Vonage Phone Adapters

Adapters That Support Vonage Phone Service

Vonage Phone Service is VoIP based which means it uses Internet to transfer the signal. To be able to do that, it uses VoIP adapters, devices that convert signals from analog to digital. VoIP adapters are also called VoIP modems, or even VoIP routers. While those names may be confusing, sometimes they are just used to name a device. At other times, they really are modems or routers.

We'll use this page to describe some of adapters that are used for Vonage VoIP phone service.

Common Vonage Telephone Adapters

There are several VoIP adapters that are commonly used with Vonage phone service. On the top of the list are the Vonage V-Portal® Phone Adapter and Vonage Box™ adapter. Both of these adapters connect to your existing broadband internet connection to provide you with Vonage telephone service for up to two phones or a phone and fax. All Vonage adapters, including multiple brands like Motorola, D-Link, Linksys, VTech, Uniden, Cisco, and others – they are all good with any Vonage Calling Plan.

Now we go to describe V-Portal and Vonage Box.

Vonage V-Portal® Phone Adapter

The V-Portal Phone Adapter is a dual-line phone adapter with a single port router. The V-Portal Phone Adapter features a user-friendly, built- in LCD with Status, Error and Menu information. Status messages and icons are automatically displayed to keep you informed during powering up and use. They include:

Progress messages when powering up
Caller ID
Voicemail waiting indication

The V-Portal adapter can connect up to two Vonage digital phone lines through your high-speed Internet connection. Just plug the blue Ethernet cable from the V-Portal into your broadband modem and use the two green RJ-11 telephone ports to plug in your existing phones or fax machine. The Vonage V-Portal allows you to use your Internet connection for your computer and your phones at the same time, and because it’s Vonage, you get clear digital phone sound quality.

The V-Portal’s built-in single-port wired router supports your PC or home network connection. You can plug one computer directly into the yellow Ethernet (LAN) port of your V-Portal or build your own home network (often referred to as a LAN, "Local Area Network") by plugging in another router or switch and connecting network devices, such as computers or printers.

How To Connect V-Portal Adapter

Here are the steps for connecting your Vonage V-Portal Adapter:

Unplug your modem’s existing power cord.
Leave your modem connected to your cable or DSL phone line that supplies your internet connection.
From the back of your modem, unplug the existing Ethernet cable that connects your modem to your computer or router and move this cable to the yellow Ethernet port on the V-Portal Phone Adapter.
Take the blue Ethernet cable provided by Vonage and connect one end to the blue port on the V-Portal Phone Adapter and the other end to your modem’s Ethernet (LAN) port.
Plug your modem’s power cord into your power outlet.
Wait 30 seconds. Plug in your V-Portal Phone Adapter power supply.
When the V-Portal Phone Adapter is plugged in, the LCD screen will light up and display messages that help you walk through the start-up process from “Powering Up” to “Ready to Make Calls.”
Wait until you see (Phone Line 1) on the V-Portal Phone Adapter screen.
Unplug your telephone from the wall jack and connect it to the green phone 1 port on the Vonage V-Portal Phone Adapter.
Check for a dial tone.
You are now ready to make calls through the Vonage phone service.

How To Use V-Portal Buttons

Press the SELECT ⏵ button to display the main LCD menu.
Navigate the LCD menu by using the ⏶ and ⏷ buttons to move to the menu item you want to select.
Then press the SELECT ⏵ button. The SELECT ⏵ button chooses the menu item and the ⏴ BACK button moves backward to the previous menu.

Using the LCD Menu of V-Portal Adapter

The Menu is organized into five major categories: Call Logs, Easy Dialing, Status, System, and Settings. Here are some examples of what you can do with the menu:

Call Logs

Display up to 50 entries each for Missed, Received, and Dialed calls – you can even dial these numbers directly from the V-Portal Phone Adapter Menu.

Easy Dialing

Dial free Vonage services like Traffic and Weather from your V-Portal Phone Adapter Menu without having to remember the phone numbers.

Status

Check your Vonage phone number.

System

For all you technology buffs, you can find out network and device information such as the IP Address of the LAN port or the Subnet Mask.

