dajabon
join:2005-09-28
Portland, OR
edit:
October 6th, @11:07AM
|  Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection
Ok this may not be quite a "FAQ for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection", but it does
collect the answers to my own frequently asked questions on the topic. I must state
up-front that none of this information comes from me. I am also sure that I have missed a lot. Hopefully all of you can help fill the gaps. The content below is only the result of my research into postings of other forum members. So thanks to my predecessors and thanks to those who blessed us all with their pearls of wisdom.
Why would you want to use a wireless connection with VoIP?
1. You may be sharing your home Internet connection with a neighbor
2. A wiring constraint in the space where you want to put the VoIP ATA adapter
3. You want to take advantage of a wireless hotspot with your VoIP
4. Your hotel only has a wireless connection available
5. You just want to prove you can do it
6. You have nothing better or more interesting to do with your time
7. You want to get your geek fix for the day
...
So far I am aware of the following ways to run VoIP from a wireless Internet connection:
1. Use an Ethernet Wireless Bridge
2. Use Windows Internet Connection Sharing from a computer with a wireless adapter
3. Use an altered Wireless Router
4. Use a softphone (VoIP software)
5. Use a wireless VoIP Phone
Here are some general notes about wireless connections and VoIP:
said by stevech1  :wireless LAN is transparent to VoIP. The only issues are those common to any wireless LAN setup: choosing an uncongested channel (1, 6, 11) and assuring you have a good signal so that a reasonably high data rate is achieved. said by gnexus :The quality will likely be rather variable, but it will certainly work ok. It's the same quality issue deal as with cell phones. The only issue is firewall traversion. You should set the SPA for a worst case firewall situation using STUN, even if you don't need it for your home network. If it works good like that at home then no setting changes on the road would be neccessary. If use of STUN creates problems on your network then you would have to disable it and then reenable it for travel. Normally STUN is used w/o probs. Through quotes from other forum members I will try and explain each option.
1. Use an Ethernet Wireless Bridge
said by rizzo2dial :I've never had any success in bridging wireless and ethernet network adapters, but I've been 100% successful in using ICS to connect my P8 DTA to my laptop's ethernet connection w/ the laptop's wireless connection ICS enabled. said by prestonlewis :I've used a wireless connection from a router to a bridge and connected a SIP device to the bridge without any problems. 2. Use Windows Internet Connection Sharing from a computer with a wireless adapter
said by rizzo2dial :I've never had any success in bridging wireless and ethernet network adapters, but I've been 100% successful in using ICS to connect my P8 DTA to my laptop's ethernet connection w/ the laptop's wireless connection ICS enabled. said by rizzo2dial :1) Use a crossover cable to connect your P8 DTA directly to your notebook's ethernet port. 2) Turn on Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) on your Wireless Network Interface. Note: ICS enables a DHCP server on your notebook, where the DHCP server uses the internal IP address of 192.168.0.1. It DHCP assigns IP addresses using the scheme 192.168.0.x (where x > 1). If your wireless connection is hooked up to a router using the same 192.168.0.x addressing scheme, you'll need to change your router to another addressing scheme (i.e. 192.168.1.x). 3) After step 2 has been successfully completed, your DTA should receive a DHCP assigned IP address from your notebook and be able to share your notebook's wireless network connection (i.e. you should have a dialtone at this point). said by rizzo2dial :If you don't have a CROSSOVER cable, and if you have a spare hub or switch laying around, you can simulate what a CROSSOVER cable would do by: a) Connecting the laptop's LAN port to the switch/hub using a standard ethernet cable b) Connecting the P8 DTA to the switch/hub using a standard ethernet cable (Neither connection above should go into the switch/hub's "uplink" port) c) Don't plug any other ethernet cables into any other ports of the switch/hub! 3. Use an altered Wireless Router
said by rizzo2dial :If you travel w/ a router such as a WRT54G (w/ 3rd party firmware installed, such as SVEASOFT Alchemy), you can use that router as a wireless bridge, regular router, or simple ethernet switch. Linksys makes a travel sized 54G router too which may use the same firmware as the WRT54G; however, I've never reasearched it. 4. Use a softphone (VoIP software)
said by burgerwars :I prefer a wireless connection, even in my house. The access point is usually in the same room as my laptop. So very close. I plan on using the softphone mainly outside my house anyway, as I could just use my TA in my home. wireless may be the only choice when I'm away. said by gnexus :Occasionally you might run into a network where even STUN doesn't work. It is doubtful a hotel network would be that way, but in that case the Sipura won't work. The only solution then would be a softphone which uses X-tunnels or a similar solution, or Skype. Your best solution would be to change hotels immediately and let us know here so we can avoid that hotel chain. Good luck! 5. Use a wireless VoIP Phone
These products seem to be just entering the VoIP market. This is still bleeding edge in my opinion, but maybe it is starting to become more common.
