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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 Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).
Cisco ATA analog telephone adaptors are handset-to-Ethernet adaptors which 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 10/100
This section covers the following topics:
• Overview of Media Gateway Control Protocol, page 1-2
• Hardware Overview, page 1-3
• Software Features, page 1-5
• Installation and Configuration Overview, page 1-9
Figure 1-1 Cisco ATA Analog Telephone Adaptor
BASE-T data port.
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ANALOG TELEPHONE ADAPTOR
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The Cisco ATA, which operates with Cisco voice-packet gateways, makes use of broadband pipes that
are deployed by means of a digital subscriber line (DSL), fixed wireless cable modem, and other Ethernet
connections.
Note The term Cisco ATA refers to both the Cisco ATA 186 and the Cisco ATA 188, unless otherwise stated.
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Overview of Media Gateway Control Protocol
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Figure 1-2 The Cisco ATA 186 as an Endpoint in an MGCP Network
Chapter 1 Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor Overview
Telephone/fax
Figure 1-3 The Cisco ATA 188 as an Endpoint in an MGCP Network
Telephone/fax
V
Cisco ATA 186
V
Cisco ATA 188
Ethernet
Broadband CPE
(DSL, cable,
fixed wireless)
Ethernet
Broadband CPE
(DSL, cable,
fixed wireless)
Broadband
Broadband
Layer 3
IP infrastructure
Call Agent
Layer 3
IP infrastructure
V
V
Voice
gateway
PSTN
Voice
gateway
PSTN
Overview of Media Gateway Control Protocol
The Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) is the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard
for multimedia conferencing over IP. MGCP is an ASCII-based, application-layer control protocol
(defined in RFC2705) that can be used to establish, maintain, and terminate calls between two or more
endpoints.
Like other VoIP protocols, MGCP is designed to address the functions of signaling and session
management 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.
One aspect of MGCP that differs from other VoIP protocols is that MGCP endpoints rely on instructions
from a Call Agent to control call progression, call tones, and call characteristics.
MGCP provides the following capabilities to the control server:
• Determines the location of the target endpoint.
• Determines the media capabilities of the target endpoint. Using Session Description Protocol (SDP),
MGCP determines the lowest level of common service between the endpoints. Conferences are
established using only the media capabilities that can be supported by all endpoints.
Call Agent
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• Determines the availability of the target endpoint.
• Establishes a session between the originating and target endpoint if a call can be completed. MGCP
also supports mid-call changes, such as adding another endpoint to the conference or changing a
media characteristic or codec.
• Each MGCP endpoint supports up to two connections per device. Each connection has a fixed
ID—0, 1, 2, or 3. Connection IDs 0 and 2 are assigned to MGCP Endpoint 0, and connection IDs 1
and 3 are assigned to MGCP Endpoint 1.
MGCP is a client-server protocol. The Call Agent handles all aspects of setting up calls to and from
endpoints. Call Agents or control servers provide the feature capabilities that a particular endpoint uses.
Endpoints connected to different Call Agents likely will have a different set of features.
Each control-server vendor determines its own set of features.
Hardware Overview
The Cisco ATA 186 and Cisco ATA 188 are compact, easy-to-install devices. Figure 1-4 shows the rear
panel of the Cisco ATA 186. Figure 1-5 shows the rear panel of the Cisco ATA 188.
Hardware Overview
Figure 1-4 Cisco ATA 186—Rear View
10BaseT ACT 5VPHONE 1 PHONE 2
RJ-11 FXS ports
RJ-45 10BaseT
Figure 1-5 Cisco ATA 188—Rear View
10/100 UPLINK10/100 PC LINKLINK 5VPHONE 1 PHONE 2
RJ-11 FXS ports
LINK LED
72210
Power
connector
ACT LED
72211
Power
connector
LINK LED
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Hardware Overview
Chapter 1 Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor Overview
The unit provides the following connectors and indicators:
• 5V power connector.
• Two RJ-11 FXS (Foreign Exchange Station) ports—The Cisco ATA supports two independent RJ-11
telephone ports that can connect to any standard analog telephone device. Each port supports either
voice calls or fax sessions, and both ports can be used simultaneously.
Note The Cisco ATA186-I1 and Cisco ATA188-I1 provide 600-ohm resistive impedance. The Cisco
ATA186-I2 and Cisco ATA188-I2 provide 270 ohm + 750 ohm // 150-nF complex impedance.
The impedance option is requested when you place your order and should match your specific
application. If you are not sure of the applicable configuration, check your country or regional
telephone impedance requirements.
• Ethernet ports
–
The Cisco ATA 186 has one RJ-45 10BASE-T uplink Ethernet port to connect the
Cisco ATA 186 to a 10/100BASE-T hub or another Ethernet device.
–
The Cisco ATA 188 has two Ethernet ports: an RJ-45 10/100BASE-T uplink port to connect the
Cisco ATA 188 to a 10/100BASE-T hub or another Ethernet device and an RJ-45
10/100BASE-T data port to connect an Ethernet-capable device, such as a computer, to the
network.
Note The Cisco ATA 188 performs auto-negotiation for duplexity and speed and is capable of
10/100 Mbps, full-duplex operation. The Cisco ATA 186 is fixed at 10 Mbps, half-duplex
operation.
• The Cisco ATA 188 RJ-45 LED shows network link and activity. The LED blinks twice when the
Cisco ATA is first powered on, then turns off if there is no link or activity. The LED blinks to show
network activity and is solid when there is a link.
• The Cisco ATA 186 RJ-45 LED is solid when the Cisco ATA is powered on and blinks to show
network activity.
