That didn't work in this case, so I got back on the horn with Comcast tech support to find out why. The modem comes back up, identifies the MAC address of the new unit, registers it, and assigns it a new IP address. You bring the cable modem back online first and then turn on the V-Portal VoIP adapter. The cable modem can be reset to recognize the MAC address simply by powering it off for a minute or two and back on. Bing! I was instantly online.īut we didn't need to do that. To get around this the Vonage tech enabled what she called "MAC address spoofing." She recorded the MAC address of my laptop and then walked me through accessing the V-Portal's firmware configuration settings, where, using the browser interface, I created a "clone" of that MAC address and associated it with the V-Portal. The Vonage technician thought, incorrectly, that since the Vonage V-Portal's MAC address was not registered that I would be unable to obtain an IP address in this way.
If you're a device that's not recognized, you don't get an IP address. Comcast registers the MAC address of one authorized device on your home network, be it your router or PC, and it will only recognize and assign an IP address to that device. Here's the issue: Every networked device has a unique network identifier, called its Media Access Control (MAC) address. This one, more knowledgeable than the first, quickly identified the problem as a configuration issue with the cable modem and solved it with a work around. For the second time I got through immediately to a technician in the company's call center in the Philippines. I eagerly unboxed the new V-Portal and hooked it up. On Tuesday morning at 10:30 a warranty replacement unit arrived. A Vonage technician then walked me through several connectivity tests before declaring the V-Portal defective. I contacted Comcast tech support, which remotely reset the cable modem and walked me through powering it off and back on. Along the way I ran into a "gotcha" that could have you tearing out your hair too. What was different now? I spent the next two days trying to figure that out. The V-Portal needs to receive an IP address from the cable modem but was unable to complete that process for some reason. So on Monday I brought the V-Portal back to location one. You can move it to any office with broadband. One great thing about VoIP telephone service is that it's portable. I tested Vonage in location one, but have been using it in location two. To use Vonage and many other VoIP services you must connect a VoIP adapter/router to your broadband modem.
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