vonage issue with securifi

[malam69]

Hello:

I m having some issues with my vonage phone after connected to my securifi router. Here is my setup:

internet-----cable modem-----securifi almond-----linksys vonage router -----phone

After connecting with this setup, my vonage phone connects, but then i lose the connection every time i make or receive a call. It works fine if i change the connecting like this:

internet-----cable modem------linksys vonage router------securifi almond

I d like to connect the first way, since securifi has content filtering and i d like to use this as my primary gateway for my wired and wireless devices instead of linksys. what do i have to do to solve the problem with vonage calls?

thanks.

[Patrick Wilson]

Hello:

I m having some issues with my vonage phone after connected to my securifi router. Here is my setup:

internet-----cable modem-----securifi almond-----linksys vonage router -----phone

After connecting with this setup, my vonage phone connects, but then i lose the connection every time i make or receive a call. It works fine if i change the connecting like this:

internet-----cable modem------linksys vonage router------securifi almond

I d like to connect the first way, since securifi has content filtering and i d like to use this as my primary gateway for my wired and wireless devices instead of linksys. what do i have to do to solve the problem with vonage calls?

thanks.

Your Vonage Router needs to be connected to the Internet (cable modem) directly,  in order for it's SIP (VoIP) function to work correctly.   When you connect your Almond between the Cable modem and the Vonage router,  this results in a double-NAT configuration for the Vonage device which causes your VoIP/SIP service to fail. 

Basically your Vonage box,  is a Router and SIP adapter in a single case.  If your Vonage device was only a VoIP adapter,  rather than a Router/VoIP combo device,  it would be possible to place it behind the Almond,  with the correct port-forwarding in place on the Almond  (SIP typically use port 5060/TCP). 

Unfortunately this means that you won't have any choice on the cabling  order of your existing equipment,  as the SIP (VoIP) adapter portion of the Vonage device needs to be directly exposed to the Internet,  I personally  have 2 SIP adapters behind my Router here which works for me,  but I have to operate each of my SIP adapters on different ports for this to work,  so that I can setup my Port-Forwarding correctly within the Router.  (I simply operate one on 5060/TCP and the other on 5061/TCP).   I use two different SIP providers,  and each permits me to use any port I want,  so this works for me here.  Vonage typically wants you to use their (pre-configured) SIP adapters,  rather than allowing you to use your own,  so you probably wouldn't be permitted to wire your network up any other way.. 

I'm not a Vonage customer,  so this last information may not be accurate,  check with Vonage to see what their rules/requirements are.  (Perhaps you can convince Vonage to provide a simple SIP adapter rather than a Router/SIP combo unit for your VoIP service).   

[malam69]

Hello Patrick:

thank you so much for your reply. I understand your explanation about double-NAT'ing, that was my concern too. But the same configuration worked when i connected my vonage to my AT&T Uverse wireless/router. Recently i changed my internet connection from AT&T U-Verse to Time Warner cable. So, when my vonage router was connected behind my AT&T uverse wireless/router it worked without any problem! In that configuration it was essentially doing dobule-NAT'ing. Is there a way to configure port forwarding for sip services seperately in securifi device?

I will also ask vonage for a simple sip adapter combo, but i thought i would check with you too since everything worked with AT&T service.

Thanks Again!

[Patrick Wilson]

Hello Patrick:

thank you so much for your reply. I understand your explanation about double-NAT'ing, that was my concern too. But the same configuration worked when i connected my vonage to my AT&T Uverse wireless/router. Recently i changed my internet connection from AT&T U-Verse to Time Warner cable. So, when my vonage router was connected behind my AT&T uverse wireless/router it worked without any problem! In that configuration it was essentially doing dobule-NAT'ing. Is there a way to configure port forwarding for sip services seperately in securifi device?

I will also ask vonage for a simple sip adapter combo, but i thought i would check with you too since everything worked with AT&T service.

Thanks Again!

Unless you know the configuration under your AT&T U-Verse service, this information probably shines more mystery than light on the question.  It is possible that AT&T simply "bridged" their Router,  so that your Vonage device was given a Public IP address,  despite there being two Routers involved. Besides,  as you are now with Time Warner cable,  the old AT&T settings no longer apply anyway so lets not muddy the waters.