• Function button—The function button is located on the top panel of the unit (see Figure 1-6).
Figure 1-6 Function Button
Function
button
CISCO ATA 186
ANALOG TELEPHONE ADAPTOR
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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Note If the function button blinks slowly, the Cisco ATA cannot find the DHCP server. Check your
Ethernet connections and make sure the DHCP server is available.
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.
Caution Never press the function button during an upgrade process. Doing so may interfere with the process.
Software Features
The Cisco ATA supports the following protocols and services:
• MGCP Versions, page 1-5
• Voice Codecs Supported, page 1-5
Software Features
• Additional Supported Signaling Protocols, page 1-6
• Other Supported Protocols, page 1-6
• Cisco ATA MGCP Services, page 1-6
• Fax Services, page 1-7
• Supplementary Services that the Cisco ATA Provides, page 1-7
• Supplementary Services that the Call Agent Provides, page 1-8
MGCP Versions
The Cisco ATA supports the following MGCP versions:
• MGCP 0.1
• MGCP 1.0
• NCS 1.0
Voice Codecs Supported
The Cisco ATA supports the following voice codecs (check your other network devices for the codecs
they support):
• G.711µ-law
• G.711A-law
• G.723.1
• G.729
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Software Features
• G.729A
• G.729B
• G.729.AB
Additional Supported Signaling Protocols
In addition to MGCP, the Cisco ATA supports the following signaling protocols:
• Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP)
• H.323
• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
If you wish to perform a cross-protocol upgrade from MGCP to another signaling image, see the
“Upgrading the Signaling Image from a TFTP Server” section on page 7-1.
Other Supported Protocols
Chapter 1 Cisco Analog Telephone Adaptor Overview
Other protocols that the Cisco ATA supports include the following:
• 802.1Q VLAN tagging
• Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
• Domain Name System (DNS)
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
• Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP)
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Cisco ATA MGCP Services
For a list of required MGCP parameters as well as descriptions of all supported Cisco ATA MGCP
services and cross references to the parameters for configuring these services, see Chapter 4,
“Cisco ATA-Supported MGCP Services.”
These services include the following features:
• Two MGCP endpoints per Cisco ATA
• Two connections per MGCP endpoint
• Multiple audio codecs
• Events and signals available in MGCP software packages
• Automatic MGCP version detection
• Caller ID generation
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• Configurable tone (dial tone, busy tone, confirm tone, reorder tone, call waiting tone)
• IP address assignment—DHCP-provided or statically configured
• Cisco ATA configuration by means of a TFTP server, web browser, or voice configuration menu.
• VLAN configuration
• Caller ID format
• Ring cadence format
• Silence suppression
• Low-bit-rate codec selection
• RTP media port configuration
• Hook-flash detection timing configuration
• Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
• User interface password
• Type of Service (ToS) configuration for audio and signaling ethernet packets
• Debugging and diagnostic tools
Software Features
Fax Services
The Cisco ATA supports two modes of fax services, in which fax signals are transmitted using the G.711
codec:
• Fax pass-through mode—Receiver-side Called Station Identification (CED) tone detection with
automatic G.711A-law or G.711µ-law switching.
• Fax mode—The Cisco ATA is configured as a G.711-only device.
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 6, “Configuring and Debugging Fax
Services”).
Note Success of fax transmission depends on network conditions and fax modem response to these conditions.
The network must have reasonably low network jitter, network delay, and packet loss rate.
Supplementary Services that the Cisco ATA Provides
Table 1-1 lists the supplementary phone services that the Cisco ATA provides for MGCP. Table 1 -1
includes links to the corresponding parameters that allow you to configure these services.
Table 1-1 Supplementary Services that Require Configuration on the Cisco ATA
Service Parameter
Caller ID CallerIdMethod, page 5-21
Call Waiting SigTimer, page 5-26
Call-Waiting-Caller ID CallerIdMethod, page 5-21, SigTimer, page 5-26
Three-way Conference ConnectMode, page 5-24—Bit 23
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Software Features
Supplementary Services that the Call Agent Provides
The Cisco ATA supports the following services that are provided by the Call Agent:
Note For end-user information on how these services work, consult the documentation from the MGCP Call
Agent service provider.
• Anonymous Call Rejection
• Call forward—on busy
• Call forward—on no answer
• Call forward—unconditional
• Call hold
• Caller ID
• Calling Line Identification Presentation
• Calling Line Identification Restriction
• Call return
• Call transfer—Blind
• Call transfer—Consultation
• Call waiting
• Call waiting Caller ID
• Distinctive ringing
• Message-waiting-indication (stuttering dial tone)
• Speed dial
• Three-way conference
• Voice mail
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Installation and Configuration Overview
Installation and Configuration Overview
Table 1-2 provides the basic steps required to install and configure the Cisco ATA to make it operational
in a typical MGCP environment.
Table 1-2 Overview of the Steps Required to Install and Configure the Cisco ATA and Make it Operational
Action Reference
1. Plan the network and Cisco ATA configuration.
2. Install the Ethernet connection.
3. Install and configure the other network devices.
4. Install the Cisco ATA but do not power up the Cisco ATA yet. What the Cisco ATA Package Includes, page 2-2
5. Download the desired Cisco ATA release software zip file from
the Cisco web site, then configure the Cisco ATA.
6. Power up the Cisco ATA.
7. Periodically, you can upgrade the Cisco ATA to a new signaling
image by using the TFTP server-upgrade method or the
manual-upgrade method.
Chapter 3, “Configuring the Cisco ATA for MGCP”
Chapter 7, “Upgrading the Cisco ATA Signaling
Image”
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