Ever since I started writing this blog, I have received various products to test and review. Manufactures of all sorts have sent me phones, routers, and WiFi devices.
One batch of devices has been SIP adapters. SIP, session initiated protocol, is a type of Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP telephone service provides like Vonage or your local cable company use SIP to connect your phone to their VoIP phone network. SIP adapters convert the VoIP SIP signal into a standard analog signal that you can use with your regular house phone. SIP can also be used to connect to your office PBX via the internet.
I tried out four SIP analog telephone adapters from Grandstream, Zyxel, Dlink, and Linksys. When you order service from some VoIP providers, like Vonage, they send you a preconfigured SIP adapter. Usually these providers are the ones that you pay for monthly. They decide what SIP adapter to send you. That makes things easier. You just plug it into your cable or DSL modem and you’re off and running. Other VoIP providers, like Skype, make you buy the preconfigured adapter. Usually these VoIP providers offer free calling to other VoIP users, but charge for calls to landlines.
More tomorrow
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