My own notes:
> Internet Connection Sharing seems to be the one solution that people have the most success with.
> VoIP Providers that allow softphones are generally only the the Bring Your Own Device providers. Read these two topics »VoIP service with hardphone, softphone & Voicemail and »Up-to-date list of providers that have BYOD ?
Referenced forum topics:
»Which hotels/other places can you plug a TA into?
»[General] VOIP over Wireless LAN?
»anyone tried VOIP in hotspots?
»Re: Anyone ever try 802.11 to another phone adapte |
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dajabon
join:2005-09-28
Portland, OR
| This topic was very important to me. I knew when I traveled that a wireless connection was probably all tha tI would have available to me. The original post was based on my research with little to no experience. Now I have some experience.
Wireless Ethernet Bridge Method:
I brought a Netgear WGPS606 to behave as a Wireless Ethernet Bridge. However late I discovered that it seems to require a fixed local IP address and doesn't want to work with the wireless network here. What a waste of time and money. It worked great from home. When I could get it on the network it worked like a charm.
So I went with rizzo2dial's ICS suggestion. In testing at home this worked great once I could change my home router's IP address scheme from 168.192.0.x. Without making this change Windows will give you an immediate error and say something about the IP address is already taken. So this method concerned me as a Plan A option because I knew I would not be able to change a business' wireless router's addressing scheme during my travels. However, I caught a break, they use a Buffalo 54G Wireless Router and it defaults to 168.192.11.x. 
So here is what works for me now...
Internet Connection Sharing from a Pentium 3 700 mhz laptop with a wireless b adapter is what provides a bridged connection to Nuvio's Linksys RT31P2 router with VoIP. I hibernate the laptop and turn off the router/ATA adapter at night and in the morning I turn the whole thing one and it all just connects up automatically without any concerns about what powers up first. The voice is great, occasionally I can hear a split second light echo of myself but it is rare and easily ignorable. The wireless b connection and physical distance (Japan) justifies this very small imperfection.
I am happy with my setup and impressed that it works so well. |
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | reply to dajabon
Dajabon,
This will be extremely helpful for me as I am staying at a Marriott Residence Inn for three weeks and they advertise High Speed Wireless Connections and need my Vonage adapter. |
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rizzo2dial
Premium
join:2004-08-05
| reply to dajabon
Hotels which offer "Wireless Only" high speed internet access sometimes have Wifi bridges available for guests.
In my experience, the use of the Wifi bridge is free; however, you need to leave a hefty deposit (tyically $100) to borrow one. When you check out, if you return the bridge, you get your deposit back.
Rizzo |
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dajabon
join:2005-09-28
Portland, OR | Rizzo,
Great advice, I would have never thought to ask. Unfortunately, I'm in a Tokyo apartment where I'm expected to supply my own wireless adapter. No worries though. Your ICS suggestion is working flawlessly.
Thanks,
Dajabon |
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fortissimo
join:2003-10-17
Richmond, BC
| reply to dajabon
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connecti
If I understand correctly, ICS is a form of NAT routing, and will have similar NAT related issues. However, I've never looked into the details. I also am not sure about the ICS performance, if the computer is busy.
I'd say a wireless bridge, or a wireless AP will be a better solution. Many wireless AP can act as DHCP client on either side (I used to own 2 Netgear MA102 that do) (via config).
The problem is that if the connection is already via one NAT, and you add another NAT, then the combined of 2 NAT might stop some NAT traversal solutions. And even if it doesn't, removing one layer is still better. Plus it's good to not to have the laptop on at all times for that (so it can be more useful when indepedent).
Linksys mini router, WRT54GC, has received horrible reviews, is not the same inside as WRT54G, cannot be flashed with 3rd party firmware, and is not known to work in bridge mode (this I'm not sure). I bought one and returned it, before I even opened the package, after reading the reviews. Like the poster, I also thought it was a mini version of WRT54G, and was I wrong.
Some hotels charge a substantial fee for internet connection, so unless you already need internet, this might not be economically justifable for merely a Long Distance substitute. Typical large hotel chains I found, charge about US$10. to US$20. per 24 hours. (some for free, of course, if you know which ones).
Another issue is security: if the wireless side is unencrypted, and your SIP provider is also not encrypted, then it is possible to sniff the traffic wirelessly. This might not be important for most people, but I just like to mention it, as SIP by default is open traffic. |
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Macy
South Of Insanity
Premium,MVM,ExMod 2004-7
join:2001-12-02
On A Harley |  reply to dajabon
(topic move) Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection
Moderator Action
The post that was here, and all followups to it, were moved to a new topic .. »Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection |
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alchemista2
join:2005-11-15
| reply to dajabon
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connecti
Does ethernet bridging work at all? I have a P8 DTA. I connected it with a crossover cable to my ethernet port on my laptop. The link light comes on the DTA.
