Callers Cannot Hear Me - Grandstream HT286

[naelnino]

Hi,

I am having one hell of time with the ATA device I got. I have full internet connected through cable modem >> Router >> PC + ATA device. I have a Belkin Wireless N router and I have full inter with no down time. When I get a call I can hear the callers but they cannot hear me. I tried incoming and outgoing and no luck. Both ways they cannot hear me. I got the ATA device preset by freephone but now I cannot even place one call. This does not have to do with the phone provider on the other side since I tried with many numbers. I would greatly appreciate if someone could help. The router is enable the SIP/RTP ports (5060-5004). I think this has to do with the ATA device configurations.

Nino

[bridonca]

Your Belkin F5D823 router is the problem. You would be hard pressed to find a worse router for SIP VOIP. Belkin rarely supplies updates for their defective products, so it is best to get a new one, preferably one that has the ability to flash to DD-WRT, a stable, open source firmware. If you shop carefully and patiently, you do not have to pay a fortune for a good router either.

[naelnino]

Unfortunately this problem occurs every day. It will work for a couple of hours and then it will go down for the rest of the day. I called FPL and they told me to forward ports 5060 and 5061 to the IP address associated to my ATA device. I did that in my Belkin router and now we will see. Unfortunately, I might have to go a regular home phone if this keeps up since its too much headaches in my opinion. I will give it one more week and I will update you. But in the meantime, no solution yet. I tested the ethernet cable to go directly from modem to ATA device and it worked fine but obviously in this case I will need internet so I have to pass it through a router. Also, FPL told me to contact my ISP to forward ports 5060+5061 to IP to ATA which I am not sure why since the internet I get is through my router not cable modem. Anyways, I am giving this one more try. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I think this issue is with the ATA device setup which I bought from FPL. The SIP and RTP ports are showing as 5060+5040. I am not sure what to do.

N.

[TheHardy]

Well if a direct connection (bypassing the router) works, and bridonca says it could potentially be your router, then the solution seems to be staring you in the face. Picking up a new router would most likely be cheaper than going back to a POTS line, so I would weigh that option. Perhaps a quick trip to the local electronics store to price one out would not be out of the question. Most offer return policies, so be up front and tell them that you need to test it out... What would you have to lose? There are plenty of experienced people here who would gladly recommend a router that they have working!

[bridonca]

The Freephoneline technician likely did not have the direct experience I have with crappy routers such as most of what Belkin makes. You can set that router to forward port 5060, and there is a very good chance the router will not have a clue of what you want to do, because it is such buggy junk. Unless you have actual direct experience with such garbage, you would never believe such awful firmware actually still exists.

In this case, the Freephonline people did not correctly diagnose your problem. Your ISP is not the problem, your ATA is not the problem. The Freephoneline service is not the problem, if all work when the router is not involved. Clearly, it is your router that is causing you grief. I know this from painful experience.

[alexkyle]

Hi,

just a quick question. Using the ata without a firewall, could that make the phone line unsecured or open to attack?

Thanks,

Alex

[bridonca]

In a practical sense, not really. Most cable/DSL modems already have a NAT firewall on them. The SIP VOIP leaves itself open to attack because it uses standard ports like 5060 which gives a hacker a port to work on. In any case, it probably does not mean much, because most if not all port vulnerabilities have been dealt with effectively, one way or another.