G.711 (PCM at 64kbps,
20ms RTP payload,
80kbps IP BW)
Round-Trip
Latency 122 ms
Packet Discards 0.1%
Packet Loss 0.0%
Loss Periods Min: 20 ms
Avg: 20 ms
Max: 20 ms
Random Loss

Jitter Min: 0 ms
Avg: 6 ms
Max: 28 ms

Signaling Quality Post-Dial Delay 62 ms
Call Setup Time 62 ms
Media Delay 171 ms

MOS Analysis FROM Boston To You:
----------------------------------------------
Media Quality MOS 4.4 / 5.0
(Best with G.711 is 4.4)

Degradation Sources
Codec 0.58 100.0%
Latency 0.00 0.0%
Packet Discards 0.00 0.0%
Packet Loss 0.00 0.0%

Codec G.711 (PCM at 64kbps,
20ms RTP payload,
80kbps IP BW)
Round-Trip
Latency 122 ms
Packet Discards 0.0%
Packet Loss 0.0%
Loss Periods Min: 0 ms
Avg: 0 ms
Max: 0 ms
No Loss

Jitter Min: 4 ms
Avg: 6 ms
Max: 20 ms

Signaling Quality Post-Pickup Delay 84 ms
Call Setup Time 81 ms
Media Delay 114 ms

Thanks in advance for your replies and help.

Posts: 282 · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:07 am Post subject:

I started my Vonage service on a Motorola SB4100 and the WGR614 with the PAP2 and it worked fine (in a similar configuration to what you want to end up with). I've since upgraded to a more contemporary Moto SB5100 since Time Warner willing exchanges old hardware for new, and it is a nicer looking, and by many accounts, better performing modem.

There are more Ports to forward as specified in the Vonage web site (in addition to the ones you have provisioned). Do you have either static DHCP or a static IP address assigned and in use for the PAP2? Port forwarding requires a specific IP. If you have the PAP2 on DHCP, when you reboot it can be assigned a different IP each time, so the Port fowarding will no longer be linked to the device. This is very important. Add these to your port forwarding:

5060
53
69

Have you tried resetting your router back to factory defaults and starting from there?

Are you using DHCP in both the router and PAP2?

Have you tried using a different phone? Doesn't seem like it would matter, but many people have found a particular phone to be the problem. Easy to test and worth a try.

You have plenty of bandwidth, so setting to the 30kbs setting isn't going to fix your problem (and won't sound as good). You should easily support 90Kbs assuming your not doing a lot of bit torrent or the like.

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

I agree with most of what you said, Chrisfix, about the SB 5100. However, I must disagree with the statement that its performance is superior to the SB 4200 when it comes to using Voip. Perhaps in other areas such as internet access, speed issues, it might be superior because of newer technology, though I myself get the rated speeds advertised by Comcast 6 mbps down and 384 up. At least in my case, I have a SB 4100 and it has not given me one bit of trouble with Vonage.

The claim that Docsis 1.1 is the problem is a bunch of baloney. If that was the case, my modem should be used instead as paper weight.

rrastogi,

My suggestion, the modem is not the problem here. (I am assuming that you own your modem and that you are not renting from Comcast. If you are renting then ask them for a new one) I would try Chrisfix's idea about giving your PAP2 a static IP address so that all the port forwarding will go to it and only to its IP address. In addition, I'd also forward all the ports as Chrisfix said.

I do agree with Chrisfix though that the SB5100 looks better and it is newer technology. But it takes 2 sides to make use of that technology. Your modem and the ISP. I have spoken with Comcast folks before and they said that there are no compatibility issues with Docsis 1.1 modems. Hope this helps.

Posts: 282 · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:29 am Post subject:

mundy5 wrote:

I agree with most of what you said, Chrisfix, about the SB 5100. However, I must disagree with the statement that its performance is superior to the SB 4200 when it comes to using Voip. Perhaps in other areas such as internet access, speed issues, it might be superior because of newer technology, though I myself get the rated speeds advertised by Comcast 6 mbps down and 384 up. At least in my case, I have a SB 4100 and it has not given me one bit of trouble with Vonage.

I agree that the modem is the last place I would look to as the problem here. I was trying to say that I used the SB4100 with Vonage without any problems as well. The OP also states that with a direct connection, he doesn't have any problems. The SB5100 is just a more modern looking modem, and incoporates most of the latest standards. I had the SB4100 for 5 years, so I didn't see any harm it getting a new one from TWC - it costs the same to me either way. Very Happy

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

ditto. I would have done the same in your shoes. I own my modem so I didn't see any reason to purchase a new one at this point.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:23 am Post subject:

rrastogi -

Have you tried putting the Voip adapter's IP address in the DMZ on your router? This would forward all ports and ensure that you aren't just missing a port forward somewhere.

Also, I am using a DOCSIS 1.0 (yes, you read that right, my data packets are chiseled in Sanskrit on stone tablets before receipt) on a WRTP54G. The *vonage* portion of my WRTP54G works flawlessly, or at least only has well-documented flaws like the recent caller ID issues. I can make and receive calls all day long with nary a problem.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Nov 14, 2005 Posts: 2

Guys
Thanks for your help!
The problem is no longer there and as far as I know, i did not do anything for it to disappear !!!

The following is what i did
1. Verified that the PAP was using Static IP Address from router.
2. Verified that the port forwarding (5060 & 10000-20000) was fwd'ed to the correct IP
3. Put the IP Address in the DMZ.
4. Called several numbers.

All of the calls were successful !!!!

1. Removed the IP from the DMZ
Result: Still works
2. Removed the 5060 port fwd'ing
Result: Still works
3. Removed the 10000 - 20000 ports
Result: Still Works

So basically I am back to my old configuration i.e. no port forwarded and Vonage works and I have not changed the phone instrument either.

So I don't know what was wrong and what fixed it.

The only possible reason would be that the WGR614 has to reboot itself after the changes to DMZ and maybe that fixed it but I am not certain coz I did not check it before putting it in the DMZ Sad

BTW, Yesterday i.e. before posting this message I had powered down my pap, router, modem and brought them back up, cable modem, router, pap - in that order so IMHO that should have taken care of any corruption/issues.

But I am glad that it works Smile

Thanks for your help.

Posts: 132 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 132

"When in doubt, reboot!" I have copyrights.