Making VoIP Calls with Home Phone - ATA Configuration
For people who want to enjoy the benefits and low rates of VoIP calls, but are still attached to traditional phone sets, analog telephone adaptor (ATA) might be the answer for you. Imagine the convenience of making cheap VoIP calls anywhere without a computer, just by plugging the ATA in your router and phone set.
An ATA is usually shaped like a small box and normally has two sets of outlets: one for your VoIP service or LAN and another one for your regular house phone. The main job of ATA is to bridge the analog phone system and the digital network or VoIP service.
The advantages of using an ATA are as follows:
1. You don’t need a computer to use VoIP service.
2. You are able to use VoIP service when you travel by bringing your ATA device. Just plug it in any DSL modem or router and off you go.
3. It’s cheaper than buying an IP phone and easier to configure at the same time.
In the following, I’ll show you how to install an ATA so you can make calls from your house phone at OneSuite VoIP rates. To use OneSuite VoIP service, you need to have a OneSuite account, which gives you OneSuite Broadband Access after you download the free SoftPhone. Or, you can sign up for SuiteAdvantage at $2.95 a month, to also get a phone number plus other features like free voicemail, free incoming calls, message broadcasting, free member calls, caller ID, call block, etc.
I’m using Grandstream HandyTone 286 ATA™ as an example. It’s an entry-level device that is both affordable, popular and has good user reviews.
First, I connect the Ethernet cable from my router to the RJ45 port of the ATA, then my house phone line on the RJ11 port before plugging the device in the wall outlet. Fast forward to configuration settings. I find this ATA really easy to set up on my OneSuite SuiteAdvantage:
This is the Basic Settings page. If you need a fixed setting then choose the “statically configured as” and enter the following:
IP Address – It’s the IP address of the ATA. To know the IP you need to dial *** and then 02 to hear the current IP address.
Subnet Mask – It’s always 255.255.255.0
Default Router – By default, D-link router IP address is 192.168.0.1 (which is what I’m using) as opposed to Linksys router default IP of 192.168.1.1. Check the documentation of your router to find the default IP.
DNS server 1: DNS server address can be found on the status screen of your router or you can always check with your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
DNS server 2: Same as DNS server 1.
Time Zone: Change it to your current time zone.
Otherwise, choosing “dynamically assigned via DHCP” will work for most people.
Then proceed to the Advance Settings page:
SIP server: voip.onesuite.com
Outbound Proxy: voip.onesuite.com
SIP user ID: onesuite username-voip.onesuite.com
Authenticate ID: onesuite username-voip.onesuite.com
Authenticate Password: onesuite softphone password
Some advance settings highlights:
Preferred Vocoder (Codec): OneSuite supports G711.u, also known as PCMU, so PCMU should be on Choice 1.
User ID is phone number: No. OneSuite doesn’t use SuiteAdvantage number as a username.
SIP Registration: Yes.
Unregister on reboot: Yes. Sometimes the changes won’t take effect if the ATA doesn’t unregister first before rebooting.
Send DTMF: via RTP (RFC2833)
DTMF Payload Type: 101
Click on update then reboot after entering the details.
After the reboot, check the status to see if you are registered with OneSuite. If not, then review the details above and make sure everything is configured accordingly. If registered, you are now ready to make OneSuite VoIP calls with ATA. To call a US number, just dial the area code, destination number then press #. For international calls, dial 011, followed by the country code, area code then phone number.
Great! This is the only thing that’s keeping me from signing up with OneSuite. I don’t want my computer to be turned on all the time. I got a question though, does this mean OneSuite supports ATA’s now?
Hi, Garcia:
OneSuite VoIP service works with ATAs because it is SIP-based just like most VoIP providers, and it can be used on most, if not all, SIP softphones and unlocked ATA devices. Some VoIP companies provide their own rebranded ATA devices but they are mostly locked to their services, the same way most mobile phones are dedicated to particular carriers. If you are going to use a rebranded ATA device then you must unlock it before you can use it with OneSuite or any other VoIP service.
OneSuite however, like most providers, does not provide support on the ATAs if you experience any difficulties using your own device.
