VoIP Routers and Zingotel

[guest]

I am a subscriber with Zingotel and returned their SPA-2100 hardware because it cut my bandwidth
by 2/3.

Has anyone successfully got any consumer VOIP routers to work with their service? If so, what
brand & model#?

Thank you,
Dennis

[andyf]

Dennis.

What was your bandwidth to begin with and how did you determine that you lost 2/3 after installing the SPA-2100?

Is Zingotel sending you another one to try?

I have never come across an issue like this before. Yes, when you are making a VoIP call you will be using up about 90Kbits/s of your bandwidth but that should be practically negligible with todays broadband speeds, hence the reason for my first question above.

Note that generally you cannot just use another VoIP ATA, the service providers usually only qualify one or two ATAs with their service.

What is your configuration by the way, do you have a wired or wireless router in your setup?

Kind regards.
Andy

[guest]

My bandwidth was 6 to 8 Mbps download and 350k upload. With the configuration Cable Modem -> SPA-2100 -> PC with no router or wireless. It dropped to under 2 Mpbs download and 125k upload. This was determined by repeated tests on several bandwith checking web sites. However the box worked when I used it.

Zingotel is not responding at all (Cust. service is voice mail callback - no response and no one has responded to emails in the last 3 days).

Dennis

[andyf]

Dennis.

Researched this some more and it looks like you're right about the bandwidth issue.

By all accounts the SPA-2100 is one of the best hardware SIP adapters in the market but a fundamental problem with having built-in Quality of Service (QoS) is that it reduces your bandwidth EVEN with no active phone call.

Apparently all devices that implement QoS have this fundamental problem which astounds me. I could understand it if this issue existed DURING active calls only but for it to always limit your bandwidth with or without active calls, is pretty poor in my opinion!

Can you bring up the configuration web page for the SPA-2100 and turn off the QoS to verify this phenomenon? If you can and it fixes it perhaps you could get away with having QoS turned OFF, you would only potentially see problems then if you had data and voice traffic at the same time.....but at least you'd have a full data pipe.

Andy

[guest]

I returned the SPA-2100 to Zingotel, otherwise they charge you $40 for this device after a months use of service (they only tell you this in the fine print).

I've since purchased the DLink DVG-G1402S VOIP router as a substitute for the SPA-2100.
-------------------------------------
Zingotel now tells me the following:

If you are using the router as an end device please open ports 5060 tdp and 10000-20000 udp. Also make sure you have the proper proxy information
Proxy sip1.whistlertel.com
Outbound_Proxy sip1.whistlertel.com.
------------------------------------------
The Dlink menu only has settings for a Proxy DNS IP Address. Is that the proxy I have to set to get it to work?

Thanks.
Dennis

[guest]

I am in the process of cancelling my account with Zingotel. They have given me the wrong return shipping info, the wrong cust service phone number to call, and customer service toll free number is a recording that prompts you for a callback that you never receive. I'm out of $30 bucks and consider it a lesson learned.
Dennis

[andyf]

Really sorry to hear that Dennis. I am currently using Lingo and am happy with the service (as is my wife....which is the big test Quality of voice has been really good, hasn't affected my bandwidth and the customer service has been really good on the odd occasion I have needed to call. My wife calls the UK a lot and their $19 plan includes unlimited calling to Western Europe which is awesome.

http://www.whichvoip.com/cgi-bin/sea...db=1&t=3&s=156

We are honestly unbiased on this site and use many different providers, just had a particularly good experience with Lingo for the last 7 or 8 months.

Andy