Telephone line Extensions over Ethernet via SPA112 ?

[John.Dankowych]

I saw a recommendation elsewhere and on this forum suggesting the SPA112 coul be used to extend phone lines (same number) to other rooms over ethernet.

Here is what I want to do:

I have exsiting IP based phone service provided by a company called Talkit (Canada). Talkit provided at Grandstream Handytone 286 ATA and I connected a cordless Nortel analog phone to it. Works ok.

Now I want to put an extension of the same phone number into another room. I purchased two SPA112s to try to do this. I have established ethernet connectivity and I can see and configure both units.

I connetced one unit to the phone line that runs from the Handytone ATA to my analog phone to one SPA112 and a second old analog phone in the second room to the second SPA112.

I made the following config changes:

I upagraded the FW to the latest version on both SPA112 units.

I set

Register to No

Use OB proxy to No

Make calls wo reg to Yes

Ans call w/o reg to Yes.

I was able ot get a dial tone on the second phone but when I dialed out to my cell phone I geta busy signal.

Another issue is that the SPA112 connected to the Handytone ATA seems to stay OFF Hook.

Please advise... or point to a document where I can read about how to set these up.

I am assuming that I do not need to register the spa112s to my service provider proxy bu that rather that two spa112s will simply pass the incoming and outgoing calls thru.

John

[Steven Howes]

"I connetced one unit to the phone line that runs from the Handytone ATA to my analog phone to one SPA112 and a second old analog phone in the second room to the second SPA112."

You connected a SPA112 to a line? You must never do that! The SPA112 must connect to handsets only. Otherwise you're connecting two 48v lines together...

A SPA112 allows you to connect an analogue handset to a VoIP system.

A SPA3102 allows you to connect one analogue handset to a VoIP system, and one analogue line ot a VoIP system. Two of these may be able to do what you're suggesting.

I hope I've understood what you've said. Be aware that connecting two analogue lines together could damage one/both of the devices invovled.

S

[John.Dankowych]

I have no analog service and hence no line. I have IP based phone service which is hardware configured as:

Analog phone ---> ATA ----> Data Switch ----> ethernet over powerline (EOP) ---> ISP router and DSL modem.

I added the first SPA112 between the Analog phone and the ATA. There is probably a voltage problem at that point. There seem to be some config paramters that might address (under Voice/Regional menu) but i am unsure as to how to set these.

The second SPA112 is in another room and is connected as:

EOP -----> SPA112 ----> analog phone

John

[Steven Howes]

You *do* have an analogue line. Your existing ata produces one. As does the SPA112. You should only connect *phones* to a 112. You've joined two dial toned together.

[John.Dankowych]

Yes, but I am not connected to the phone company's analog line.

Others have suggested that I could use the SPA112 to set up an extension in another room. Are you saying that the SPA112 cannot be used for extension pruposes?

I can still give these units back. I would be willing try the spa3102 if you can tell me how to configure it for extension purposes.

John

[Steven Howes]

You can use a SPA112 to connect to a phone. Nothing else. You cannot connect your SPA112 to you ATA from your VoIP provider. I'm tired of explaining why.

A SPA3102 is capable of this (it can connect to a handset, and an ATA/line), but you'd need to pay for the services of someone who is capable of configuring them to work together.

I hope this is of use.

Steve

[randy.andrade]

John,

Both the Grandstream Handytone and the SPA112 are what are called "ATA" devices. "ATA" stands for Analogue Terminal (or in some literature, Telephone) Adapter. That's to say that an ATA device converts from an IP-based voice connection to an analogue voice connection.

The port that you connect your cordless phone to on the Grandstream ATA is, technically, referred to as an FXS port. An FXS port provides dial tone and battery voltage on an analogue line. The compliment to an FXS port, is an FXO port, which expects to have dial tone and battery voltage provided to it. Both the Handytone and the SPA112 have only FXS ports, so they all provide dial tone and battery, and thus are not compatible to be connected directly together.

You would need a device (such as the previously mentioned SPA3102) which features an FXO port on one end of the ethernet connection, and one of your SPA112 ATA's on the other end of the ethernet connection.

If I'm understanding what it is you're trying to accomplish correctly (and I believe I do), there are a couple suggestions I would make.

First off, you can contact TalkIt, and explain that you wish to configure your own ATA device with their service, in addition to the one they provided you. They would need to provide you the SIP proxy and credential information for your phone accounts with them. You would then need to program that information into the SPA112 that is in the second room. As long as that SPA112 can get internet connectivity, it should be able to register with their call server, and you should be able to make and receive calls at the same number as the Handytone ATA, providing TalkIt will allow multiple registrations to the same account.

Secondly, you can contact TalkIt, and explain that you wish to have them provide you an additional ATA configured with the same users / phone numbers as your current unit. Some providers are less prone to provide you with the information required to configure your own device, but they may be open to you purchasing / renting an additional unit that they provide, and configuring it in such a way that it shares the same number as the original ATA device they provided you with.

Thirdly, you can purchase a SIP Gateway device, such as the SPA3102, which would provide an FXO port which you could connect to the FXS port of the Handytone ATA device, and then configure one of your SPA112's to make an IP connection to the SPA3102, and connect an analogue line to that SPA112.

If you're not overly familliar with IP Telephony, I'd probably recommend getting a second ATA from TalkIt, as it would come preconfigured, and you would only have to plug it in for it to work. If they're willing to provide you with the SIP information, you may be able to configure one of the SPA112's that you already have, and just use that to connect to their service. This would probably be the least expensive option, but would require you to perform the configuration of the additional ATA device yourself. The third option, which most closely resembles your initial request, would not involve TalkIt, however it would involve purchasing the additional SIP Gateway device, as well as perform all of the configuration yourself. I, personally, have not configured a SIP Gateway device before, so I don't know exactly how involved that configuration is. Configuring the SPA112 shouldn't be too bad, but again, I've never configured it in exactly the way you're describing, so I can't say for sure. I've only ever used them to connect to a full IP PBX, or else a Hosted service, similar to the TalkIT provided Handytone unit.

Hope this provides a little direction, and wasn't too confusing.

Randy

[John.Dankowych]

Randy

Thanks for your reply. You have cleared up some questions. I have had a couple of discussions with Talkit and as far as I can tell they have never had anyone try what I am proposing. They suggsted a wireless/coredless phone system could achieve the extensions. I fear that they will not dislcose their SIP proxy as they have password protected the ATA. I will ask them in any case. They would probably be open to the second option but that would porbably incurr an additional recurring charge for each extension.

I am thinking of trying option 3.

John

[randy.andrade]

John,

I did a quick search and came across this document:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/csbpvga/ata/administration/guide/ATA_AG_v3_NC-WEB.pdf

It has an entire section devoted to the configuration of the SPA3102 and the SPA8800 for use as a PSTN - to - SIP gateway.

Hopefully you might find it helpful in configuring an SPA3102, if you decide to go that route.

Randy

[John.Dankowych]

Randy

Thanks. I will give it a try, I can pcik up a spa3102 locally for $69.99.

John