Analog Adapter?

[HarrySmith]

If I read this Craigslist ad correctly I should be able to hook my Panasonic 616 ti this and make all my dial phones work for internat calling. Is that right? Does this mean I would not have to pay for any phone calls? I am not up on this digital phone stuff or internet calling.
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/ele/4242315678.html

[twocvbloke]

Depending on what service you use, you would still have to pay charges as per a real phoneline, unless it's C*Net which would be free, but yes, you'd be able to use one of those to connect your 616 to the web via whatever service you wish to use...

[unbeldi]

This is a Grandstream HT502 analog telephone adapter, one of the few that actually support pulse dial telephones.
Although I never considered Grandstream a high quality maker, they do work quite well, and you can indeed connect an old DP telephone without a converter.
$30 is not cheap though, at least for that you have to make sure you get the power adapter.
You can find them on eBay often for $20 or less.  I have seen vendors selling a batch of 10 for about $125, but that may not include the power supplies. Ask before buying, as many just seem to use stock photos. In any case they do show up very often.

The pulse-dial capability of these is not actually part of the official specification, IIRC, and later models from the company do not support it. But in this model, they still used a SLIC chip that has the function built-in.

[unbeldi]

As mentioned, this adapter doesn't buy you telephone service.
Yes, you could make calls for free to another similar device on the Internet, or on your local network, and establish your own phone system.
But there are many low cost SIP providers that interconnect to the PSTN to route your outgoing calls, and any incoming calls.
For this you have to configure the unit according to the specs the provider will tell you.

You can use it for C*Net also, but you will have to arrange service with someone who has a C*Net service node.

[dsk]

Harry, you have probably heard all the arguments to keep POTS, if you want to try IP telephony you may start with a free Callcentric account, and a soft-phone on you mobile, or pc. When you want to call regular telephone net, you need to pay, and you may find better rates than Callcentric, but it is so easy to configure, and start playing with. You may start with an investment of $5, and use it all to call for, in addition you may get a free telephone number but only a N.Y. number.  If you want a local number maybe telecallmart is a better choice, a little more setup, but still OK Ill guess you will have to pay $1 pr month for a local number, but the rates are better than callcentric. I'm sure you may find even better rates, I just rather spend my time here. 

Using IP makes 911 calls a little less worth, but it should be possible.

When it comes to practical use you may choose to make a dial plan, so you may decide rules for local area calls with less digits,  special short numbers to friends, using different providers for calls abroad etc, this will make you feel a need for some more advanced stuff, a real ATA.

I do not now the ATA mentioned, but a spa 3000 to approx $30 will give you lots of possibilities, much more than the $20 pap2. These do not accept rotary, but your 616 will be happy with this.
I have learned lots here: http://voipstuff.net.au/

dsk

[flhusa1]

This is a Grandstream HT502 analog telephone adapter, one of the few that actually support pulse dial telephones.
Although I never considered Grandstream a high quality maker, they do work quite well, and you can indeed connect an old DP telephone without a converter.
$30 is not cheap though, at least for that you have to make sure you get the power adapter.
You can find them on eBay often for $20 or less.  I have seen vendors selling a batch of 10 for about $125, but that may not include the power supplies. Ask before buying, as many just seem to use stock photos. In any case they do show up very often.

The pulse-dial capability of these is not actually part of the official specification, IIRC, and later models from the company do not support it. But in this model, they still used a SLIC chip that has the function built-in.

are you saying that all the HT502 versions support pulse dialing or just the earlier made versions?

                                                     thanks
                                                               

it appears that a ht502 can be locked. If you are unable to access the Admin portion of the device after preforming a factory reset, then the device is locked to a previous provider and will not be usable. so if i buy a used one from ebay i may get a unusable one? so it may be wise to buy a new one to avoid being locked out. i have been looking at voip providers and a lot of them use or support the ht502. i thought nobody supported pulse or rotary till i read this. i may go that route now.

[unbeldi]

are you saying that all the HT502 versions support pulse dialing or just the earlier made versions?