I also have a wireless connection that is working on the laptop. That's what I want to attach the DTA to. I then bridge the wireless connection and LAN connection. The DTA then pulls an IP, but when I pick up the phone it's a fast busy signal. I have a feeling that the bridge isn't working properly.
I'd do the Internet Connection Sharing, but stupid Windows forces you to do 192.168.0.1, and I'm stuck with a router at 192.168.0.1.
Why is there no way to override the ICS setting? Are there any 3rd party connection sharing tools that do the same as ICS but allow you to change the IP? |
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rizzo2dial
Premium
join:2004-08-05
| said by alchemista2 :Are there any 3rd party connection sharing tools that do the same as ICS but allow you to change the IP? »www.nat32.com/
I believe it has a free trial (perhaps 30 days). Costs $25 to register, and based on its feature set, looks well worth the money.
Rizzo |
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dzr
join:2004-10-12
| reply to dajabon
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection
To add to the list of possibilities:
PocketPC with SIP software, such as SJPhone.
While you may quibble that SIP Software was already mentioned, using a PocketPC is much more portable than a PC. Also, the average reader may not realize that SIP software exists for the PocketPC - so, I'm explicitly mentioning it. |
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Tubisten
join:2005-01-31
Euless, TX | reply to rizzo2dial
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connecti
Nat32 is excellent. I'm not currently using it, but I used it for years, on Windows 95, 98 and 2000. If he didn't change it the unregistered version works for 1 hour and then exits itself. All features work for that 1 hour. |
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs:
 ·ViaTalk
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| reply to rizzo2dial
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connection
Update for me..I am staying at a Residence Inn up in RI. What I did is use my wireless card to get on the internet, then used ICS to share the connection with the NIC card...The only thing to remember is to use a CROSSOVER cable going from the NIC card to the VOIP device (in my case a Vonage RTP300)
Works very well... |
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markosjal
join:2005-08-06
Mexico
| reply to dajabon
Re: Tips for Running VoIP from a Wireless Connecti
About two years ago, I was running a Grandstream Budgettone on from what I recall was an SMC 2730 wireless to ethernet bridge. The bridge was mounted on the side of a coffee can with the rubber cover of the built in rubber duckie antnna removed and stuck inside a carefully calculated hole placed in the side of the coffee can.
I connected flawlessly to the Wireless access point about 1/4 of a mile away, at a friend's house. The biggest problem I had was the faulty Dlink router/Access point that always had to be reset.
I later used the same set up on a Linksys Wireless access point with no problems whatsoever. |
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hwittenb
join:2003-12-20
| reply to dajabon
If you have a PAP2 or Sipura adapter, Linksys makes a small wireless bridge that doesn't require an additional power supply (it uses the adapter's) called the wbp54g. Linksys doesn't have a link to it on their website but here is a link to the user's guide that comes with the unit
»z28.zupload.com/download.php?fil···ath=9514 |
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs:
·ViaTalk
·AT&T DSL Service
| I have been using ICS for about a week and it seems to be working well, except when I am on my Vonage phone and doing some some searching on the internet, and noticed it gets choppy...
Any wireless bridges/other solutions you all could recommend? I currently have a PC with a wireless card in it but the antenna was damaged during shipping from FL, and is unstable...I need to have my pc and my RTP300 both connected. |
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hwittenb
join:2003-12-20
| Can you just use ethernet to cable your pc to the RTP300 router?
If you need to be wireless because of distance you need to cable an access point to the RTP300 router. Access points are sold by Linksys, Netgear, DLink, etc. If your pc's internal wireless card is unstable you would need to buy a cardbus card or attach a usb wireless adapter. Most all products would work.
An alternative would be to to use your electricity wires to carry the signal using a pair of Netgear, Linksys, or other company "homeplug" products and cable your pc to the adapter using ethernet. I have used Netgear's product for this purpose.
Here is a list of manufacturers of "homeplug" products: »www.homeplug.org |
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ptrowski
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Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | The hotel only offers wireless HSI so I have to be... |
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rizzo2dial
Premium
join:2004-08-05 | Ask at the front desk of your hotel if they have Wifi Bridges available for guest use. Many hotels offer them free of charge to USE but charge a hefy deposit (of perhaps around $100) to make sure they get their equipment back.
Rizzo |
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ptrowski
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join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | They don't. I just called down to ask.. |
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powerpig
join:2001-08-03
Diamondhead, MS
| Not sure if this will help or not, but I spend a lot of time on the road and was using a USB phone with VOIPBuster since the hotel I stay at 20 days a month happened to be in a Verizon dead zone. Worked great, but I was tethered to the laptop whenever I wanted to make a call. I just recently bought a ZyXEL wirless VOIP phone and it works great! Also, I travel through a lot of airports and many have free wireless and the phone works great in those areas also. The only downside is that the phone has around a three hour battery life but can be charged with a USB cable. It really works well and is totally unlocked so you can configure to any SIP compatible network. |
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