Thank you,
Michael
Great job, Michael! Thanks for this very clear and informative post. I’ve been a satisified Onesuite customer for a couple of years and have been waiting until I could use an ATA before I subscribed to SuiteAdvantage. Is it possible to port in an existing number? Can you recommend a vendor that sells the Grandstream at a good price? Thanks! Fred
@Fred
Hi, Fred
Number porting is possible with OneSuite and it is free. You could make the request upon SA signup, or go to your SA setting to submit the porting request. The wait time varies though, depending on carriers. You can also call our customer service at 1-866-41SUITE (78483) for more details.
Regarding Grandstream ATAs, I got mine from eBay a couple of years ago. You can also try some online vendors like voipdw or 888voipstore.
Thanks and please keep visiting our blog.
Michael
Hi Michael, do you happen to know any PBX systems (software or hardware)I can use with Onesuite VOIP service? This would be very cost effective for my business if I could make 4 concurrent outbound calls (4 subscribed lines from Onesuite), have many extensions, and have all the features of a PBX system such as auto-attendant, call waiting, call forwarding, call routing, call recording, etc. Using either IP phones or analog phones are fine. Most importantly, I can add more extensions/lines if I want to when my business grows in the future. Thanks in advance.
Glen.
@Glen Chan
Hi, Glen
Thanks for your inquiry. In fact, we at OneSuite are currently developing IP PBX product, which can provide all features you mentioned and more. Please stay tuned
Thanks for your support and keep coming back!
Michael
Glen, I’ve read on forums some people are using Asterisk with OneSuite VoIP service. It’s a free PBX software running on Linux. Here’s the website -> http://www.asterisk.org/
You may also want to check AsteriskNow (http://www.asterisknow.org/) too, its a customized Linux distribution with Asterisk, FreePBX and other software needed to run Asterisk system.
For VoIP discussions, go to forum @ dslreports.com, you’ll learn from those guys.
If after I port my home number#A to VOIP-oneSuite-can I move the number#A to another provider? (if later on I need to have a VOIP without using the computer-may be not)
As the number#A is tying to a lot of service it would take a number of years to untangle these. It is therefore an absolute requirement before the number will be port to any provider.
@Plam
Hi Plam,
If I understand your questions correctly, you are asking if you can port out your home number that you ported to OneSuite in the future?
The answer is Yes.
Now if the reason for porting out of OneSuite is because you don’t want to use a computer to make VoIP calls then I don’t think you have to, because OneSuite VoIP is compatible with most ATA devices and IP phones in the market.
I hope I’ve answered your questions and please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have more questions.
Michael
When will 911 or e911 be available?
Hi Michael, I make a lot of international calls to my family in the Philippines, I live here in Texas. how can I take advantage of this ATA, is this going to be installed on my familys side and on my end as well?
how much will the rate be per minute, after insatalling it, Do you know ?
please advice,,,Thanks
@Ron: For now there are no plans to provide E911 service.
@arturo: You need ATA if you intend to use OneSuite VoIP service without a computer. Installing ATA will save you the trouble of turning the computer on just to make phone calls.
The advantage of having ATA on both ends of two separate OneSuite VoIP accounts, is that your calls are FREE. Now if your family in the Philippines use the ATA to call you on your US mobile or home phone, then the rate is 2.5c per minute. If you are going to call them on their mobile, the rate is 16.5c and on their landline it’s 12.5c.
But remember if you are going to call your family in the Philippines in their OneSuite VoIP number using yor own OneSuite VoIP account, then the call is FREE.
Hope that helps.
Michael
Hi Michael,
we are new to this service altho I have been using OneSuite for its other services for years..
we hope to be able to use the Suite Advantage to allow my boss to make calls easily when he travels..which is about to occur again!
I have read everything above and my only questions are:
1) is a computer required to “configure” all the various settings detailed above on the ATA?? (iI certainly do not see how this small device could do this without the help of a computer…:)
2) and if the answer is yes, then I wonder if both MAC and Windows operating systems are supported by the software needed to do this configuration?
One of your live tech support people had said MAC systems were not supported by the soft phone software, but we are trying to use a regular phone with the ATA.
thanks for your help..time is of the essence! susan
oops, one more question…if only Windows systems can be used, is it possible for the initial configuration of the ATA be done on a PC and then the ATA device be used by someone on a MAC who is using a regular
phone thru the ATA and not a soft phone??
thanks, again!