SIP Device Configuration / Linksys SPA2102 Setup

Client Area (Dashboard) -> Internet Phone -> "Respective Service" -> Service Management -> Service Details

Please note that "SIP Server" is the same as "Proxy" and "Outbound Proxy" in the SIP / VoIP device. Whenever possible we provide carrier information directly for optmial reliability.

The focus of this article is to illustrate how to configure the Cisco Linksys SPA2102-NA our VoIP carrier(s).

To keep things as simple as possible, I will start from the factory default settings and only change configuration settings that are most important to get started connecting to Unmetered Internet on Line-1, which is my primary VoIP carrier I have been using for years.

NOTE: These instructions only work on UNLOCKED versions of SPA2102-NA.

If you purchased your ATA from an authorized Cisco-Linksys reseller, it will likely be an unlocked -NA version.

My examples are based on SPA2102-NA Firmware Version = 5.2.10 and Hardware Version 1.3.5(a).
My SPA2102-NA is directly connected to my ISP high-speed Modem. (Recommended)

I will be following these basic steps:

Reset SPA2102 to Factory Defaults using its IVR interface
Login to the SPA2102 web-based configuration interface
Configure primary/secondary DNS servers and NTP Time Servers
Set your local Time Zone clock offset
Configure Line-1: VoIP Proxy, User ID, Password, Codec, Dial-Plan

UnmeteredDSL supports using a single PPPoE login with dual concurrent logins : DSL modems may be put into bridge mode and the VoIP device assigned it's own unique IP address via PPPoE connection in "Router" -> "Wan Setup" in the Cisco / LinkSys SPA2102 providing optimal/business-grade inbound calling performance.

Reset to Factory Defaults

The reason I am beginning with Reset to Factory Defaults is to ensure that we are on the same page with all the same default settings. If it works for me, I presume it will work for you too.

To reset to factory defaults requires that I access the SPA2102 IVR system (Interactive Voice Response) using a regular telephone plugged into the Line-1 phone jack (RJ-11 jack). Then, power up the adapter. It will only take about 15 seconds to power-up to the "ready" state.

To activate the SPA2102 IVR, lift the phone handset and press the Star key four (4) times (* * * *).
After the IVR voice prompt, enter the Factory Reset code: 73738, followed by the # key (73738#).
The IVR will prompt you to "press 1 to confirm".
As soon as you press "1", the unit will perform the factory reset.

Now that we are at a known default starting point, we can proceed to configure only those settings that are required, or otherwise recommended.

Connect and Login to the SPA2102 Web Based Configuration Interface

Connect your PC to the SPA2102 using its LAN-side gateway:

Connect your PC Ethernet LAN cable directly to the yellow Ethernet LAN port of the SPA2102.
Connect to the SPA2102 web interface by entering its LAN gateway IP address into your Web Browser using the default address of 192.168.0.1
By default, you will be viewing the SPA2102 "Status" page, in "Basic" view. By default, there is no password required to connect and login to Basic view.

The screen captures posted here are based on firmware version 5.2.10.
In previous articles I posted the procedures for upgrading firmware in the SPA2102-NA and PAP2T-NA VoIP adapters. It is advisable to always use the latest firmware version available.

To begin configuration of the SPA2102, you need to switch to "Admin" and "Advanced" view.
By default, the SPA2102 does not require an admin password.

Now, navigate to the WAN Setup tab.

Configure Primary/Secondary DNS Servers and NTP Time Servers

DNS servers lookup the IP address of an Internet resource based on domain name to IP address cross referencing. Typically, we configure a VoIP proxy based on its domain name (i.e. callcentric.com ). DNS servers will redirect your Internet traffic to the appropriate IP address of the VoIP proxy. The same goes for the NTP (Network Time Protocol) time servers. Your ATA uses NTP time servers for tagging and maintaining the correct device time. NTP time servers are listed by domain names. The DNS servers will direct the NTP requests to the appropriate NTP time server IP addresses.

