krt_uk,
If you're browsing normally then DNS is working. I have previously experienced slow internet connections delaying DNS responses. You can test this by setting a longer timeout (say 30 seconds) in nslookup and re-running the test, this does not change your PC setting, just the nslookup test. Try the following in a command prompt:
nslookup
set timeout=30
google.com
It will then wait for 30 seconds before giving up.
Looking at the network trace of the VSS it waits exactly 5 seconds to get a DNS response before trying again so you could also try the above but use set timeout=5 and then the test will be equal to the VSS behaviour.
You cannot ping a VSS version 3 until it has connected to Vodafone, I don't know about other versions. I don't know why it is implemented in this way but it is. It does not mean that DHCP an the likes has failed to work.
A slow network connection will stop something like the VSS from working as it will stream the call and will have a latency and jitter tolerance to make the end-to-end voice quality of service acceptable. Most people can withstand 250ms latency before they have to start using formal procedures (over over type that the military use). 250ms is the delay that you hear when people use Geostationary Satellite links to commuincate. A slow link will also increase jitter (delay variation between IP packets) and this will be experienced as additional delay because the VSS will have to buffer the traffic to prevent breaks in the service, just like you see You Tube buffering before it starts to play the video.
I don't know how far through the negotiation your VSS is getting. To work this out we will have to sniff the network traffic between the VSS and your router. The software most people use to do this is wireshark, which is completely free. However, to get access to the link between the VSS and the router you will need either an old style ethernet hub (1990's tech) or a managed ethernet switch (expensive) to mirror the port. I managed to find an old style ethernet hub, these work because they broadcast all traffic on all ports so you can see everthing going on with your PC running wireshark.
Mark.
