Linksys SPA942 4 Line IP Telephone with 2 Port Ethernet Switch, PoE and Hi-Res Display
Advanced, Affordable, Feature Rich IP Phone for the Home Office and Business
- Upgradable to 4 lines with the latest version of firmware (Free download)
- Full featured two or four line business class IP Phone supporting Power over Ethernet 802.3af
- Connect directly to an Internet Telephone Service Provider or connect to an IP PBX
- Dual switched Ethernet ports, Speakerphone, Caller ID, Call Hold, Conferencing, and more
- Easy installation and secure remote provisioning. Menu based and web based configuration.
Stylish and functional in design, the SPA942 VoIP telephone is ideal for a residence or business using a hosted IP telephony service, an IP PBX, or a large scale IP Centrex deployment. The SPA942 leverages industry leading VoIP technology from Linksys to deliver an upgradeable high quality IP Phone that is unparalleled in features, value, and support.
Standard features on the SPA942 include two active lines, dual switched Ethernet ports, 802.3af PoE support, a high resolution graphical display, speakerphone, and a 2.5 mm head-set port. With a simple software update, the SPA942 is upgradeable to a four line phone. Each line can be independently configured to use a unique phone number (or extension), or can be configured to use a shared number that is assigned to multiple phones.
Comprehensive Interoperability and SIP Based Feature Set
Based on the SIP standard, the SPA942 has been tested to ensure comprehensive interoperability with equipment from VoIP infrastructure leaders enabling service providers to quickly roll-out competitive, feature rich services to their customers. With hundreds of features and configurable service parameters, the SPA942 addresses the requirements of traditional business users while leveraging the advantages of IP telephony. Features such as easy station moves, presence, and shared line appearances (across local and geographically dispersed locations) are just some of the many advantages of the SPA942.
Carrier-Grade Security, Provisioning, and Management
The SPA942 uses standard encryption protocols to provide secure remote provisioning and unobtrusive in-service software upgrades. Linksys secure remote provisioning tools include detailed performance measurement and troubleshooting features, enabling network providers to deliver high quality support to their subscribers. Remote provisioning also saves service providers the hassle and expense of managing, pre-loading, and re-configuring customer premise equipment (CPE).
Enjoy to talk with VoIP !
Showing posts with label Linksys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linksys. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Linksys SPA2100 ATA Review
Linksys SPA2100 ATA like to be good job.I did a lot of research on which one to buy and decided on a Linksys/Sipura model as they seemed to be reliable and the majority of people had positive things to say about them. I chose the Linksys SPA2100 for two reasons: A) because it had a WAN and a LAN port, which meant simply putting it between my DSL router and my PC, and B) because it had two FXS (phone) ports, so I could set one up with a permanent service (I use Callcentric, who have been very helpful in my learning phase) and then use the second one to play with, changing settings and providers to my hearts content while knowing I could still make and receive calls on the first port (as it turned out, the novelty of that wore off and I always keep Voipuser on the second one).
The Feature Set Clinched It
One other thing that the Linksys SPA2100 had in its favour was the QoS bit – it can tell the router it wants a higher priority than less important stuff, such as email, so the speech quality is not affected unnecessarily. I would have thought that this would have been a primary requirement for any ATA, however there are a lot of them (including some SPAs) that do not have QoS.
When my Linksys SPA2100 first arrived, I was pleased to see it even included a cable to connect to the DSL router, so it was ready to plug in and play with, which I did.
In Use
I managed to get the thing working adequately with Callcentric in a very short time, however it took weeks to get it to function properly with Voipuser (one way speech, then calls to the 0844 number telling me I was unavailable, despite the web site telling me I was logged in).
My problems were partly caused by the Linksys SPA2100 being so configurable that I didn’t know what I was doing, and partly because I am a male and therefore played around and didn’t bother reading instructions. Fortunately for me, someone else must have previously experienced the same issues and they shared their findings (I still haven’t read the Linksys SPA2100’s manual, although I did get as far as downloading it in a moment of despair).
