Foo - Want to use a Vonage router, but I receive my internet via a wireless provider

Hello everyone. I've been absent from the forums for a long time. I recently moved from Japan to Seattle and am looking for a job.

Anyway, I've posted the following on a couple computer forums but have not received any responses. I'm hoping someone here can come through...

I receive internet on my MacBook via t-moble.starbucks.com wireless service because there is a Starbucks providing the service about 50 feet outside my window. Thus I don't have any kind of wired internet receiver/router inside my apartment that I could connect to my Vonage LinkSys router. I want to know if it is possible to somehow connect this wireless internet service to my Vonage router so that I can use my Vonage service. Is there a way to receive the internet onto my MacBook wireless receiver, then send it via cable to the router? I tried to just do it without configuring anything but that did not work. I will also have a PC with a wireless adapter (USB pen style) in which I could try this as well if anyone knows how I can make it work.

I have an AirPort router, but I'm not able to use that to receive the internet either... seems like it is set up to receive via cable only and transmit wirelessly only. If I could make it go backwards, I could use it to get an internet connection to the Vonage router.

Any ideas? And I'm hoping to not buy the new Vonage wireless phone. Thanks,

I want to know if it is possible to somehow connect this wireless internet service to my Vonage router so that I can use my Vonage service.

Yes. You will need to either make your current AirPort router act as a wireless client (wifi client-mode) or buy a device that supports that mode.



Is there a way to receive the internet onto my MacBook wireless receiver, then send it via cable to the router? I tried to just do it without configuring anything but that did not work. I will also have a PC with a wireless adapter (USB pen style) in which I could try this as well if anyone knows how I can make it work.

You can also make the MacBook or the peecee act as a wireless client and then have it bridge to its ethernet interface. This is a little more complicated to do and involves either setting up ethernet bridging* or configuring routing with NAT and turning the MacBook into either a layer-2 bridge or layer-3 router respectively. In Windows, you should be able to use "Internet Connection Sharing" on the wireless interface to turn the peecee into a router. You will then need to point your VOIP terminal (I'm assuming it's an ATA?) to it as a the default gateway. Your VOIP tunnels will still however terminate on your ATA.

* You probably can't do a layer-2 bridge as T-Mobile likely disallows that.

You will then need to point your VOIP terminal (I'm assuming it's an ATA?) to it as a the default gateway. Your VOIP tunnels will still however terminate on your ATA.

My Vonage router requires a cable to go into it, so this sounds like it won't work. I will look into configuring the AirPort to work as a client and let you know how that goes. Thanks for the speedy response!

My Vonage router requires a cable to go into it, so this sounds like it won't work. I will look into configuring the AirPort to work as a client and let you know how that goes. Thanks for the speedy response!

When you say a cable, do you mean an ethernet cable or are you talking about cable-company cable?

Ethernet

That's an excellent question. I am interested out of general curiosity if this can be done.

BTW, I have Packet 8 for my VOIP, and I highly recommend them over Vonage.

Better quality service, both the service itself and customer service.

Tell me more about your Vonage router. Does it have a built-in switch or is it just an ATA device? Depending on what it is, you have a couple of possible network configurations. Note that putting your AirPort into client mode negates its ability to act as an access point for your home network. If you want to connect up your PC and MacBook wirelessly to your home network, you will need to obtain another access point.

I don't have my Vonage router with me... but I can describe it some. I don't know what an ATA device is. It does not have any switches.

It needs a broadband internet input via an ethernet cable. It then has two ethernet outputs and two phone cable outputs. It's made by LinkSys and I'm guessing that it's the same as most other broadband routers except for the phone connection stuff. What I had before was normal cable (F-type coaxial) internet. F-type coaxial cable went into the cable modem, then the ethernet cable went from the cable modem into the Vonage router. Then from the Vonage router I had my normal phone cord, and also had one ethernet cable going into the AirPort for the MacBook, and one ethernet cable into my PC.

Note that right now I do not use my AirPort at all. Wireless internet goes directly from Starbucks into my MacBook internal/integrated wireless receiver. Exactly the same as if I took my MacBook to use at any hotspot wherever. I log in via a web page and use the wireless service for the monthly charge. Hopefully, this would make the "additional access point" unnecessary. I have not checked, but I think I should be able to connect as many devices as I want to the t-mobile wireless service since it's unlimited monthly access.

