Linksys SPA3102 is 2 years old and Minitar MVA11A is just 3 months old.

Comparing Minitar MVA11A and Linksys SPA3102, which one is better in terms of features ?

In the case of price, they are more or less the same for unlocked unit,
Minitar MVA11A $75@JMP
Linksys SPA3102 $69@PennyTel. If you are Pennytel customer, there will be a $28 call credit.

fatice

What features do you specifically want?

If you are new to VoIP you may find /index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=Update_Pro of interest.

bendis writes...

If you are new to VoIP you may find /index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=Update_Pro of interest.

My profile is up-to-date. As it shows, I am using DG834G v4. Now I am looking for an ATA to work with it.

What features do you specifically want?

Particularly:

Voice quality
Codecs supported
Hardware stability
Number of SIP accounts
Number of FXS ports, FXO ports
Dial plan, Dial plan flexibility
PSTN fallback
QoS support, (maybe it can give better shaping if I connect the p2p machine to the ATA)
Support of the hardware.

fatice writes...

QoS support, (maybe it can give better shaping if I connect the p2p machine to the ATA)

The NAT router in these ATAs is not powerful enough to run P2P through and running two NAT routers in line will cause issues, if you want real VoIP QoS that works you need a all in one like the Billion 7404VGPM, i dont no how good your DG834G v4 will handle VoIP QoS, but disabling the NAT routers/DHCP in these ATAs and setting a static LAN IP in your Netgears range would work best.

Number of FXS ports, FXO ports
Both ATAs have only one of each.

PSTN fallback
Both have that.

Voice quality
The Minitar has better PSTN pass-through as the 3102 often has echo issues.

Number of SIP accounts
The Minitar has 3 and the 3102 can have 5+ gateways.

Codecs supported
They both support popular codecs.

Hardware stability
Both good.

Dial plan, Dial plan flexibility
Both have good dialplans but more can be done with the 3102.

My vote go's to the Minitar as it's much easier to setup all 3 realms are registed so you can have 3 DIDs working and has a great feature set IMO :)

You can download the PDF manuals of each for more info.

Thanks for the info. I will give Minitar a go.

Having owned both and talking from experience the Spa 3102 is miles ahead.

The dial plans in the minitar are pathetic at this time. They may improve with time.

I have 2 Spa 3102 and neither have echo. You need to set the 3102 to the appropriate setting of your phone.

I would not use a 740xx if you gave it to me for free. Who needs hassles is my stand on that one. Same goes for a 6404 in ATA mode as it does not handle outbound proxy properly and thus you have audio issues with accounts like FWD. Both the above suffer from garbled calls and this has been a known issue to Billion for over a year.

Get the 3102 and use voxalot for multiple registrations is the way to go.

fatice writes...

My profile is up-to-date. As it shows, I am using DG834G v4. Now I am looking for an ATA to work with it.

Dont go by one or 2 peoples opinions. Each will have their own opinion and their own experiences and some biased and some not. Your best bet is to see if the vendor will offer a refund in case you dont like the one you choose. Thats your best bet.

fatice writes...

Comparing Minitar MVA11A and Linksys SPA3102

I think Jason.G posted well informed info in this thread: /forum-replies.cfm?t=955713

ItsMeDale writes...

I think Jason.G posted well informed info in this thread:

I agree, except having gone through the process of using both at this point in time I would go the Spa.

Since Pennytel is out of stock for the SPA, I went for MVA11A at the moment. I will let you know how it goes.

Pieter writes...

Number of SIP accounts
The Minitar has 3 and the 3102 can have 5+ gateways.
Yeah, 13 in total and no firmware bugs and more configurable.
This post has been made to clarify and to inform other WP members.

fatice writes...

I went for MVA11A at the moment. I will let you know how it goes.

Yes do let us know how you go.

Is the MVALLA supplied by pennytel locked? If not I think you might find other vendors might be cheaper.

I cannot check as the pennytel web site has died yet again.

m8s writes...

Is the MVALLA supplied by pennytel locked?

PT don't supply that one to my knowledge.

fatice writes...

Minitar MVA11A $75@JMP

Maybe fatice means JMG?

m8s writes...

would not use a 740xx if you gave it to me for free. Who needs hassles is my stand on that one.

LOL @ m8s..How anyone could ever imagine that a Billion 7404 was somehow more difficult or complicated than the 3102 is beyond me.

In terms of the Minitar, I'm waiting on an answer about PSTN to VoIP forwarding and how well the box works if connected to a Billion 7404 and I'll have a crack at it. Just about everyone other than m8s likes it.

Do you reckon it is just that you've got so used to the 3102 everything else seems difficult because it is different?

The garbled calls m8s refer to is provider and codec specific. I make more calls a day than most and I never have any garbled calls.

Chaosdog1 writes...

How anyone could ever imagine that a Billion 7404 was somehow more difficult or complicated than the 3102 is beyond me.

I never said it was.

Just about everyone other than m8s likes it.

Not correct. I know several users who do not like the minitar. There are some things I actually like about the Minitar. What I dislike about the Minitar outweighs what I like about the unit. It has BUGS and the dial plans are a shocker. It is limited configuration wise. I have a lot more respect for the Spa products having used both. Perhaps, if you ever get one you will understand and then agree. Your not having one tells me you speak without experience.

