Choosing an ATA to take up AAISP VoIP

Hi All. I have partly moved to a FTTP with Giganet (until Zen sort out a local FEX) but my landline is still with Zen. I'd like to move to the AAISP VoIP £1.44/mo package as I use my landline for incoming calls almost invariably and that's much cheaper than PSTN line rental with Zen, and their own Digital Voice package is £6/mo.

I've been looking at ATAs, but I'm not sure how to differentiate between them other than raw cost. I have a BT3710 cordless unit with 3 phones I inherited from my sister when she moved and they work well enough, so I think it makes sense to stick with them? I know A&A sell a phone system to use with their VoIP but it's £120!

I know someone using a Cisco SPA112, and someone else here on the fora had an ATA191 in their sig. However Cisco seems like expensive overkill for my use case? That being said, I see a boxed one on eBay for 30 quid. I also saw someone else recommend trying to pick up a cheap Fritzbox 7530 from eBay and use that, I assume it can be used simply as an ATA of sorts? (± maybe as an access point, but I don't really want it as my main router)

I'm normally reasonably well versed in tech but telephony is one of my blind spots, so advice would be appreciated Cheers!

Grandstream do some relatively cheap ATAs that work reasonably well.

If I were you though, I'd replace the BT DECT basestation with a Gigaset N300A basestation (approx. £60) instead. Using an ATA introduces the possibility of echoeing on your calls and this is avoided by using a DECT system that has SIP support.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have seen references to the N300[A] on here and since it seems well-regarded it is tempting, but 60 quid for a base station alone seems steep. But if it's "buy once, works forever" (where forever is a reasonably long time like 10+ years) that's slightly more palatable and possibly more sensible than going the ATA route?

Absolutely go for a new DECT base with SIP. I have used an ATA in the past and trying to deal with echo was not fun, the base audio quality was just nowhere near as good either.

I've used an N300A (and still do) at home, and before that a Linksys ATA, and it was a nightmare by comparison. I was able to link an old BT DECT handset to the N300 as a less regularly used phone out in the garage too.

I've also used Yealink W60B at work - and that's also worked fine, and I feel is a bit more configurable too. Though those extra options are probably not really needed for home use.

Main takeaway is absolutely buy another DECT base with SIP support - it'll be the better solution, and will last you a long time.

Optionally buy the handsets to match too - but if you can live with the limitations you may find your existing handsets will do the job for you, keeping total costs down. Can always buy first-party handsets later if you feek the need.

Another vote for the Gigaset N300A here. I've had one for about 5 years now with A&A voice over several different ISPs and it works fine

Mine's been running for 7 years without an issue. If it did go wrong, I'd definitely replace it with another.

In reply to a post by bertieb2:

Hi All. I have partly moved to a FTTP with Giganet (until Zen sort out a local FEX) but my landline is still with Zen. I'd like to move to the AAISP VoIP £1.44/mo package as I use my landline for incoming calls almost invariably and that's much cheaper than PSTN line rental with Zen, and their own Digital Voice package is £6/mo.

I've been looking at ATAs, but I'm not sure how to differentiate between them other than raw cost. I have a BT3710 cordless unit with 3 phones I inherited from my sister when she moved and they work well enough, so I think it makes sense to stick with them? I know A&A sell a phone system to use with their VoIP but it's £120!

I know someone using a Cisco SPA112, and someone else here on the fora had an ATA191 in their sig. However Cisco seems like expensive overkill for my use case? That being said, I see a boxed one on eBay for 30 quid. I also saw someone else recommend trying to pick up a cheap Fritzbox 7530 from eBay and use that, I assume it can be used simply as an ATA of sorts? (± maybe as an access point, but I don't really want it as my main router)

I'm normally reasonably well versed in tech but telephony is one of my blind spots, so advice would be appreciated Cheers!

I pretty much universally recommend avoiding ATAs. They're almost always a total nightmare. Just get a VOIP capable DECT base and be done with it - Gigaset perfectly OK.

Well you've all convinced me, I'll bite the bullet and get the N300A! Will switch over to AAISP's VoIP as soon as it arrives.

Thanks for all the input

You won't regret it. I've had mine for 12 years with voipcheap.com as my outbound call provider. Last year migrated the landline to a&a VoIP just prior to taking fttp

Had a couple of handsets die over 12 years but plenty of options to replace with newer versions, the box itself just keeps going.
If you don't want an answerphone, go with the n300 rather than the n300a.

Look up lioness2000 on ebay. Its were I bought a Gigaset GO-Box 100 (same thing different model name)

In reply to a post by bertieb2:

Well you've all convinced me, I'll bite the bullet and get the N300A! Will switch over to AAISP's VoIP as soon as it arrives.

Thanks for all the input

With the N300A you have an unnecessary answering machine. Go for the N300 instead.

Had my first on for about 4-5 years - it then failed, but only when hit with several tens of thousands of volts! Replacement is 3 years old and still going.

The N300A is also sold as a GO box with te handset number following.

Look at LIGO.co.uk as a supplier.

I saw this topic and was hoping that you’d all be recommending an ATA that works well.

Alas no, it seems as though nothing has changed since I trialled a spa112. The echo and call quality were pretty rubbish and it sounds like nothing much has changed.