Settings

Set the LCD brightness to your preference (off, low, medium or high) for normal conditions as well as when there is voicemail waiting.
Select the language of your choice for the LCD messages.

ⓘ Vonage Calling Plans

Vonage Box™ Phone Adapter

The Vonage Box phone adapter connects to your existing broadband internet connection to provide you with Vonage telephone service for up to two phone numbers or a phone number and fax number.

Connecting Your Vonage Box Adapter to an Existing Modem

Unplug the power cord from your existing modem.
Leave your modem connected to your cable or DSL line that supplies your Internet connection.
Unplug the existing Ethernet cable that connects your modem to your computer or router and plug into the yellow Ethernet port on the Vonage Box phone adapter.
Take the Ethernet cable provided by Vonage and connect one end to the blue Internet port on the Vonage Box phone adapter and connect the other end to your modem's Ethernet (LAN) port.
Plug the power cord of your modem back into a power source.
Wait 30 seconds and connect the Vonage Box power supply to the orange Power port and connect the plug end to a power source.
Wait for the Telephone LED on the top of the Vonage Box to turn blue. The LED blinks slowly if you have voicemail messages.
Connect your phone cord to the green Phone 1 port on the V-Portal phone adapter.
Pick up telephone handset and listen for a dial tone.

Connecting Your Vonage Box Adapter to an Existing Router

Connect the Ethernet cable to your router:
- Available port on router?
- No available port on router?
  Choose to connect to your existing modem or use following steps to free up a port on your router:
Connect the Vonage Box power supply to the orange Power port and connect the plug end into a power source.
Wait for the Telephone LED on the top of the Vonage Box to turn blue. The LED blinks slowly if you have voicemail messages.
Connect your phone cord to the green Phone 1 port on the Vonage Box phone adapter.
Pick up telephone handset and listen for a dial tone.

Motorola VT1003v and VT1005v Voice Terminals

These VoIP adapters belong to the Motorola VT1000v series voice terminal family. They add Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connections for one or two telephones to any broadband Internet connection. The connection can be through either:

A cable modem high-speed data service from an Internet service provider or a cable television company
A digital subscriber line (DSL) service from a telephone company
Other high-speed Internet connection

The adapters of the VT1000v product line you use for Vonage phone service differ in the number of phone lines they provide:

VT1003v – Provides one telephone line
VT1005v – Provides two telephone lines

You can use a Motorola voice terminal with almost any:

Cable modem or DSL modem (broadband modem)
Microsoft Windows®, Macintosh®, or UNIX® computer with a 10Base-T or 10/100Base-T Ethernet adapter
Ethernet router or wireless access point

In the further text, were we will refer to the VT1005v model. When you get the adapter from Vonage, here is what to expect to find in the box:

Digital Telephone Adapter
Power Cable
Ethernet Cable
Welcome Kit

The following diagrams show how the adapter connects to your home network and telephone(s). We show two scenarios:

Installation with a Single Computer
Installation with Multiple Computers

Phone Adapter Installation with a Single Computer

Unplug the power cord for your DSL/Cable modem. Make sure that you have turned your computer off, and that you DO NOT plug in the Digital Phone Adapter until instructed to do so.
Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the back of your PC and then plug it into the WAN port on the Digital Phone Adapter.
Connect one end of the Ethernet cable we provide into the PC port on the Digital Phone Adapter. Connect the other end of this Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on the computer.
Connect a telephone to the LINE 1 port using a standard phone cord.
Power on the Cable/DSL modem. Wait about two minutes for it to start up.
Plug the power cord into the POWER port on the Digital Phone Adapter and into an electrical outlet. This turns your Digital Phone Adapter on. You do not need to unplug it when not in use.
Check that the POWER light on the Digital Phone Adapter is on. Wait until the light stops flashing before you continue. There may be updates that need to be downloaded such as new firmware or changes to your features. Do not interrupt the registration process by unplugging the power or lifting the receiver on your phone during the startup process. Interruption of the startup may result in interruption of service.
During the startup process you may notice that the green light on top of the Phone Adapter is blinking. These steps indicate that the adapter is booting up with our service. You may find the following blink sequences helpful to you:
- Rapid Blink: Phone Adapter downloading/upgrading firmware
- 1 Blink (1 Blink, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter powering up
- 2 Blinks (2 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter obtaining IP address from your DSL/Cable Modem
- 3 Blinks (3 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter obtaining configuration from our servers
- 4 Blinks (4 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter registering with our servers
  