                                                     thanks
                                                               

it appears that a ht502 can be locked. If you are unable to access the Admin portion of the device after preforming a factory reset, then the device is locked to a previous provider and will not be usable. so if i buy a used one from ebay i may get a unusable one? so it may be wise to buy a new one to avoid being locked out. i have been looking at voip providers and a lot of them use or support the ht502. i thought nobody supported pulse or rotary till i read this. i may go that route now.

I am not aware that there is more than one hardware version of the HandyTone 502. There are various firmware revisions, yes, but I believe the hardware didn't change. Perhaps my experience with them is over-aged by now.

Grandstream indeed provided custom firmware for various providers and you do need to ask the vendor what you are actually buying. But, I do believe that these have been successfully reflashed with standard firmware by many people. At least that's what I recall from a few years ago.   Especially the vendors offering many of them may have a custom version.

Yes, these are indeed supported by many networks without special firmware, and they were/are very popular among the Asterisk community, so many unlocked units are floating around.

[flhusa1]

are you saying that all the HT502 versions support pulse dialing or just the earlier made versions?

                                                     thanks
                                                               

it appears that a ht502 can be locked. If you are unable to access the Admin portion of the device after preforming a factory reset, then the device is locked to a previous provider and will not be usable. so if i buy a used one from ebay i may get a unusable one? so it may be wise to buy a new one to avoid being locked out. i have been looking at voip providers and a lot of them use or support the ht502. i thought nobody supported pulse or rotary till i read this. i may go that route now.

I am not aware that there is more than one hardware version of the HandyTone 502. There are various firmware revisions, yes, but I believe the hardware didn't change. Perhaps my experience with them is over-aged by now.

Grandstream indeed provided custom firmware for various providers and you do need to ask the vendor what you are actually buying. But, I do believe that these have been successfully reflashed with standard firmware by many people. At least that's what I recall from a few years ago.   Especially the vendors offering many of them may have a custom version.

Yes, these are indeed supported by many networks without special firmware, and they were/are very popular among the Asterisk community, so many unlocked units are floating around.

are you saying that all the HT502 versions support pulse dialing or just the earlier made versions?

                                                     thanks
                                                               

it appears that a ht502 can be locked. If you are unable to access the Admin portion of the device after preforming a factory reset, then the device is locked to a previous provider and will not be usable. so if i buy a used one from ebay i may get a unusable one? so it may be wise to buy a new one to avoid being locked out. i have been looking at voip providers and a lot of them use or support the ht502. i thought nobody supported pulse or rotary till i read this. i may go that route now.

I am not aware that there is more than one hardware version of the HandyTone 502. There are various firmware revisions, yes, but I believe the hardware didn't change. Perhaps my experience with them is over-aged by now.

Grandstream indeed provided custom firmware for various providers and you do need to ask the vendor what you are actually buying. But, I do believe that these have been successfully reflashed with standard firmware by many people. At least that's what I recall from a few years ago.   Especially the vendors offering many of them may have a custom version.

Yes, these are indeed supported by many networks without special firmware, and they were/are very popular among the Asterisk community, so many unlocked units are floating around.

[/quote

are you saying that all the HT502 versions support pulse dialing or just the earlier made versions?

                                                     thanks
                                                               

it appears that a ht502 can be locked. If you are unable to access the Admin portion of the device after preforming a factory reset, then the device is locked to a previous provider and will not be usable. so if i buy a used one from ebay i may get a unusable one? so it may be wise to buy a new one to avoid being locked out. i have been looking at voip providers and a lot of them use or support the ht502. i thought nobody supported pulse or rotary till i read this. i may go that route now.

I am not aware that there is more than one hardware version of the HandyTone 502. There are various firmware revisions, yes, but I believe the hardware didn't change. Perhaps my experience with them is over-aged by now.

Grandstream indeed provided custom firmware for various providers and you do need to ask the vendor what you are actually buying. But, I do believe that these have been successfully reflashed with standard firmware by many people. At least that's what I recall from a few years ago.   Especially the vendors offering many of them may have a custom version.

Yes, these are indeed supported by many networks without special firmware, and they were/are very popular among the Asterisk community, so many unlocked units are floating around.

after further reading in the manual

If the HT502 was previously locked by your local service provider, pressing the RESET button will
only restart the unit. The device will not return to factory default settings.

i may buy one from ebay that is listed as unlocked just to be safe. thanks for all your info because no where does is state anything about pulse or rotary phones. you can also plug two phones in and somehow call each phone like a intercom i suppose in your house. supposed to be able to clone the second line connection to the first but i have not found out how yet

                                                             thanks again for your help

[unbeldi]

... no where does is state anything about pulse or rotary phones.

