JohnWS
@cox.net
| [Lingo] Lingo Drops Outgoing Voice
I've spent quite a lot of time with Lingo Support and mostly the response is something along the lines of "easy to fix..." Well here is the problem:
1) I initiate a call.
2) Usually around 10-13 minutes into the call, the outgoing (from the VOIP line) is muted. The person called can continue talking and be heard but nothing from the VOIP phone is transmitted outbound.
Some of the pertinent facts:
1) We are using 2 phone adapters (serially connected) for 2 phone numbers - they are directly after the cable modem (COX cable)
2) We did attempt with only one connected and it stayed working for 35 minutes and then when we put the other one back in line we repeated the 10 minute problem.
3) The other line seems to be functioning OK although at one point it would periodically disconnect the call.
Any thoughts? |
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deheza
join:2004-06-10
Allen, TX |  My best guess is to connect each one to it's own router port. I had problems in the past with my PC connected through a Lingo ATA and the softphone on the PC wouldn't work because the router was blocking it. |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO | reply to JohnWS
have you had this occur when calling many numbers or have you noticed only with calling to a single number? |
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JohnWS
@cox.net
| reply to deheza
The Lingo adapters are connected serially to the cable modem. So the order is the wall plug, the cable modem, the 1st adapter, the second adapter (the one experiencing the problem), and then the router. I think the router shouldn't have to be in the discussion. |
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JohnWS
@cox.net | reply to RockyBB
Several numbers but for testing I generally have been calling a cellphone. The cellphone audio is still being received by the VOIP line, but the VOIP person can no longer be heard. |
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | reply to JohnWS
Are they using the same port? |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Longmont, CO
| reply to JohnWS
said by JohnWS :
Several numbers but for testing I generally have been calling a cellphone. The cellphone audio is still being received by the VOIP line, but the VOIP person can no longer be heard.
There are too many variables with cell phones. For all you know, it's the cell phone that's futzing out. When the issue is call quality, always do your testing with wired phone connected to a hard line. |
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PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
 ·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
| said by RockyBB  : When the issue is call quality, always do your testing with wired phone connected to a hard line. Agree 100% with that!
("If you really want to tell, then don't do your tests on a cell")
I think that connecting ATA's in series introduces a whole new set of variables.
If you don't want to have the router immediately after the cable modem, how about an ethernet hub? |
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nitzan
Premium,VIP
join:2008-02-27 | reply to JohnWS
Try to disable the router's SPI firewall and see if that helps?
--
Nitzan Kon, CEO
Future Nine Corporation |
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JohnWS
@cox.net | reply to ptrowski
The 2 Lingo Adapters (Linksys), are serially connected to the cable modem. Never have done a test with both phones being used (if that comes in to play). |
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JohnWS
@cox.net
| reply to PX Eliezer
We have actually had the router in between the cable modem and the Lingo adapters and it made no difference. The cell phone is perfect to use because the problem is not a dropped call but only the VOIP outgoing audio is being dropped. The problem has occurred on many non-cellphone calls but it easiest to duplicate at almost any time with a cellphone since I don't carry around a land line with me everywhere - be nice though... |
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caseydoug
join:2001-08-14
Seattle, WA
| I'd be willing to bet that this is a NAT problem, although most one-way audio problems associated with network address translation involve incoming not outgoing audio. In any event, years ago I had calls drop after exactly 11 minutes. I traced it to the Symmetric NAT of my SonicWall router: the call's keep-alive packet was getting lost in my network.
You say that the router shouldn't be a problem because the adapters are connected serially after the router. I believe the UTStarcom and AzaCall adapters have DHCP enabled by default. That would mean that both your cable modem and the first adapter might be providing DHCP services to the second adapter. That could definitely interfere with network traffic.
One possible solution is to disable DHCP on the adapters. If you have the adapters mentioned above, that is done in DHCP Configuration under Gateway Mode Settings. A second solution is to put the second adapter into the DMZ of the first, although the DMZ settings never worked very well on those adapters. The best solution is not to have the adapters connected serially: plug each into its own port on the cable modem, or if you don't have a free port, get a switch. The point is, you don't want one adapter connected to the LAN port of the other adapter. |
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PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
1 edit | said by caseydoug :The best solution is not to have the adapters connected serially: plug each into its own port on the cable modem, or if you don't have a free port, get a switch. The point is, you don't want one adapter connected to the LAN port of the other adapter.
JohnWS, I'd second that advice from caseydoug. As I had suggested previously, you could use an ethernet hub. Or, as caseydoug suggests, use a switch.
The point is, as others have suggested, that your current configuration is rather unusual, and is a likely suspect for the problems you are seeing. |
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JohnWS
@cox.net
| OK, I have a switch that I will connect the cable modem to and then connect the 2 Lingo adapters to that. Does it seem like I should keep the home router connected through the Lingo device or should that just be connected to the switch as well? My first test will be like this:
1. Wall
2. Cable Modem
3. Switch
4. Both Lingo Adapters into Switch
5. Home router into one of the Lingo Adapters (later plugged directly into the switch as an additional test). |
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PX Eliezer
Premium
join:2008-08-09
New Jersey
·Optimum Voice
·callwithus
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
| said by JohnWS :
Does it seem like I should keep the home router connected through the Lingo device or should that just be connected to the switch as well?
