# VOIP (Vonage) and firewalls

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voip-vonage-and-firewalls/633679
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 4, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voip-vonage-and-firewalls/633679 "2012-09-04T20:24:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voip-vonage-and-firewalls/633679/1 "2012-09-04T20:24:37Z")

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I’m having trouble getting a Vonage VOIP adapter to connect via a Westell DSL modem/router.

I believe I’ve narrowed the issue to the Westell’s firewall. Logic behind this: [ul][li]Before Frontier (DSL provider) replaced the old modem, the phone worked fine. [/li][li]When I switch the phone over to the cable connection via a simple series of A/B Ethernet boxes, the phone works fine. [/li][li]When I go into the Westell setup screen and turn the firewall from ‘medium’ to ‘off’, the phone works fine. [/ul][/li]  
I tried following the directions on Vonage’s page, tried following the directions on [portforward.com](http://portforward.com)’s page, and even paid for portforward’s application (I’ve spoken to “tech support” at both Vonage and Frontier). Portforward’s application didn’t work, and customer service is telling me

> [@portforward.com customer service](#):
>
> Unfortunately it appears to be a firewall issue, if setting it to low is what gets things working then that’s about all you can do. Besides, it’s not off, it’s just turned down. 🙂
> 
> Even if your firewall was completely disabled you would still be protected by the router itself, unless a port is forwarded or you make the outgoing connection yourself, nothing is going to get past it.

Now what? Given that the rest of the house/office (multiple PCs and Macs) occasionally connect to the DSL line, I can’t see just turning the firewall off. Or can I? Since “everything else” is behind a Linksys 310N router, can I just shut it off at the modem and not worry? I have a second Ethernet adapter coming into my Windows 7 box, which I ostensibly connects a Linux VM (i.e. the cable goes directly from the DSL modem to a USB Ethernet adapter). Is there a way to keep it safe?

Thanks for any help or encouragement!

Rhythm