Port Forwarding

[ThorsDad]

I have my ATA behind my Netgear WNDR3700 router. I gave the ATA a reserved IP and set it up as a DMZ. By putting the ATA in a DMZ I avoided having to forward a huge number of ports.

[brock6389]

(I would have asked this question in a new thread, but amazingly, I can't find a link anywhere about how to start a new one or add a new post (Mac/Safari browser). So I'm adding on to this one.)

As a new user, I am taking this opportunity to vent a little. This is my first weekend with the service. And yes, I knew that "support" was only available weekdays til 6 or 7 pm (Eastern time zone), I expected this weakness to be backed up by a robust online system for trouble shooting. However, I am shocked at how little information is on this site. For instance, tonight I could not make (and for all I knew, receive) calls for an unknown period of time. I thought I had service, as I can hear a dial tone, yet no calls would dial. After rebooting my router, the system now works again. I never even saw this mentioned in a trouble shooting guide (that's because one doesn't seem to exist).

I have now tried to do the IP address assignment and port forwarding that VOIPo recommends, to hopefully avoid another break in service this weekend. However, there are NO instructions for how to actually accomplish this. While I realize that routers differ from one another, there are basic functions that all have in common that could be explained by a knowledgable IT person in a tutorial. There isn't even an attempt on the website that I can find. In my situation, the VOIPo device does not even appear on my DLink router device list (there are, however, two "unknown" devices, one of which MAY be VOIPo, who knows?) So right off the bat, how can I assign an IP address and port forward for a device my router doesn't recognize? There is NOTHING that I can find in the so-called "knowledge base" or user forum.

This is similar to recent frustration from the beginning, with basic setup instruction, which is so lame that it only includes 3 steps with no specifics or illustrations. And worse, under seemingly specific instructions for each type of device they provide, exactly the same generic minimally helpful information is regurgitated. Why bother? There are plenty of other examples, such as this forum (where I cannot even find a link for a new thread/topic), that seem to reflect a company that just doesn't try very hard. I might expect lack of detailed, helpful information, and glaring deficiencies from a new startup company in its early phases, but not one that has been around as long as this one.

One would think that it would be in VOIPo's best interest to provide detailed online info to hopefully eliminate some of the calls made to tech staff during their limited hours, such as the one they will now have to receive from me on monday. Hopefully I will actually be able to get through, but not holding my breath...

[christcorp]

The easiest way is to look at the MAC address on the voip box. It is a 12 digit alpha-numberic. e.g. 00.10.ab.04.4D.87. Once you know the MAC address of your VOIPO adapter, you can look in the router to see if it finds it. Next; in most routers, you have the ability to do DHCP reservation. What that means is; while the device, in this case the Voipo adapter, is set up for DHCP and will take any IP address the router gives it; the router doing DHCP reservation will ALWAYS give the voipo box the SAME IP address all the time. This is easier than trying to do it in reverse and getting into the voipo box and telling it to do a static IP address.

Once you have this done, then you can go into the router and set up port forwarding with the IP address that the router is assigning to the voipo box ALL the time. Hope this helps.... Mike....