VoIP Phone Review: Linksys SPA 8000 8 port 4 trunk ATA

The basics of the SPA8000 are the same as the 2102.  They have an almost identical GUI, and provisioning capabilities.  Please see the link above if you would like more information on the basics.  This hub will talk about the benefits the SPA8000 has over the SPA2102.

The first and most obvious benefit is the amount of Lines that can be assigned on this phone.  You can have up to 8 analog phones plugged into this ATA.  This is ideal for residents or other places that need more than 1 phone, but don't want to pay a fortune for VoIP phones.  Pay as much as any VoIP phone out there (then $10 extra per analogue phone) and you're good to go!

The second major benefit of the SPA8000 over the SPA2102 is the trunk option.  This allows you to register any number of the 8 phones directly to a trunk line on the phone.  The trunk line registers to one VoIP account, and can route calls however you want them between the registered phones (each phone can only be registered to the server OR to a trunk, not both).

This allows you to add 8 phones to any given line for a house, like a traditional legacy system.  All of the 8 lines use the outgoing trunk settings for outbound calls.  They can also be programmed to ring in specific orders (4 upstairs, then 4 downstairs phones).  This allows for much flexibility when using these ATAs.

Overall rating: A-