That is true, this was indeed never a formal specification of these units.  But the line interface chip (SLIC) that provides the hardware telephony functions supports it, and so this is what has made them popular among hobbyists.

[Babybearjs]

trying to find a suitable please to put this, this section seems the best for my situation. anyway, I have 2 Panasonic VT1005 units, one just died last week and the other is now in use as the backup unit. has anyone had problems calling out through the C*Net System? my number is being run through Shane Young's system, so I'm not sure what's going on.... anyway, I was able to use the system with no problem and then the first of 2 ATA's went dead.... so I connected the backup and found it needed to be programmed on the system.... so I waited.... now its kind of working... I got a call on the system today and later on I tried to call out and the system just sat there like it didn't know what to do.... so, I tried the other line... same results... Has anyone else had this problem on C*Net? is the problem in the telephone system, or the server the ATA is assigned to (mine being, 8,8,8,8 and 8,8,4,4) I have my ATA connected through my Centurylink DSL modem and am wondering about "Port Forwarding"  do both units need to be configured in such a way so the communications path to the ATA server is open. at this point I'm just being patient because I'm not sure if the problem is in Shane's system, or mine.... but I thought I'd put this out there for all to read and give me some advise on my end if its my system....

[unbeldi]

trying to find a suitable please to put this, this section seems the best for my situation. anyway, I have 2 Panasonic VT1005 units, one just died last week and the other is now in use as the backup unit. has anyone had problems calling out through the C*Net System? my number is being run through Shane Young's system, so I'm not sure what's going on.... anyway, I was able to use the system with no problem and then the first of 2 ATA's went dead.... so I connected the backup and found it needed to be programmed on the system.... so I waited.... now its kind of working... I got a call on the system today and later on I tried to call out and the system just sat there like it didn't know what to do.... so, I tried the other line... same results... Has anyone else had this problem on C*Net? is the problem in the telephone system, or the server the ATA is assigned to (mine being, 8,8,8,8 and 8,8,4,4) I have my ATA connected through my Centurylink DSL modem and am wondering about "Port Forwarding"  do both units need to be configured in such a way so the communications path to the ATA server is open. at this point I'm just being patient because I'm not sure if the problem is in Shane's system, or mine.... but I thought I'd put this out there for all to read and give me some advise on my end if its my system....

Panasonic VT1005 ?   I seem to think those were made by Motorola and used extensively by Vonage in their early days about 10 years ago.

Can't diagnose your issue through a forum, you're going to have to dig in at the unit, probably with your service provider's help.
What does it mean when "... ATA went dead" ?

[Babybearjs]

I have 2 VOIP adapters, the first one stopped working.... no power, yet the power pack tested good on the other unit. I've had this happen to a DSL modem too... the unit just burns out and can't be fixed.... don't these thing have built-in non- replaceable fuses?

[Phonesrfun]

It is also my recollection that the VT1005 is made by Motorola.  I used to have one for my Vonage service, but I have changed over to a cable router with Voip instead.  I do still use a Motorola VT1005 for my C*Net service who I also have through Shane.

I have never had a problem with them burning out.  My current confirguration has been in place for a couple years and I just leave it alone and nothing ever happens.  I did find that when I had a Vonage router sitting under and behind my desk on the floor, it was always getting kicked or moved, and I was always needing to reboot it.  Once I mounted all my "boxes"; cable modem, wireless router; ATA, and even my Panasonic 616 on a plywood wall-mount, I almost never have to reboot anything.

[Babybearjs]

Bill, that my current situation, I have it sitting on the 1A1 box and my DSL router is mounted on the wall... Do you know if the VT 1005 ever came with a mounting bracket? there are 2 screw holes on the bottom of the unit, but I never did have a wall bracket for this unit. are you having any problem dialing out right now? I can get incoming calls, but when I dial out, nothing happens... totally silent... Phil says there might be a configuration problem in Shane's system.... do you know of any problems?