Now that I have a fully functioning Linksys SPA2100 I am thrilled with it. The speech quality, whilst not being as good as PSTN calls, exceeded my expectations. The codec used obviously makes a great deal of difference to speech quality, although more often than not it uses the G711u codec, despite me telling it that G729a is my preferred one (G711u has got to be the best quality one it has, but I hate to think how much bandwidth it eats).
The echo cancellation seems to be as good as the ones the used in the PSTN international gateways here, and the only time I have experienced echo was when the far end user tried to put me on speakerphone (which I hate anyway).
Advanced Features
Having got the speech basics working, I set about making the Linksys SPA2100 do other things I consider important, namely making itself appear to fit in with my telecommunications ideals. To this end, I taught it how to make proper tones (it defaults to US tones – ewwww) and proper ringing cadences. This is where the ultra configurability that initially caused me problems now became my friend – my SPA now goes “ring ring” when someone calls me. It was worth teaching it the tones too, because although Voipuser seems to pass the ringing tones from the B party back to me (I like that), Callcentric does not; the ringing tone I get when making a Callcentric call actually comes from the Linksys SPA2100 (this is not the SPA's fault) and the speech path is only established once the B party answers (giving a short delay between losing ringing tone and being connected to the callee).
Other PSTN-like things the Linksys SPA2100 can do include CPC (sometimes called Clear Forwarding) and Answer Reversal, which means it can interface with analogue PABXs and answerphones and work as you would expect. The dialing plan is user configurable and can do useful things such as number translation, which is handy if you don’t want to keep dialing **275*448 in front of a Voipuser number when calling from other VSPs.
I like my Linksys SPA2100 so much that not only would I recommend it to people, but I also bought a second one as a gift for my father. Having learnt the hard way, I first configured it via the link I mentioned above, then entered my own account details into it (hey, I had to make sure it was working before I gave it away!), made test VoIP calls (in and out), made PSTN calls in and out, and it worked. Completely set up in less than an hour, including changing the tones and ringing.
The Linksys SPA2100 was also very cost effective at $NZ138 (approx £46).
Conclusion
I have worked in the telecommunications field for over two decades (including a few years in international) and I have high expectations from a phone. The Linksys SPA2100 gave me more features than I expected at a higher quality than I expected. There is nothing that I feel is missing from it, although some people might like an FXO (central office) port, but then those people would not have bought this model. I specifically did not want an FXO port as I like to consciously choose whether to make a VoIP call or a PSTN call – I don’t want to make a call assuming it’s free only to find out it’s been routed via the PSTN at exorbitant rates. Also, I have it running through a small PABX, so the only difference to me is which access code I dial (one for each of my PSTN line, SPA port 1, and SPA port2).
Enjoy Linksys SPA2100 ATA with VoIP !
The Feature Set Clinched It
One other thing that the Linksys SPA2100 had in its favour was the QoS bit – it can tell the router it wants a higher priority than less important stuff, such as email, so the speech quality is not affected unnecessarily. I would have thought that this would have been a primary requirement for any ATA, however there are a lot of them (including some SPAs) that do not have QoS.
When my Linksys SPA2100 first arrived, I was pleased to see it even included a cable to connect to the DSL router, so it was ready to plug in and play with, which I did.
In Use
I managed to get the thing working adequately with Callcentric in a very short time, however it took weeks to get it to function properly with Voipuser (one way speech, then calls to the 0844 number telling me I was unavailable, despite the web site telling me I was logged in).
My problems were partly caused by the Linksys SPA2100 being so configurable that I didn’t know what I was doing, and partly because I am a male and therefore played around and didn’t bother reading instructions. Fortunately for me, someone else must have previously experienced the same issues and they shared their findings (I still haven’t read the Linksys SPA2100’s manual, although I did get as far as downloading it in a moment of despair).
Now that I have a fully functioning Linksys SPA2100 I am thrilled with it. The speech quality, whilst not being as good as PSTN calls, exceeded my expectations. The codec used obviously makes a great deal of difference to speech quality, although more often than not it uses the G711u codec, despite me telling it that G729a is my preferred one (G711u has got to be the best quality one it has, but I hate to think how much bandwidth it eats).
