Vonage Setup

Once I set up my cable modem I decided to put my Vonage router between my modem and my WRT54G wireless router. This is how Vonage’s website indicates it should be done, but not how their techs will have you set it up if you call for assistance. For some reason I had loads of trouble trying to set it up properly when using my DSL account. I think I was just trying to overthink the whole thing.

Anyway, a few tweaks to the Quality of Service parms (QOS) on the Vonage router and my voice communication is as solid as it gets. I had also previously installed the Alchemy firmware update on my WRT54G box to ensure decent QOS when Vonage was on the “wrong” side of it from the Cable box (Cable Box – WRT54G – Vonage Router). It was a good step since the Alchemy firmware update is eminently configurable. And it brought me some immediate relief when I started working with Bittorrent. You see one of my podcast feeds (SlashDotReview) has had some hosting issues due to bandwidth consumption and has moved its main feed over to a Bittorrent feed.

Anyway, I am able to give priority to voice traffic (and HTTP traffic) and lower the priority for Bittorrent traffic and that helped a lot. But the best solution was to swap the order of the boxes (Cable Box – Vonage Router – WRT54G) and let the Vonage router have full control over QOS.

Then I disconnected Bellsouth at the point where it enters the house and have plugged my Vonage router into a wall socket. End result? All phones in the house are now driven off of the Vonage router.

Now to cancel my BellSouth service. I also have to deal with the fact that my TIVO (Series 2 Phillips DSR704) can’t dial out on the Vonage line. What’s good enough for voice definitely isn’t good enough for the picky modem chipset in these boxes. I’m toying with alternatives, but that’s another discussion.

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