A wide variety of IP Telephony devices can be used, they fall into 3 categories of device:
1. Software, a program is installed on your computer which presents a phone interface, using the computer's internet connection, microphone and speakers allows you to communicate.
Advantages: cheap, easy to use front ends; Disadvantages: have to have PC switched on may need to purchase headset.
2. IP Phones, actual phone hardware which looks like a traditional phone handset, but plugs into your internet connection, you will set the configuration either via the phone or a computer connected to the same network.
Advantages: works like a standard phone so easy to use; Disadvantages: cost is generally higher than others options and setup can be confusing.
3. ATA (Analog Telephone Adapters), this is an adapter that plugs into your internet connections and to which you connect an exisiting telephone handset, the configuration setup is from a computer on the same network. The advantage of this is that you can use a DECT phone providing greater portability and some device also allow you to plug in the standard telephone line providing a fallback should a problem occur with your internet connection.
Advantages: uses a standard phone so easy to use, cheaper than IP Phone, supports DECT phones, fallback to PSTN; Disadvantages: more difficult to use advanced IP Telephony features.
| Device name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens Gigaset C460IP, support. | Phone | Dect phone, with PSTN and VOIP support. |
| Siemens Gigaset S450IP, support. | Phone | Dect phone, with PSTN and VOIP support. |
| Linksys PAP2, setup, support | ATA | Linksys is owned by CISCO, these devices are the SIPURA devices repackaged. |
| Linksys SPA3000, setup, support | ATA | Linksys is owned by CISCO, these devices are the SIPURA devices repackaged. This device provides a failover to PSTN if the IP connectsionis not available . |
| Linksys SPA941, setup, support | Phone | IP Phone from Sipura taken over by Cisco marketed under the Linksys brand. |
| SNOM 320, setup, support | Phone | |
| SpeedTouch 716wl, setup, support | ATA & Router | This device is a ADSL router with, 4 network ports and 2 Phone ports |
| Sipura 3000, setup, support | ATA | as per SPA3000 above |
| Sipura 2002, setup, support | ATA | |
| Xlite, setup, support | Software |