Basically what I need to do is convert the wireless signal into an ethernet cable. I could be the only person who wants to do this, so that makes me wonder if it can be done. Pretty much everyone else wants to go the opposite way - converting wired into wireless, which is easy because there is tons of equipment designed to do this (like my AirPort).

Okay. Here's the skinny...

An ATA is basically an adapter that allows you to use a normal POTS (plain old telephone service) phone on a VOIP network. It packetises the analog signals from the phone into IP packets that can be dropped onto an IP/Internet connection. Your Vonage router acts as an ATA. It also seems like it has a built in hub or switch. You will want to refer to my second diagram above.

The one thing you have to remember is that the AirPort becomes a wi-fi client hooking up to Starbuck's T-Mobile hotspot as a customer/client connection which it then shares out the wired ethernet interface and acts as a NAT/routing device. This means that if you also want to attach your MacBook wirelessly to T-Mobile's network, you will be consuming a second client connection. Thus you will need to pay for two subscriptions.

Another note: If your AirPort is an AirPort Express then the above configuration won't work. The AirPort Express disables its ethernet interface when it is placed into client-mode. :(

Hmm. This is sounding like more trouble than it's worth. But I am happy to have learned a lot.

I do have the AirPort Express... so I would both have to buy more equipment and pay for an extra subscription. And it sounds like if I wanted to try the new Vonage wireless phone (it taps into any hotspot like I'm using for my MacBook) then I might have to buy an extra subscription as well. Although, would I be able to use one at a time (either the MacBook or the phone)?

Similarly, if I want to get this t-mobile wireless internet onto my desktop PC, do you foresee me having problems with a single subscription? I plan to use a USB wireless receiver for my PC like this one:

http://www.usr.com/support/5421/5421.jpg

I think I'll be fine with using the internet on only one computer at a time, if that is what it takes.

Thanks for your efforts, Jake. You're always so helpful :-)

p.s. Know anyone in the Seattle area who is looking to hire a talented Mechanical Engineer?

And it sounds like if I wanted to try the new Vonage wireless phone (it taps into any hotspot like I'm using for my MacBook) then I might have to buy an extra subscription as well. Although, would I be able to use one at a time (either the MacBook or the phone)?
Unfortunately this is starting to stretch the extent of my knowledge regarding T-Mobile hotspots and accounts. I'm guessing that they use some form of captive portal signon to get their clients connected since they assume that most of their clients will have some form of browser. At least this is how I remember it the last time I used one of their hotspots. I work in a building with a Starbucks but it's just one of many other wireless networks around so I don't bother using it. Admittedly, I just got a new digital camera that is wi-fi enabled and comes with a free one-year T-Mobile subscription...

Anywho... To answer your question, I think you should be able to use one device at a time. You would need to sign in with each device each time.



Similarly, if I want to get this t-mobile wireless internet onto my desktop PC, do you foresee me having problems with a single subscription? I plan to use a USB wireless receiver for my PC like this one:

http://www.usr.com/support/5421/5421.jpg

I think I'll be fine with using the internet on only one computer at a time, if that is what it takes.
Yes. That will work fine.



Thanks for your efforts, Jake. You're always so helpful :-)
No problem. However, let me throw out some things to think about...

Where do you live? Have you checked out Seattle Wireless (http://seattlewireless.net/) to see if there's coverage in your area? If there is, you can simply connect up all your wi-fi devices simultaneously. ...for free! Also, if you do manage to find a Seattle Wireless network coverage in your area, you can also use your Airport Express in WDS mode to boost/extend the signal into your home.

As for your phone, I think you should try turning on connection sharing on your PC. This should turn it into a router. You would plug your Vonage ATA into the ethernet interface on the PC. The PC would route packets from its ethernet segment out its wireless interface and perform a NAT translation as well. Note that you can also do this with your MacBook and likely OSX will actually do a better job of it but that would mean tying down the laptop.

Alternatively, if you aren't doing much with the PC, you can use it as a dedicated router. Check out pfSense (http://www.pfsense.com/). This will turn your PC into something that can support client-mode with bridging and/or routing and includes a DHCP server and firewall features as well. If you have an even more disposable machine, that's even better. pfSense doesn't take much hardware to run on. It can even run diskless with its config stored on a USB flash drive.

Let me know if you're interested in exploring some more ideas.



p.s. Know anyone in the Seattle area who is looking to hire a talented Mechanical Engineer?
Unfortunately, that's one area I can't help you out in... :(