The Best Phone Adapters (ATAs) of 2023

Easily turn your traditional landline into an IP phone

By
Patrick Hyde
Patrick Hyde
Writer
  • University of Houston
  • Texas A&M
Patrick Hyde has 4+ years' experience writing about consumer technology and electronics. His work has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Reactual, and more.
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Updated on March 7, 2023

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Our collection of the best phone adapters allows you to connect your more traditional phone or fax machine to a business or home network via Wi-Fi.

Most analog telephone adapters (ATAs) resemble a router for phones, with conventional phone jacks for your devices and a cable to connect the ATA to your modem or otherwise hardwire it to your business or home network.

Our top pick for ATAs is easily the Ooma Telo, which provides a simple way to adapt your landline to VoIP and includes smart home compatibility with devices like Nest and Google Home.

If you're using these devices for a business and need excellent security protocols, look no further than the Grandstream GS-HT802, with TLS and SRTP protection built-in.

The Rundown
Best Overall:
Ooma Telo at Amazon
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Best Security:
Grandstream GS-HT802 at Amazon
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in this article

Best Overall

Ooma Telo

Ooma Telo

Amazon
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The Ooma Telo connects your analog phone to high-speed Internet, allowing you to make crystal clear and reliable phone calls. With more advanced features, Ooma merges traditional functions such as voicemail, call-waiting, and caller ID.

One of the most exciting features of this VoIP router is its compatibility with some of your favorite devices, including Nest devices, several smartphone products, and Amazon Echo for voice-activated dialing.

Ooma promises to deliver clear calls at lightning speeds, even when the Internet is busy, thanks to a unique compression algorithm that reduces bandwidth consumption by 60 percent compared to its competitors.

Best Security

Grandstream GS-HT802

Grandstream GS-HT802 Phone Adapter

Amazon
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Built with Grandstream’s industry-leading SIP ATA/gateway technology, the GS-HT802 has dual FXS ports and a single 10/100Mbps port for fast speeds and a stable connection. And with TLS and SRTP security encryption built-in, the Grandstream is set up to protect calls and accounts right from the moment it’s started up.

With three-way voice conferencing also built in, the Grandstream adds enhanced features for an office environment, including support for T.38 faxing for IP and a range of caller ID formats to avoid picking up unwanted spam calls. Whereas some VoIP solutions connect to a Wi-Fi network, the Grandstream requires a direct connection via ethernet, which creates a more secure connection and stable calling performance. For long-term security, the Grandstream can be updated over the air to fix security holes or bugs that the manufacturer detects. 

What to Look for in a Phone Adapter (ATA)

Compatibility - First and foremost, ensure the phone adapter works with your existing devices. Higher-end adapters also work with your favorite smart devices, including Nest and Amazon Echo, for voice-activated dialing. 

Home vs. business - Will you mainly use your VoIP phone for personal or business use? This will play a factor in the type of phone adapter you need. If personal use is your main priority, you’ll likely only need one port. However, if you anticipate needing to make several calls or send faxes simultaneously, get an adapter with at least two ports. Other valuable features for a business phone include call forwarding/transfer and voicemail, so double-check that the adapter offers those as well.

Sound quality - Sound quality is one area where a landline still exceeds that of a cell phone. Sound quality should significantly improve over a standard cell call.

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