Modems & Wi-Fi

[Laurence1979]

is there an alternative if you have VOIP with your VF fibre service? i read that either HG659 or the UH are the only option?

is this true?

[coffeebaron]

You can configure any router you like, then configure and plug in the Vodafone supplied router as an ATA only.

[Laurence1979]

I want to simplify my solution so having one unit to act s the router and the voip adapter is my goal.

[gregmcc · Accepted solution]

The reality is VF won't supply the details to the customer so they can use their own choice of router.

Your best bet is to simply end the VOIP service with VF and switch to another VOIP provider (such as 2 talk) and use your own pefered choice of router.

We have been using 2 Talk for over 4 years, good price and many features for free that VF curently charge for as add ons.

We have been using a NF4V and a regular uniden cordless phone plugged in to the voip port, recently we have just brought a granstream VOIP phone, the base station simply plugs in to a spare ethernet port and the handsets are wirelessly paired to the base.

you could push the point with VF, you are paying for the service you should be entitled to the relevent information (user name and password etc) for the VOIP service.

[davemole]

Hi Greg, I wanted much better wifi quality and reach, so I bought a new router to replace the HG659, but then realised new the router didn't have a VOIP connection. Thought I'll try and exchange the new router for one with a VOIP connection, but they seem quite rare. Then I came across your response here. VF don't share the VOIP credentials, so even if you did have a router supporting a VOIP connection, that won't help.

Options as I see them now:
1) Setup my new router as a bridge that will just give me good wifi (and a few more ethernet ports)
2) Return new router and get a router with a VOIP connection and get a third party VOIP solution eg. 2 Talk
3) Just use new router, get a third party VOIP solution eg. 2 Talk, and buy a VOIP phone that plugs into a ethernet port
4) Plug WAN into new router (to maximise performance), setup HG659 as a bridge to just give me VOIP connection - would that actually work, or must HG659 be plugged into the WAN directly?
5) Ditch VOIP and just use mobiles - not really an option with older parents

Are they effectively my options?

Cheers

[gregmcc]

@davemole,

Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

We have been with 2talk since moving to voip, while there was a steep learning curve setting it up there has not been a single problem since.

Price/feature wise, can't bead 2talk either, VF doesn't even come close.

recently we dumped out old analogue phone that plugged in to the VOIP port on the rounter and went with the granstream wireless unit thatg plugged in to a spare ethernet port, way easier to set up.

[coffeebaron]

You can use Vodafone router as an ATA only plugged into your new router. Configure it's WAN connection as DHCP no VLAN, turn off its WiFi and don't plug any devices into it.

[davemole]

Thanks for the response.  Just so I'm clear... "You can use Vodafone router as an ATA only plugged into your new router"... So I'll plug the new router WAN port into the ONT.  Connect the Vodafone router WAN port into one of the new routers ethernet ports?

"Configure it's WAN connection as DHCP no VLAN, turn off its WiFi"... Configure the Vodafone router WAN connection to recieve a DHCP IP address from the new router = 'DHCP no VLAN' option and turn the WiFi off (no need for wifi with the new router).

"and don't plug any devices into it" I had assumed the ethernet ports on the Vodafone router could still be used (as I'll be losing an ethernet port on the new router), is that not the case?

[coffeebaron]

Correct, but to clarify: No VLAN setting applies to the Vodafone router that you set up as ATA. Your new router with its WAN port plugged into ONT will still be set with VLAN 10.
The LAN ports on the Vodafone "ATA" will become a different network and will be double NAT'd so not very usable.

[davemole]

So the HG659 router interface settings weren't very intuitive, so I did some digging and found this post with some step by steps instructions - https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=198107&page_no=3#1595908

HG659 now connected to new router as ATA and phone working.  Thanks guys.

Next issue, new router wifi coverage doesn't seem any better than HG659 - arrrrg