Vonage phone service on a network with Fedora...

[Steven P. Ulrick]

Hello Everyone
I have just (for now...) signed up for Vonage phone service.  My system as is 
was BEFORE I connected the Vonage V-Portal Phone Adapter was like this:
Two Fedora Linux systems connected to a router that is connected to a cable 
modem that is connected to the Comcast cable that comes out of my wall.  We do 
NOT have any other services from Comcast other than cable internet.  No TV, No 
Phone, just Internet.  I have a dynamic IP address.  But, like with many of us, 
it almost never changes.

THEN I connected the Vonage V-Portal Phone Adapter like the instructions 
specify.  In short, the adapter goes between the modem and the router.  Which I 
am reasonably sure is the cause of my problems.

I discovered after I connected the Vonage device that the IP address that I have 
had with Comcast had changed for the first time in a REAL long time.  So, in an 
attempt to fix my ability to access the mail server on my Fedora 8 system from my 
new system (Fedora 11) I changed the IP address on dnsexit.com to match the new 
one.  This did not in any way change my situation...  So I had an idea: I 
disconnected the Vonage device, probably did a modem/router power cycle and 
rebooted my PC's.  Guess What?  My IP address changed AGAIN!  Any guesses on 
what it changed to?  The exact same IP address that I had before I connected the 
Vonage adapter...  I wasn't exactly too suprised when my email setup started to 
work perfectly again.

So, my question is, has anyone with two or more Fedora/Linux systems on a local 
network that is also running a mail server on one of the systems been able to 
successfully connect the Vonage V-Portal Phone Adapter to their network and 
still have their network function exactly as it did before the adapter was 
installed?

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Steven P. Ulrick