Member Avatar for NateS

I have an old Belkin (wired) router connected to my cable modem and the router then feeds my Vonage VOIP adapter and my AirPort Express.

My Mac and Windows computers and printer and stereo system are fed by my Airport Express, so the only real reason I kept the router in place is because my Vonage VOIP adapter is not wireless and requires an ethernet connection.

I think the old Belkin router is on its last legs as it has to be restarted at least once a week or more, so I am thinking of changing my setup, but am unsure as to what change to make.

1) An ideal solution would be to find a wireless VOIP adapter to tap into my Airport Express wirelessly, eliminating the need for an ethernet port, but they don't seem to make such things. (I have an investment in a number of good wireless phones which feed off the
phone base station which is plugged into the VOIP adapter, so I don't want to replace my phones.) Then I could just pull the Belkin router out of the lineup.

2) Another solution would be to replace the router, but it seems so redundant now. If I didn't have VOIP, I wouldn't need an ethernet port and I assume I could just pull the Belkin out of the lineup and connect my existing Airport Express directly to the cable modem, since I understand that AE serves as a firewall just as the Belkin router does. But then I wouldn't have any way to connect my VOIP adapter since it requires a port.

3) Or would I be safe in just replacing the router with a (cheaper and smaller) ethernet switch between the cable modem and the Airport Express, since the latter also functions as a router anyway, but would that leave my VOIP adapter and phones open to security risks since they would be connected before the AE is reached?

Any suggestions or advice as to an economical solution would be appreciated. (At least for now, I am not interested in dumping Vonage because it gives me good service except for when the Belkin has to be restarted.)

Thanks,

NateS

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Short answer: replace the flaky Belkin with a small NATing wired router (not a plain switch). A switch does not provide NAT or a firewall, so putting a switch between the cable modem and the AirPort Express would either (a) expose the Vonage adapter directly to the ISP side of the network or (b) simply fail if the modem only hands out a single public IP. That is why ’s suggestion to use a router is correct.

Suggested, practical setup and checklist:

  1. Cable modem -> router WAN. Router LAN -> AirPort Express and Vonage adapter.
  2. Put the AirPort Express into bridge/“off” (disable DHCP/NAT) mode so the router is the sole DHCP/NAT device (avoids double NAT and DHCP conflicts).
  3. Reserve a fixed LAN IP for the Vonage adapter (DHCP reservation by MAC or set a static inside the device) so port-forwarding/DMZ works reliably. If registration or one-way audio appears, try disabling SIP ALG/NAT helpers in the router or place the Vonage device in the router’s DMZ. Enable QoS or voice-priority if the router supports it to help call quality.

Alternatives and troubleshooting notes:

  • If avoiding a wired port entirely is required, a small “Wi‑Fi -> Ethernet bridge” (client-mode bridge/gaming adapter) can give the Vonage box wireless access without replacing the phones.
  • Before swapping hardware, try a firmware update or factory reset on the Belkin; power-cycle the cable modem after changing the upstream device so the modem re-registers the new router’s MAC.
  • Cheap consumer 4-port routers from mainstream brands will work fine; disable any unused wireless radios if a wired-only look is preferred.

This preserves the AirPort for Macs/printer/audio and keeps the VOIP adapter safely behind NAT/firewall while avoiding the reliability and security issues that a simple switch would introduce.

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Member Avatar for TheNNS

I would definetley buy a wired router, meaning no wireless(not a switch), and then just plug in airport. it doesn't have to be fancy, and i'd look at netgear and lynksis routers.

Member Avatar for NateS

I would definetley buy a wired router, meaning no wireless(not a switch), and then just plug in airport. it doesn't have to be fancy, and i'd look at netgear and lynksis routers.

Thanks very much for your reply. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might find a wired-only router? (And it ought to be really cheap, considering how cheap the wireless ones are now, but I can't seem to find anything but wireless.)

There are very inexpensive switches being sold however, so I am also curious as to why you recommend against just using one of them? Is it because of lack of security for the VOIP line which plugs in ahead of the Airport Express?

NateS

Member Avatar for TheNNS

a router and a switch are different things
switches are usually in medium size to large size networks, they connect computer, not neceseraly route traffic, a router on the other hand, routes traffic. you might want to check newegg.com for the best prices, also check your local compusa, circuit city, best buy etc.

Member Avatar for TheNNS

here is a list of cheap and semi cheap routers.

Member Avatar for NateS

Thank you!

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