The echo cancellation seems to be as good as the ones the used in the PSTN international gateways here, and the only time I have experienced echo was when the far end user tried to put me on speakerphone (which I hate anyway).
Advanced Features
Having got the speech basics working, I set about making the Linksys SPA2100 do other things I consider important, namely making itself appear to fit in with my telecommunications ideals. To this end, I taught it how to make proper tones (it defaults to US tones – ewwww) and proper ringing cadences. This is where the ultra configurability that initially caused me problems now became my friend – my SPA now goes “ring ring” when someone calls me. It was worth teaching it the tones too, because although Voipuser seems to pass the ringing tones from the B party back to me (I like that), Callcentric does not; the ringing tone I get when making a Callcentric call actually comes from the Linksys SPA2100 (this is not the SPA's fault) and the speech path is only established once the B party answers (giving a short delay between losing ringing tone and being connected to the callee).
Other PSTN-like things the Linksys SPA2100 can do include CPC (sometimes called Clear Forwarding) and Answer Reversal, which means it can interface with analogue PABXs and answerphones and work as you would expect. The dialing plan is user configurable and can do useful things such as number translation, which is handy if you don’t want to keep dialing **275*448 in front of a Voipuser number when calling from other VSPs.
I like my Linksys SPA2100 so much that not only would I recommend it to people, but I also bought a second one as a gift for my father. Having learnt the hard way, I first configured it via the link I mentioned above, then entered my own account details into it (hey, I had to make sure it was working before I gave it away!), made test VoIP calls (in and out), made PSTN calls in and out, and it worked. Completely set up in less than an hour, including changing the tones and ringing.
The Linksys SPA2100 was also very cost effective at $NZ138 (approx £46).
Conclusion
I have worked in the telecommunications field for over two decades (including a few years in international) and I have high expectations from a phone. The Linksys SPA2100 gave me more features than I expected at a higher quality than I expected. There is nothing that I feel is missing from it, although some people might like an FXO (central office) port, but then those people would not have bought this model. I specifically did not want an FXO port as I like to consciously choose whether to make a VoIP call or a PSTN call – I don’t want to make a call assuming it’s free only to find out it’s been routed via the PSTN at exorbitant rates. Also, I have it running through a small PABX, so the only difference to me is which access code I dial (one for each of my PSTN line, SPA port 1, and SPA port2).
Enjoy Linksys SPA2100 ATA with VoIP !
Friday, June 27, 2008
Linksys SPA-921 Review
Linksys SPA-921 is cheapest model from Linksys after the Linksys SPA-90.
How good about Linksys SPA-921.
Introduction
The Linksys SPA-921 built by Sipura/Linksys is the second cheapest model from Linksys after the Linksys SPA-901, which doesn't have an LCD screen. The SPA-921 currently sells for $110 at www.telephonyware.com from which I bought it.
Installation
Hardware-wise Linksys SPA-921 , it's pretty simple: Just plug the network cable into a switch/hub connected to the Net, and plug the 5V transformer.
Software-wise, it's as rich/complicated as the 3102 VoIP gateway, which means multiple web pages that only make sense if you're already used to VoIP (and even then.) Hit the Admin Guide PDF for more information.
Basically, you need to create a new VoIP account, enter login/password and the server IP address, add a STUN server if you're behind a NAT router, and you should get a dialtone.
Usage
Like other phones, I think it has too many buttons, but it's simple enough for basic usage.
Besides a few buttons that are set to only one feature (Voicemail, Menu, Hold, Mute, Headset, Speakerphone, Volume), it relies on four buttons under the LCD screen along with a four-directional round button to navigate through menus. As an alternative, you can configure the phone through its embedded web interface.
Conclusion
It's a nice, affordable, entry-level phone.
There are just a couple of things I don't like:
- Contrary to what the documentation says (at least, as of May 2007), it cannot download a phonebook from a server
- Like the Linksys SPA-921, the phonebook only holds 100 entries
- The LCD screen cannot be raised, hence the need for the desk stand that comes with the unit. The GrandStream GXP-2000 is better in this respect
- The screen is a bit small. The GXP-2000 is also better for this
- Unlike the SPA9x2 phones, the interface is only available in English
How good about Linksys SPA-921.