By default, the SPA2102-NA should retrieve the DNS server info from your Internet Modem DHCP server. However, I prefer to ensure that the DNS servers are hard coded, as well as automatically retrieved via DHCP, to ensure reliability, redundancy, and backup.

In my examples, I have configured my SPA2102-NA Primary and Secondary DNS servers to point to the new Google DNS servers at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. I also use NTP time servers at time-nw.nist.gov and time.nist.gov. If you have different server preferences, feel free to use them instead of the ones I use. As well, you can set the DNS Server Order = "Manual, DHCP" to use DHCP DNS servers as backup to your manually set primary/secondary servers.

For now, the default QOS settings should be suitable to begin with.

Click the Submit All Changes button to SAVE your custom settings.

Next, navigate to the Voice and Regional tab page. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Set your local Time Zone offset, depending on where you live.

Click the Submit All Changes button to SAVE your custom settings.

Configure Line-1: VoIP Proxy, User ID, Password, Codec, and Dial-Plan, etc...

Navigate to the Voice and Line-1 tab page.

The Line-1 page is where you will be configuring VoIP service with your primary line (Line-1) and carrier.

While you can configure any SIP based VoIP carrier here, that allows BYOD (bring your own device); this is to illustrate the "required settings". If you are configuring with another VoIP carrier, it is essential that you consult their support pages for their specific settings required by that specific service. Auth ID and User ID is as defined in "Service Details" -> "SIP Username" in your Client Area login.

The following settings must be set as specified by Unmetered Internet Phone:

NAT Mapping Enable: No
Nat Keep Alive Enable: No
Proxy: "SIP Server" as defined in "Service Details" of your Client Area
Use Outbound Proxy: Yes
Outbound Proxy: "SIP Server" as defined in "Service Details" of your Client Area
Use OB Proxy in Dialog: Yes
Register: Yes
Make Call Without Reg: No
Ans Call Without Reg: No
Register Expires: 3600
Use DNS SRV: Yes
DNS SRV Auto Prefix: Yes
User ID: "SIP Username" (as defined in "Service Details" of your Client Area)
Auth ID: "SIP Username" (use same as UserID)
Use Auth ID: Yes
Password: "SIP Password" (as defined in "Service Details" of your Client Area)

Remember to save all new settings when finished making changes.

Click the Submit All Changes button to SAVE your custom settings.

At this point, you have set all the basic requirements to connect to a VoIP service provider.

Following, are some additional suggestions and reminders:

Codecs

While the SPA2102 defaults to use G.711u Codec, Unmetered Internet recommends using G.711u codec to ensure optimal audio quality: even in fax situations. But, if you do have QOS or data bottlenecking problems (which really should never happen with us, if it does: please open a support ticket or call), it may be prudent to switch to G.729a to reduce bandwidth requirements of your VoIP calls.

Dial Plans

While the SPA2102 default dial plan will work:

(*xx.|*xxx|*75xx|[3469]11|0|00|1xxx[2-9]xxxxxxS0|xxxxxxxxxxxx.|**275*x.)

First, completely clear the default plan, then copy and paste this plan in its place.
Save your changes.

Disable Line-2

If you will only be using Line-1 on the SPA2102, I recommend disabling Line-2. You can always re-enable it in the future if you connect to another account or another VoIP service (like I do).

Disable Provisioning

As the SPA2102-NA is an "Open", "Unlocked", and "User Configurable" VoIP ATA, there is no reason to leave the default Provisioning service enabled. I recommend setting the "Provision Enable" = NO. Remember to save any changes.

Before exiting the web administration pages, I recommend that you go back and review all settings and changes just to confirm that all values were entered correctly and saved.

I hope you enjoy using the SPA2102-NA with the Unmetered Internet VoIP service as much as I have.

Thanks to Jeff for Voipdiy.com for this article's contents.