I and others have had experienced garbled calls. Just because say you do not is not the point. Billion admit to it having garbled calls issues that have been known for about a year. They claim they are still working on a fix.
Do you reckon it is just that you've got so used to the 3102 everything else seems difficult because it is different?

Not at all. My use of the Spa 3102,2102 and 2000 is limited to configuring in a few minutes. They just keep working. In fact I ended up replacing the Minitar ATA with the Netgear TA612V.

The minitar I am sure has a bright future but has its limitations and software bugs and as stated above terrible dial plans, and does not deserve to be in my stable.

ItsMeDale writes...

Maybe fatice means JMG?

I missed that. Well I am sure he did and he is in excellent hands.
Will get great support and that is a good reason to get the MVALLA but not for me.

m8s writes...

Your not having one tells me you speak without experience.

Actually m8s, I set up VoIP systems for a living in small business/soho environments and like everyone else used the SPA-3102s for a while. They were fine as long as you didn't need to bring the PSTN line through the box, but this single issue caused me to stop selling and supporting them. The range of equipment that you see in my profile is the current equipment being used (some as extended test beds) in 3 of my own offices. I have no hesitation in recommending Billion/Open Networks

and others have had experienced garbled calls.

I never said otherwise. What I said was that it is codec and VSP specific. I don't use FWD and by changing to G711 the problems that certainly exist there immediately vanished. As others have said, this relates to changes that MNF made at their end, not something Billion did.

terrible dial plans,

As I don't have one, I can't comment on the terribleness of the dial plans, but I'd be interested in know what the dial plans limitations.

Chaosdog1 writes...

Actually m8s, I set up VoIP systems for a living in small business/soho environments and like everyone else used the SPA-3102s for a while.

Your lack of experience was in reference to the MVA11A.
If I was in the business I would get the MVA11A so I can know what I am talking about even if I would not sell them at this time.
I have friends that have vOIP business too. The MVA11A may come up to my standards in the future.

The echo issues we don't have on PSTN. The reason might be that we configure the FXS Port Impedance correctly to suit the phone. The Australian standard is different from the USA standard which most phones are. There are other minor tweaks if necessary but I have not had to do any of them. I know people can have echo problems which I think is due to their not tweaking as suggested in this paragraph.

and by changing to G711 the problems that certainly exist there immediately vanished. A

They are not necessarily VSP specific. By changing to G711 does not always cure the problem if the other party is using G.729.
Edit: to clarify the obvious: you and I are talking about the 6404 on this point.

It is easy to configure a Spa. Go to this link as one example.
https://www.mynetfone.co...nfig/config.html

Chaosdog1 writes...

As I don't have one, I can't comment on the terribleness of the dial plans, but I'd be interested in know what the dial plans limitations.

Edit: Let me make this clear. The MVA11A has a lot going for it. Due to buggy firmware and yuk dial plans it is not for me at this time.

Since you are in the business you should get one so you can talk with experience for your customers and not go by what I might say here.

If you want to discuss this further take it to whim or call me from one of your offices. :-)

fatice writes...

I will let you know how it goes.

For those who is interested on how I go for the MVA11A, here is some updates

/forum-replies.cfm?t=962222&p=-1#bottom

Although I am having some problems, but the reps (Quentin.) is really helpful.

No problems with my 2 Spa 3102 or 2102, 2000 here.
IP dialing is nice to.
Voxalot works well with several registrations as well.
No problems, no need for reps. (smile)

having used both my personal experience is that the minitar is superior, just the absence of the echo issue alone makes it better.

dialplans are a breeze with the minitar, dial plans are a breeze with any hardware - its simply a matter of understanding the particular syntax. i think some users are dialplan challenged!

i mainly use all-in -ones like the Billion 7404VGP because they are simpler to configure, easier to set up for people and they just work. I also use the Billion at home.

But if you need a cheap ATA the minitars are a good little unit.

galumay writes...

dialplans are a breeze with the minitar

I disagree. You have to use a kludge to stop outgoing mobile calls as there is no dial plan to do that. The minitar is not as flexible when it comes to dial plans as are the Spa 3102, 2102, and 2000.

i mainly use all-in -ones like the Billion 7404VGP

Not a bad router but pathetic in ATA mode. In ATA mode it does not handle outbound proxy properly and thus one has audio problems with VSP's like FWD. Billion have known about the garbled calls issues for about a year and the issue is still not resolved. These are the very reasons I got rid of the 6404 as I wanted to use it in ATA mode.

These 2 reasons stop me from owning or recommending the 6404 as an ATA. I am sure it is a pretty good router and the ATA works well in router mode.

i think some users are dialplan challenged!
Exactly right. when it comes to the Spas they are so easy and flexible when you understands the syntax.

galumay writes...

just the absence of the echo issue alone makes it better.

Never had echo here. People I know that have had echo issues I resolved completely by configuring their Spa 3102 properly. Each phone is different. The Spa 3102 comes configured to USA standards for phones. Telstra phones for example need to be configured according to Australian Standards to resolve echo issues if they arise.

Minitar have made huge improvements in the last week or so. They do need to have better dial plans and I think in the months ahead you will see this will happen.

Voxalot costs money now too if you want to use multiple registrations, it's not very expensive but something to factor in when deciding which one to get.