Introduction
The Linksys SPA-921 built by Sipura/Linksys is the second cheapest model from Linksys after the Linksys SPA-901, which doesn't have an LCD screen. The SPA-921 currently sells for $110 at www.telephonyware.com from which I bought it.
Installation
Hardware-wise Linksys SPA-921 , it's pretty simple: Just plug the network cable into a switch/hub connected to the Net, and plug the 5V transformer.
Software-wise, it's as rich/complicated as the 3102 VoIP gateway, which means multiple web pages that only make sense if you're already used to VoIP (and even then.) Hit the Admin Guide PDF for more information.
Basically, you need to create a new VoIP account, enter login/password and the server IP address, add a STUN server if you're behind a NAT router, and you should get a dialtone.
Usage
Like other phones, I think it has too many buttons, but it's simple enough for basic usage.
Besides a few buttons that are set to only one feature (Voicemail, Menu, Hold, Mute, Headset, Speakerphone, Volume), it relies on four buttons under the LCD screen along with a four-directional round button to navigate through menus. As an alternative, you can configure the phone through its embedded web interface.
Conclusion
It's a nice, affordable, entry-level phone.
There are just a couple of things I don't like:
- Contrary to what the documentation says (at least, as of May 2007), it cannot download a phonebook from a server
- Like the Linksys SPA-921, the phonebook only holds 100 entries
- The LCD screen cannot be raised, hence the need for the desk stand that comes with the unit. The GrandStream GXP-2000 is better in this respect
- The screen is a bit small. The GXP-2000 is also better for this
- Unlike the SPA9x2 phones, the interface is only available in English
Monday, June 16, 2008
Linksys ships Wi-Fi VoIP phone in Europe
IFA 06 Linksys has at last launched its WIP330 802.11b/g Wi-Fi-connected VoIP phone in Europe - the company's first wireless handset to made available to buyers over here - after announcing the device at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin this morning.
The WIP330 is the successor to the Cisco subsidiary's WIP300 handset - released like the WIP330 in the US back in February this year, but according to Linksys never brought over the Atlantic until today.
The handset connects to 802.11b and 802.11g wireless hotspots and incorporates IPv4's Type of Service extension to allow access points to give priority to voice data if they too support this quality-of-service system. It'll work with the WEP and WPA Wi-Fi security standards.
The WIP330 supports the SIP 2 VoIP standard - so it's not Skype friendly - and provides a range of customary phone features, including caller ID, call forwarding, speed dial, last number redial, a vibration alert, call waiting and so on. The handset can initiate three-way conference calls.
The 119g handset sports a 2.2in, 240 x 320, 65,536-colour display and a battery sufficient for three hours' talk time and up to 50 hours' operation in stand-by mode. It has 32MB of Flash memory on board and 64MB of RAM.
Linksys said the WIP330 is available now from Linksys distributors. Expect to pay around €399 (£268/$510) for it, the company advised.
The WIP330 is the successor to the Cisco subsidiary's WIP300 handset - released like the WIP330 in the US back in February this year, but according to Linksys never brought over the Atlantic until today.
The handset connects to 802.11b and 802.11g wireless hotspots and incorporates IPv4's Type of Service extension to allow access points to give priority to voice data if they too support this quality-of-service system. It'll work with the WEP and WPA Wi-Fi security standards.
The WIP330 supports the SIP 2 VoIP standard - so it's not Skype friendly - and provides a range of customary phone features, including caller ID, call forwarding, speed dial, last number redial, a vibration alert, call waiting and so on. The handset can initiate three-way conference calls.
The 119g handset sports a 2.2in, 240 x 320, 65,536-colour display and a battery sufficient for three hours' talk time and up to 50 hours' operation in stand-by mode. It has 32MB of Flash memory on board and 64MB of RAM.
Linksys said the WIP330 is available now from Linksys distributors. Expect to pay around €399 (£268/$510) for it, the company advised.
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