As you said, you can try it both ways, but I think that it's best for the router to have its own connection to the switch.
In other words, not connected to any Lingo device. |
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caseydoug
join:2001-08-14
Seattle, WA
| I agree with PX Eliezer that nothing should be connected to the LAN port of the Lingo adapters. However, I was assuming that your cable modem had it's own router. If you have a separate router, I would connect them as follows:
1. Wall
2. Cable modem
3. Home router
4. Switch
5. Both VoIP adapters, desktop computer, wireless adapter, etc. connected to the switch.
Many home routers have a built-in switch (i.e., they have several LAN ports). If that is the case, then of course you do not need another switch unless you don't have enough ports. The point is that you want your router to be able to distribute IP addresses to both adapters, your computers, and everything else that is downstream. It won't be able to do that if it is connected behind the VoIP adapter. |
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JohnWS
@cox.net
| With both Lingo devices plugged in to the switch, only one will work. I was thinking about getting the one that does not work working (have it connected by itself) check to see what IP, etc it is using and then make those manual settings instead of using DHCP, then reconnect the other one only and make sure it is not using that same IP (I guess before I take it down I'll check that info), and maybe that will work - any other thoughts?
Whichever one is turned on first works and the other one never gets comes up. |
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caseydoug
join:2001-08-14
Seattle, WA
| Yes, that is strange. Log into both, and completely check their status and configuration settings: DHCPC Status, WAN IP, LAN Configuration, etc. The only differences you should see between the two are the IP and MAC addresses. You could give the adapters fixed IP addresses, but if they are set up identically and receiving different IP addresses, you are going to want to find out what is causing the problem.
If the two adapters are otherwise identical, then the problem may lie in your cable modem or router. Is it possible that both are acting as routers, providing DHCP? That could cause a conflict. If so, disable the DHCP server in one of them. |
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JohnWS
@cox.net
| Is there some way to make sure both modems are set to some standard configuration? Like a reset of some kind?
One thing I noticed was I was not able to have my wireless router connected to the switch but it would work if connected through the Lingo Adapter. I also tried to disable the DHCP Server and then my Internet wouldn't work (obviously it is getting its address from the Linksys router. Maybe the cable modem is not providing the proper DHCP service. I guess my next test will be to have the cable modem, then the wireless router, then the switch and then both Lingo boxes. The wireless router should handle the DHCP for both Lingo adapters... I'll look into each device for configuration as well.
The cable modem must only be providing one address not DHCP (it must only be a DHCP client not a server) - this next test might just be the ticket... |
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caseydoug
join:2001-08-14
Seattle, WA
| I'm a little confused by what you are describing here. When you say "both modems," do you mean both adapters? Yes, you can reset the adapters. I don't recall you saying which adapters you have, but if they are UTStarcom or AzaCall, then you can press *#456987# from a connected telephone. Make sure they have internet access when you do this.
However, if your wireless router is not getting an address when connected to the switch (switch connected to cable modem?), then the problem is probably NOT with the adapters (so don't reset them). The problem is with DHCP on your router or cable modem.
You say you tried to disable the DHCP server. On what device? Which DHCP server? When you say "obviously it is getting its address from the Linksys router," WHAT is getting its address from the Linksys router? When you say "Maybe the cable modem is not providing the proper DHCP service," are you saying that it is providing SOME DHCP service?
To get to the bottom of this, perhaps you could describe your system: what kind of cable modem, what kind of router (is it just for wireless access, or are you using its router functions as well?), what kind of VoIP adapters, and what kind of network (i.e., do you have a wired network as well as a wireless network?). Also, what is your connection type (PPPoE, etc.)?
While all your devices can be DHCP clients, you probably want only one DHCP server. If your ISP has your cable modem set up as a DHCP server, the simplest thing might be to put the switch right after the cable modem, configure your router (Linksys wireless router?) not as a router but as a wireless access point, and connect it to the switch, and also connect the adapters to the switch.
On the other hand, if you want to use your Linksys as a router (e.g., because it has better security features), you may need to disable DHCP on your cable modem, configure the Linksys to log in using your PPPoE credentials (assuming that's what you have), and then connect the Linksys to the cable modem, the switch to the Linksys, and the adapters to the switch.
The point is, there are several ways to do it, depending on what you have and what you want. From what you've described, it's hard to tell where the problem is. Perhaps you should simplify, and test one thing at a time (e.g., forget the adapters and the router, and see what type of IP you get from the cable modem. Is it public or private? That will tell you whether the cable modem is acting as a router). And as I suggested in my previous post, it would help you to check (and report) the status of all your devices. Just knowing what type of IP addresses they are getting would tell a lot.
Good luck! |
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