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Table Of Contents
Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor Overview
Additional Supported Signaling Protocols
Installation and Configuration Overview
Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor Overview
This section describes the hardware and software features of the Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor (Cisco ATA) and includes a brief overview of the H.323 protocol.
The Cisco ATA analog telephone adaptors are handset-to-Ethernet adaptors that allow regular analog telephones to operate on IP-based telephony networks. Cisco ATAs support two voice ports, each with an independent telephone number. The Cisco ATA 188 also has an RJ-45 10/100BASE-T data port.
This section covers the following topics:
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Installation and Configuration Overview
Figure 1-1 Cisco ATA Analog Telephone Adaptor
The Cisco ATA, which operates with Cisco voice-packet gateways, makes use of broadband pipes that are deployed through a digital subscriber line (DSL), fixed wireless-cable modem, and other Ethernet connections.
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Figure 1-2 Cisco ATA 186 as Endpoint in an H.323 Network
Figure 1-3 Cisco ATA 188 as Endpoint in an H.323 Network
H.323 Overview
H.323 is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard for transmitting voice, video, and data across an IP network. Like other VoIP protocols, the H.323 standard is designed to address the functions of signaling and session management from within a packet telephony network. Signaling allows call information to be carried across network boundaries. Session management provides the ability to control the attributes of an end-to-end call. The H.323 standard includes support for call signaling and control, multimedia transport and control, and bandwidth control for both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint conferences.
The H.323 standard includes the following protocols:
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Components that the H.323 standard employs include a system of interconnected voice terminals, gateways, gatekeepers, multipoint control units (MCUs), and proxy servers. Voice terminals provide point-to-point and point-to-multipoint conference capability for audio, video, and data. Voice gateways interconnect the packetized IP network to the PSTN or ISDN network. Gatekeepers provide admission control and address translation services for H.323 voice terminals and gateways. MCUs enable two or more gateways to engage in point-to-point or point-to-multipoint audio or video conferences.
This section contains descriptions of the following H.323 components:
Figure 1-4 H.323 Architecture
H.323 Terminals
Voice terminals in an H.323 network must feature system control units, media transmission capabilities, audio codecs, and network interfaces suitable for transmitting and receiving packetized data.
H.323 Gateways
H.323 gateways feature a mixture of characteristics of both standard Switched Circuit Network (SCN) access points and H.323 access points. Gateways perform the translation of audio, video, and data transmission formats as well as interacting with communications systems and various protocols. A primary responsibility of an H.323 gateway is the call setup and teardown necessary to complete a call to and from a packetized IP network and a standard switched network.
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H.323 Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers are primarily responsible for pre-call and call-level control services for H.323 gateways. Gatekeepers are an optional component in an H.323 system. However, if present, gatekeepers must perform the following call setup and management services:
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When used in an H.323 system, gatekeepers can also (but are not required to) provide the following functionality:
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H.323 MCUs
MCUs are endpoints in an H.323 network that support point-to-multipoint conferences and consist of a multipoint controller and at least one multipoint processor responsible for receiving voice, video, and data streams. These streams are distributed to access points participating in a point-to-multipoint conference.
H.323 Proxy Server
An H.323 proxy server is a proxy specifically designed for the H.323 protocol and examines packets between two communicating applications. Proxies can determine the destination of a call and perform call-connection steps, if necessary.
H.323 proxies perform the following key functions:
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Hardware Overview
The Cisco ATA 186 and Cisco ATA 188 are compact, easy-to-install devices. Figure 1-5 shows the rear panel of the Cisco ATA 186. Figure 1-6 shows the rear panel of the Cisco ATA 188.
Figure 1-5 Cisco ATA 186—Rear View
Figure 1-6 Cisco ATA 188—Rear View
The unit provides the following connectors and indicators:
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Figure 1-7 Function Button
The function button lights when you pick up the handset of a telephone attached to the Cisco ATA. The button blinks quickly when the Cisco ATA is upgrading its configuration.
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Pressing the function button allows you to access to the voice configuration menu. For additional information about the voice configuration menu, see the "Voice Configuration Menu" section on page 3-20.
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Software Features
The Cisco ATA supports the following protocols, services and methods:
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Voice Codecs Supported
The Cisco ATA supports the following voice codecs (check your other network devices for the codecs they support):
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Additional Supported Signaling Protocols
In addition to H.323, the Cisco ATA supports the following signaling protocols:
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If you wish to perform a cross-protocol upgrade from H.323 to another signaling image, see the "Upgrading the Signaling Image from a TFTP Server" section.
Other Supported Protocols
Other protocols that the Cisco ATA supports include the following:
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Cisco ATA H.323 Services
For a list of required H.323 parameters as well as descriptions of all supported Cisco ATA H.323 services and cross references to the parameters for configuring these services, see Chapter 4, "Basic and Additional H.323 Services."
These services include the following features:
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Fax Services
The Cisco ATA supports two modes of fax services, in which fax signals are transmitted using the G.711 codec:
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How you set Cisco ATA fax parameters depends on what network gateways are being used. You may need to modify the default fax parameter values (see Chapter 7, "Configuring and Debugging Fax Services").
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Supplementary Services
H.323 supplementary services are services that you can use to enhance your telephone service. For information on how to enable and subscribe to these services, see the "CallFeatures" section on page 5-27 and the "PaidFeatures" section on page 5-28.
For information on how to use these services, see "Using H.323 Supplementary Services."
The following list contains the H.323 supplementary services that the Cisco ATA supports:
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Installation and Configuration Overview
Table 1-1 provides the basic steps required to install and configure the Cisco ATA to make it operational.
Table 1-1 Overview of the Steps Required to Install and Configure the Cisco ATA and Make it Operational
Posted: Fri Apr 2 13:03:09 PST 2004
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