Network Configuration

Router Considerations

You can use any router you like, but Fonality will only provide installation advice and settings for our recommended routers.  There are simply too many routers in the marketplace today for Fonality to qualify every single model on every single version of firmware available.

When you are selecting a router for VoIP, please keep in mind the following:

• Built-in RAM - the amount of physical memory available for network traffic determines the limits of how much data your router can handle at any given second.  While your router may have a transmission rate of 54 Gigabits per second or better, there are not 54 Gigabits of RAM hard-wired into the router, so if all 54 Gigabits worth of data arrived at the exact same second, some of it would need to be dropped.  Purchase a router with at least 32 MB of on-board RAM for best results.  The higher the better.

• QoS - Quality of Service controls in the administrative interface of your router are a must.  These options may take the form of:

  • Port Prioritization where you grant one physical port (LAN1, LAN2, etc.) on the router a higher priority than all the others.  Make sure your router can prioritize traffic.

  • Protocol & Port Prioritization where you instruct the router that UDP traffic on port 5060and any port between 10000-20000 is the most important.

• Security - nearly every wireless router available to the SOHO user these days includes security options for securing your wireless access.  Fonality recommends enabling WPA encryption with a strong password (e.g. 2A2adh765hlkj!) to prevent unauthorized access to your network via the wireless access point.

Switch Considerations

        PoE (optional) - Power over Ethernet is not a requirement for Fonality Connect service, but it eliminates the need for a power cable connecting your phone to a wall outlet.  In any office environment, the fewer cables required to make your infrastructure function - the better!  Switches that support PoE will cost more than non-PoE switches, but if you can afford it, Fonality strongly recommends using a PoE-enabled switch (we use them here at HQ).

Recommended Routers

Fonality recommends several routers for all Fonality Connect clients, the D-Link DIR-655 Wireless N router for up to 10 users, the Cisco SRP521W for up to 25 users, and the Cisco SRP541W for up to 50 users. To ensure the best possible call quality and product stability, we request you make the following adjustments to each routers firewall.

Configuring the DIR-655

Configuration for use with Fonality

---This should be the only device behind the ISP's modem, and should not be placed behind another firewall to avoid a double NAT situation.

1. Connect the "Internet" port to your ISP modem

2. Connect at least 1 PC to any of the LAN ports on the 655

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3. Plug in the power cord for the DIR-655 and wait until the power light turns blue.

4. Your PC should now have an IP address of 192.168.0.X

5. Open a web browser and enter 192.168.0.1 in the address bar.

6. You should now see the login page for the router.  By default there is no password (it is recommended that you add one for security sake.) Click "Log In" to proceed.

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7. IMPORTANT CHANGE REGARDING SIP ALG: (MARCH, 2012)  

8. To configure QoS, click on the "Advanced" tab at the top of the page, then click "QOS Engine" on the left hand navigation menu.

9. Make sure that "Enable Traffic Shaping" is checked, and "Automatic Uplink Speed" is unchecked.

10. Enter your measured upload speed under "Manual Uplink Speed."
    NOTE: To find your measured upload speed, you should use a site like http://speedtest.net
    
    

11. Enable 2 rules under "10 -- QOS ENGINE RULES" as follows

    1. Name SIP

       1. Priority 1

       2. Protocol UDP

       3. Local IP Range 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255

       4. Local Port Range 5060 to 5060

       5. Remote IP Range 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255

       6. Remote Port range 5060 to 5060

    2. Name Audio

       1. Priority 1

       2. Protocol UDP

       3. Local IP Range 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255

       4. Local Port Range 10000 to 20000

       5. Remote IP Range 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255

       6. Remote Port range 10000 to 20000

12. Click "Save Settings" at the top of the page under "QOS ENGINE"

13. You are now required to reboot the router for the changes to take effect.  You should do so as soon as possible.

14. Your Voice traffic will now be prioritized.

Configuring the D-Link DSR250N and DSR500N

View the below document for the instructions on configuring the D-Link router.

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Wireless N and Cordless phones (Aastra 9480i CT handset)

Wireless Draft N uses channel bonding: Instead of the 20-MHz-wide channels found in previous Wi-Fi standards, 802.11n can use 40-MHz-wide channels, which in theory should double their data-carrying capacity.

Unfortunately, the limited bandwidth of the 2.4-GHz range means that just one 802.11n router using channel bonding will take up virtually the entire 2.4-GHz spectrum, leaving no room for neighboring routers (or devices), and causing severe interference. For this reason, draft-2.0's so-called good-neighbor policies require that routers ship in 20-MHz mode, and that, when in 40-MHz mode, they drop to 20-MHz operation if they sense nearby Wi-Fi nets or other 2.4-GHz devices. The top link rate in 20-MHz mode is only 150 mbps (rather than the much-advertised 300 mbps).

If you are using an Aastra 9480i CT with the cordless handset and a Wireless N router, the wireless speed will automatically scale to operate only in 20 MHz mode meaning you will probably notice a decrease in the speed of your wireless devices (laptops, tablets, netbooks, etc.)

Do I have to use the LAN ports Fonality specifies?

No you don't have to use Port 1 for your phone.  However - we have to standardize on something for our documentation, so LAN1 it is!

Do I have to use the 10000-20000 UDP range?

Yes - SIP audio on the Fonality platform uses 1 port in this range for each phone call.  Because the phone may select ANY random port within this range, all outbound traffic on UDP ports 10000-20000 should be set to highest priority.

Is there a security risk to this configuration?

No - you aren't poking holes in your firewall to the tune of 10,000 ports.  You are only telling the router that legitimate connections using any of these ports should be treated like a VIP by the router.  This isn't the same as opening the ports to the world and allowing everyone to enter your network.

How do I setup my Wi-Fi?

Fonality Support does not cover any router configuration settings beyond the prioritization of VoIP traffic listed above.

Please refer to the Quick Installation Guide that came packaged with your router.

Troubleshooting

If remote phones are having difficulty staying registered, consider reconfiguring the router to use a reliable high-performance primary DNS server such as 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS).

On revision B DIR-655 routers, it may be necessary to leave the SIP ALG enabled.  This is an exception to the rule.