ATA191 Analogue Voice Adapter - ring voltage too low?

[JohnGeddes]

Does anyone know what ring voltage BT configures its ATA191/ATA 192 Analogue Voice Adapters to use?

I have just helped set up Cloud Voice Express for our village pub. The pub has a non-BT router without a VOIP port (and it makes sense to stick with that). BT had provided a Cisco ATA191, and I had followed the included BT instructions to try and connect and configure it. I had failed: it eventually turned out that despite the BT instruction leaflet, I ATA191 or ATA192 configuration needs an engineer visit.

The engineer came yesterday to configure the ATA191. The configuration took nearly two hours and I was short of time so couldn't test everything before the engineer left, but the ATA191 was handling inbound and outbound calls to a reasonably modern corded handset, so all looked good.

But testing everything later, there is a problem. I think the ring voltage is too low.

An old BT-branded phone handset fails to ring when connected to the ATA191 but rings on my domestic PSTN landline.

Incoming calls aren't being seen by the ancient SouthWestBell 1+8 PBX (REN=4) that the publican wants to continue using.

I found an old BT REN booster and tested it on my domestic PSTN landline - it works, and you can hear the relay click with each ring. I connected it to the ATA191 extension socket, and it didn't click (and the PBX still didn't ring).

So I am suspecting that the ATA191 is set with too low a default ring voltage for older equipment. Does anyone know what the default setting is? And what are my chances of getting BT to set it higher?

[JohnGeddes]

No response from anyone else, but thought I would share my subsequent experience in case it helps anyone else.

I realise that I had a brand new ATA191 in stock (The MPP "multi platform" version, but I can't see that would make a difference). This unit was not supplied by BT (so I could change ringer settings if required) and I set this up with a non-BT VOIP account and compared performance.

In fact, I needed to make no change to the Cisco factory settings for the ATA191-MPP - it rang my old phone and the PBX out of the box.

With BT's standard settings, their ATA-191 did not ring the old phone or the PBX.

[BethM]

Hi JohnGeddes

just to make sure I understand correctly - the ATA-191 isn't working on the old phones/PBX when using the BT set up but is totally fine on your Cisco set up for a non-BT service? 

[JohnGeddes]

Yes. Box A (ATA191 provided by BT, configuration set and locked by BT) fails to ring the Relate 1100 phone or the SouthWesternBell 1+8 PBX that I have connected to it.

Box B (ATA191-MPP bought new from a retailer, configuration not changed from Cisco Factory Settings) and connected to a non-BT VOIP service - that DOES ring both the phone and the PBX.

I think that is pretty conclusive evidence that the BT settings are not the original Cisco settings, and that this is the cause of our equipment not ringing.

[AdamC]

Hi,

I think it would be best to speak to our high level technical support team on this. If you can message myself or Beth directly we can take the business details and will assist.

Thank you,

[JohnGeddes]

How do I send a confidential reply, please?

[BethM]

Hi John, if you click on either Adam's username or mine, it should bring you to our profile where there will be a button to 'Send a message'.