I have a Snom m215 and the call quality is good, but the ease of use isn’t a patch on my old Beocom 6000

As an example, to access the phone book at search for Sally, the Snom make me click menu, phone book, then select either local phone book (stored on the handset) or base directory (stored on the DECT base unit and shared between handsets), then I can either scroll (which takes forever) or search, so I type “Sal”, it tells me it can’t find any matches, I wait a second or two, the error message disappears, and despite the error it’s taken me to Sally in the phone book.

The beocom, in contrast, I just scroll the iPod style wheel and it scoots through the phone book quickly and efficiently.

I don’t know how Snom managed to get it so wrong. I’m tempted to switch to the gigaset or yealink but I don’t know if they’ll be much better.

Post deleted by badwolf456

Edited by badwolf456 (Wed 30-Aug-23 11:02:44)

I am currently using a Linksys (Cisco) SPA3102 ATA that is about 17 years old, and it is no problem at all.
In a previous life I had a Gigastream DECT handset and that is what I would recommend for a new user. It was simple and reliable. Went with the business

In reply to a post by xela:

I saw this topic and was hoping that you’d all be recommending an ATA that works well.

Alas no, it seems as though nothing has changed since I trialled a spa112. The echo and call quality were pretty rubbish and it sounds like nothing much has changed.

I have a Snom m215 and the call quality is good, but the ease of use isn’t a patch on my old Beocom 6000

As an example, to access the phone book at search for Sally, the Snom make me click menu, phone book, then select either local phone book (stored on the handset) or base directory (stored on the DECT base unit and shared between handsets), then I can either scroll (which takes forever) or search, so I type “Sal”, it tells me it can’t find any matches, I wait a second or two, the error message disappears, and despite the error it’s taken me to Sally in the phone book.

The beocom, in contrast, I just scroll the iPod style wheel and it scoots through the phone book quickly and efficiently.

I don’t know how Snom managed to get it so wrong. I’m tempted to switch to the gigaset or yealink but I don’t know if they’ll be much better.

To be honest my experience for going on a decade or more, has always been very pessimistic with ATA's - they are generally cheap and nasty and have horrible software.

They are a means to an end - re-using analog wired handsets.

There are better ways to skin this cat.

Fellow happy user of a N300, however checking my usual supplier (broadbandbuyer.com) it is no longer listed there and other sites seem to suggest its been discontinued pointing towards the N510 which although similar I believe lacks PTSN support.

In reply to a post by farrinaf:

Fellow happy user of a N300, however checking my usual supplier (broadbandbuyer.com) it is no longer listed there and other sites seem to suggest its been discontinued pointing towards the N510 which although similar I believe lacks PTSN support.

There are still numerous N300s offered on eBay, at usually low prices. Occasional N300As as well. I have been using N300A for a year with no issues, and I picked up another as a future spare.

I have been using a Gigaset DECT Base Station GO Box 100 for some years.

I assume that I can switch to A&A VoIP & continue with this set up?

NJSS

Yes - https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_Phones_-_Gigaset_N300

In reply to a post by bertieb2:

Well you've all convinced me, I'll bite the bullet and get the N300A! Will switch over to AAISP's VoIP as soon as it arrives.

Thanks for all the input

Update fiveish months on- I am happy with the N300A. Admittedly as @wiggsc00 and @trolleybus pointed the answering facility is technically superfluous with A&A, since they (can) email you voicemails in ogg format However I couldn't easily find a N300, so -A it was.

I thought I had a problem as I was having some difficulty dialling out, until I realised the problem was I had POTS connected until the Zen service terminated, and this was the default for dialling out; it all works as it should.

Overall it's kinda expensive (£60 in August 2023 prices) for a landline I don't really use but it let me reuse my existing BT handsets in 'dumb' mode so there was a savings of sorts there.

In reply to a post by bertieb2:

In reply to a post by bertieb2:

Well you've all convinced me, I'll bite the bullet and get the N300A! Will switch over to AAISP's VoIP as soon as it arrives.

Thanks for all the input

Update fiveish months on- I am happy with the N300A. Admittedly as @wiggsc00 and @trolleybus pointed the answering facility is technically superfluous with A&A, since they (can) email you voicemails in ogg format However I couldn't easily find a N300, so -A it was.

I thought I had a problem as I was having some difficulty dialling out, until I realised the problem was I had POTS connected until the Zen service terminated, and this was the default for dialling out; it all works as it should.

Overall it's kinda expensive (£60 in August 2023 prices) for a landline I don't really use but it let me reuse my existing BT handsets in 'dumb' mode so there was a savings of sorts there.

Glad you're happy with it!

I was (and still am) happy with mine. But I've also since switched isp to Zen who provided me with a Fritz!box 7530 which has the same functionality but also allows ipv6 connection to A&A SIP

Can't help but fiddle, and it seamlessly supports gigaset handsets. I'm now in possession of 1 spare n300 and possibly another one when my father in law gets moved to community fibre and his stops working due to ipv4 behind CGNAT. Us lesser mortals whom can't afford or need top speed are limited by newer ISP's that don't have a block of ipv4
available.
Wish gigaset would add ipv6 to the firmware. Sadly I suspect the space available in the rom probably wouldn't be enough, which is why it's not there right now.

I'm still using an ancient Linksys papt-2 ata when you have the echo cancelation is been fine just like the line card at the exchange , even running 2 lines with aaisp's voip and my original land line which was in the phone book with BT call blocking dect phones. Still working great.

That said ipv6 will probably become a must with any cg-nat in future not many ATAs implement ipv6 properly. And a decent firewall is essential using old hardware to stop it getting exposed to the internet and just aaisp's servers.