Routers, Vonage, and Vista. Oh My.

[Hoosier Daddy]

My first significant digital boondoggle with the new 'puter has been playing out since yesterday. I have a Vonage-issued router (a D-Link VWR, if you're interested) that worked like a charm until I got the new computer. Now, the router works fine but I can't get the computer to interact with the router and allow access to the internet. Wireless works fine. The Vonage phone and fax work fine. The computer works fine when I plug directly into the cable modem but it can't "find" the internet when I connect to the router.

I have re-booted everything several times. I have unhooked and reconnected everything several times with no success. Vonage tech support at the entry level has been a miserable failure. I spent almost two hours on the line with Geetha Vandoorhoursbjsuyeirytegdkdiyh from India. She walked me through all the help screens and the computer can't fix itself. The router is working just fine, but D-Link just issued an "end of life" notice on VWR routers with all support withdrawn after April 2009. D-Mink says the router works fine with Vista 32 but has a large Question Mark for Vista 64. There are no software upgrades available. The Motorola Surfboard cable modem works fine and is obviously not part of the dilemma.

I am waiting on a call from Vonage's Level 2 tech support supervisor. I hope he/she can help. But, as a self-confessed non-technical computer appliance operator, can you simply split the signal from the back of the cable modem? You know, have one of those splitter plugs like a double RJ-11 deals you use on a telephone to add an answering machine or fax machine? Have one cable go to the router, and the other directly to the computer. In my mind, this would work and work well. But the pimple-faced (cell phone) salesman at Radio Shack says it can't be done. He kept trying to sell me a router -- which I don't need.

One of the tech support pages I was able to find via Google said this was a fairly common problem with the DWR and Vista 64. One "fix" was that Vonage assigned a Static IP address to the router and everything cleared up. I have no idea how to make those changes. Hopefully, the Vonage tech dude can walk me through it if it's necessary.

What say you computer techs on this one? is there anything else I am missing?

[Lester]

I am waiting on a call from Vonage's Level 2 tech support supervisor. I hope he/she can help. But, as a self-confessed non-technical computer appliance operator, can you simply split the signal from the back of the cable modem?

Not without two modems, and two IP addresses (both of which cost money.)

One of the tech support pages I was able to find via Google said this was a fairly common problem with the DWR and Vista 64. One "fix" was that Vonage assigned a Static IP address to the router and everything cleared up. I have no idea how to make those changes. Hopefully, the Vonage tech dude can walk me through it if it's necessary.

They should be able to do that, but generally they want to charge for static IP. If they'll do it for free... SCORE!

What say you computer techs on this one? is there anything else I am missing?

Have you checked DWR's website to make sure you're running the latest firmware? Also, AND ONLY WHEN CONNECTED TO THE ROUTER, have you tried disabling Vista's firewall? IF IT DOESN'T WORK, TURN THE FIREWALL BACK ON BEFORE YOU PLUG STRAIGHT INTO THE MODEM AGAIN!!!!!!

If you want to get sooper technical....

Go to START and in the search box type CMD and press enter. (If it gives you an error, type out COMMAND and hit enter instead.)

At the prompt, type ipconfig (one word), and post the results. Do this twice, once on the router and once directly into the modem.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Disbaling the firewall didn't change anything.

Here is the info from IPCONFIG:

USING ROUTER:

Connection-specific DNS suffix:
Link-local IPv6 address: fe80::8d19:1013:43:bdb3%11
Auto configuration IPv4 Address: 169.254.189.179
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:


DIRECT TO CABLE MODEM:

Connection-specific DNS suffix: columbus.rr.com
IPv6 address: 2002:4cb5:b5a98d19:1013:43:bdb3
Site-local IPv6 address: fec0:8d19:1013:43:bdb3%2
Temporary IPv6 address: 2002:4cb5:b5a9889a:27cd:7497:64ac
Link-local IPv6 address: fe80::8d19:1013:43:bdb3%11
IPv4 Address: 76.181.181.169
Subnet Mask: 255.255.248.0
Default Gateway: 76.181.176.1

There is additional information about local area connections I can post if you need them. You can't cut and paste from the CMD screen, so I have to manually type all the info above. Anything crazy stick out other than nothing works through the router?

[Lester]

APIPA is assigning your IP address (169.254.189.179), which means it's not recognizing your router as a DHCP server. Try for a firmware update on the router. You might want to make sure DHCP is turned on, but it should be since everything was working previously. You could manually set your Vista system to static IP. It will be a pain, but should work.

Do an ipconfig /all on an XP system, and copy it's information into the network properties for the Vista box EXCEPT for the IP address. Assign it to something about 50 lower than what the router assigns the XP box.

IP address: 192.168.1.50
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (probably)
dns: (There should be 2 to 3 of them listed.)

That should get you working.

[fearpeddler]

Alot of Suddenlink's customers including a sibling of mine had to change their suddenlink issued modems out when they got vista machines, due to the fact that theres something in the IP protocol some modems and routers couldnt deal with, you may need to call and check with the vonage people.

[Big Media]

You could manually set your Vista system to static IP. It will be a pain, but should work.

This is what I was going to suggest. Giving your machine a static IP should solve your problem.

[Hoosier Daddy]

The Static IP fixed everything immediately.
Vonage says it's the only known fix for this problem.
They gave me a static IP address at no charge.

THANK YOU to everyone who helped me on this one!

Merry Christmas, and may all your children be born naked.

[ashton]

My new airport solved all of the problems I was having with my dlink router...

dlink was allowing the ip address to expire every 30 minutes or so. I got tired of resetting modem ad router every half hour.