4. Routing Features

Depending on your broadband setup, it's possible to get the BTS up and running without even knowing that it has internal routing features that can be configured. And as a matter of fact, the installation into my network, which already has a router, went just that way. The only time you must log in and configure the BTS' router is if you have a single computer connected directly to a broadband modem and run a PPPoE or other authentication client in your computer.

Figure 6: Internet Connection Wizard
(click image to enlarge)

The BTS comes set to 192.168.15.1 with its internal LAN DHCP server on and its WAN port set to pick up IP address information via DHCP, so logging in is as simple as plugging your computer set to obtain its IP address automatically into the BTS base's LAN port, leasing an IP address and logging in. Once in, you can run the Setup Wizard, which walks you through getting the WAN configured. Given the pretty much fully automatic wizards that come on consumer routers these days, the BTS' wizard is relatively crude. But if you know what kind of broadband connection you have, you'll probably do ok.

Poking around the interface revealed the usual suspects for controls including Virtual Servers (Figure 7) to allow inbound access to servers or service-type applications, IP Filters to control user outbound access to Internet services and a DMZ function to open all ports inbound to a single IP address.

Figure 7: Virtual Servers
(click image to enlarge)

Other tabs include access to system event logs, WAN and LAN statistics and the ability to reboot the router and restore it to factory defaults. You'll also find controls to disable response to WAN pings, enable IPsec and PPTP VPN passthrough, and UPnP (all enabled by default), as well as the ability to enable remote administration via Web and, surprisingly, SSH. Both remote admin capabilities can restrict remote access to a single IP address and you can change the web access port from its default of 8080.

What I couldn't find was any ability to update the BTS firmware, which I assume is by design since Vonage probably wants to control when and if any updating is done.