  Solid green light indicates startup process is complete and you may now make and receive calls.
Power up the computer.
Pick up your handset. When you hear a dial tone, call 800-342-1791 to complete the installation process. If you do not hear a dial tone, refer to the Helpful Hints section down below.

Phone Adapter Installation with Multiple Computers

This procedure is similar to the above one with a single computer except that here we have one more piece of hardware – your router. The router is needed for multiple Ethernet connections. This is because the adapter has one Ethernet port, that is, a connection for one device only. Therefore, in order to have multiple connections available for your devices, you need a router or a switch. The difference is that a router may provide both wireless and wired connections, while a switch usually provides wired connections only. Here are the steps for setting up the Motorola phone adapter for your Vonage phone service, while using multiple computers in your home.

Unplug the power cord for your DSL/Cable modem.
Disconnect the Ethernet cable connecting your DSL/Cable modem to your router from the WAN/Internet port on your router, and connect that end of the Ethernet cable to the WAN port on the Digital Phone Adapter.
Connect one end of the Ethernet cable we provide into the PC port on the Digital Phone Adapter. Connect the other end of this Ethernet cable into the WAN / Internet port on your router.
Plug the power cord back into your DSL/Cable modem and wait about two minutes for it to start up before continuing. Then plug the power cord back into your router and wait about two minutes before continuing.
Connect a telephone to the LINE 1 port of the Digital Phone Adapter using a standard phone cord.
Plug the power cord into the POWER port on the Digital Phone Adapter and into an electrical outlet. This turns your Digital Phone Adapter on. You do not need to unplug it when not in use.
Check that the POWER light on the Digital Phone Adapter is on. Wait until the light stops flashing before you continue. There may be updates that need to be downloaded such as new firmware or changes to your features. Do not interrupt the registration process by unplugging the power or lifting the receiver on your phone during the startup process. Interruption of the startup may result in interruption of service.
During the startup process you may notice that the green light on top of the Phone Adapter is blinking. These steps indicate that the adapter is booting up with our service. You may find the following blink sequences helpful to you:
- Rapid Blink: Phone Adapter downloading/upgrading firmware
- 1 Blink (1 Blink, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter powering up
- 2 Blinks (2 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter obtaining IP address from your DSL/Cable Modem
- 3 Blinks (3 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter obtaining configuration from our servers
- 4 Blinks (4 Blinks, Pause, Repeat): Phone Adapter registering with our servers
  
  Solid green light indicates startup process is complete and you may now make and receive calls.
Pick up your handset. When you hear a dial tone, call 800-342-1791 to complete the installation process. Then, you’re all set! Even if you are transferring your telephone number to Vonage, you can enjoy the great savings and super quality by using your Vonage phone service right away. If you do not hear a dial tone, please refer to the Helpful Hints section down below.

Motorola Phone Adapter – Helpful Hints

Use the power adapter included with the Digital Phone Adapter. Failure to use the provided power adapter will damage the device.
Disconnect any USB cables from the Cable/DSL modem if present.
Make sure your phone is plugged into the Line 1 port on the Digital Phone Adapter.
Are you able to access Web pages, such as www.vonageforhome.com? If not, check to see if your ISP is having connection issues in your area.
Be sure your telephone, which is plugged into the Digital Phone Adapter, is disconnected from the wall jacks (that traditional phone companies use). If not, the Digital Phone Adapter will not connect with the Vonage server and you will not get a dial tone.
Double-check your device connections against the installation instructions. The order in which you turn the devices on is very important.
If you are transferring your telephone number, please keep in mind that most people calling your current phone number will ring your old line. However, Vonage customers will ring your Vonage line.
For more troubleshooting help, visit Vonage.com/help