What are VoIP adapters and how do they work?

A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) adapter, or analog terminal adapter, is a device used to convert analog voice signals into digital IP voice pack

19:42 30 October 2017

You simply connect it to an analog telephone through its FXS port. On the other end, you connect it to your LAN via an RJ-45 port and Ethernet cable or via an FXO port to PSTN connection. An FXS port is an interface that connects station devices to a VoIP adapter. An FXO port, on the other hand, is an interface that connects POTS line to a VoIP adapter.

 

A VoIP adapter bridges an IP network and analog station device and/or the PSTN. It converts voice traffic into the proper form for receipt by the destination device or network. If the voice traffic is coming from the PSTN or an analog telephone, it will be converted into a digital signal, which is then compressed using a codec.

 

If it is the other way around, the VoIP adapter will decompress the digital packets into a digital signal, which is then converted into an analog signal for receipt by the station device or sent across the PSTN.