I always decline "combo devices" from my ISP,  unless they agree to "bridge" them.  This might be the solution here.  If you get Time Warner to "bridge" their device,  it will disable it's Wi-Fi and DHCP capabilities,  and the device will behave like it is nothing more than a Cable modem.  It will issue a Public IP address that you can connect your Vonage device to.   What Make/Model of Internet/SIP Router did Vonage provide?  What Make/Model of Cable Modem+Router did Time-Warner provide? 

Perhaps if I knew the actual equipment involved,  I could provide further assistance.  You Almond makes an excellent WAP (Wireless Access Point),  so there are many possibilities here.  My configuration here involves no "combo" units,  but it does include a single Router with multiple WAP's attached to the main Router.  If you can provide more information,  and lay out the goals of your network,   perhaps I can help you get there. 






 

[Patrick Wilson]

Hello Patrick:

thank you so much for your reply. I understand your explanation about double-NAT'ing, that was my concern too. But the same configuration worked when i connected my vonage to my AT&T Uverse wireless/router. Recently i changed my internet connection from AT&T U-Verse to Time Warner cable. So, when my vonage router was connected behind my AT&T uverse wireless/router it worked without any problem! In that configuration it was essentially doing dobule-NAT'ing. Is there a way to configure port forwarding for sip services seperately in securifi device?

I will also ask vonage for a simple sip adapter combo, but i thought i would check with you too since everything worked with AT&T service.

Thanks Again!

Vonage,  AFAIK,  uses standard SIP protocols in order to provide your phone service.  This probably requires Port-Forwarding (typically SIP uses Port 5060/TCP),  perhaps the solution at this point would be to check with Vonages Website or Technical Support staff,  to determine the exactly settings/port-forwarding requirements of using their service.  (Additional port forwards will probably be required if Vonage also supports Video).  Check with Vonage for accurate information.   

Check out Vonage Support Document: Advanced Installation with Port Forwarding,  hopefully it will provide all the information you require to setup Port Forwarding on your Almond. 

I'm not a Vonage customer,  so I'm afraid I have no direct knowledge of their service. 

[Pestus]

Shouldn't this be just a matter of DHCP reservation (or hard coded static IP), and knowing what ports to forward?

Alternatively, a DMZ ought to handle it too.

[Patrick Wilson]

Shouldn't this be just a matter of DHCP reservation (or hard coded static IP), and knowing what ports to forward?

Alternatively, a DMZ ought to handle it too.

SIP does not play "nice" when double NAT'd.  Part of the problem is that it requires end-to-end TCP and UDP transports for multiple protocols etc and port-ranges. 

[Pestus]

Hmm..

Never met a problem like this I couldn't cure with DMZ.  It ought to allow any number of dynamically assigned inbound / outbound connections devoid of firewall interference.  I have a Cisco ATA sitting behind a router like this and it just works.  Didn't need to configure anything on the ATA.

Beyond this, don't know.

[Patrick Wilson]

Hmm..

Never met a problem like this I couldn't cure with DMZ.  It ought to allow any number of dynamically assigned inbound / outbound connections devoid of firewall interference.  I have a Cisco ATA sitting behind a router like this and it just works.  Didn't need to configure anything on the ATA.

Beyond this, don't know.

Your Cisco ATA (probably a Sipura with a Linksys Badge on it), did not have the Router attached to it,  and probably use UPnP to open all the Ports it required on the Router it was behind.  The OP in this thread is using a Router/SIP "combo" unit,  so the ATA "section" needs to be attached to the "primary" Router,  which because it is a "combo" unit,  means "it" needs to be the primary Router. 

All my ATA's are stand-alone units too,  so I can setup up my SIP adapters behind my primary router,  regardless of which device I choose to use as my primary Router.  (I own 4 Routers,  with 1 configured as a Router,  and the other 3 all configured as AP's (Access Points).  My Almond is presently setup as an Access Point. 

[Pestus]

Well this is getting mysterious!

Mine is a Cisco SPA112.  It has NAT functionality (turned off).  As such, it has a WAN and a LAN port.  I have it plugged into the WAN port.

I also turn off uPnP religiously, as there's no authentication mechanism to that protocol.  My router most definitely has that turned off.

I just plugged this in and it worked.  You're making me think I got lucky here.