When it comes time to upgrade your analog paging system to an IP paging system, do you need to replace everything all at once? No. If you have analog paging equipment, you can integrate it into a modern, professional IP paging system using IP Paging Adapters.
IP paging adapters let you connect analog paging equipment to an IP phone system or cloud phone service. Essentially, they translate the analog signal into an IP signal, and vice versa. It gives the analog endpoint(s) an ID that’s findable through the IP paging system. That means you get the advantages of IP like centralized management, simplified scheduling and zone paging, mobile integration and much more.
If you want to know more about paging systems, including analog vs IP paging systems, check out our clear, detailed Paging Systems Buyer’s Guide.
Let’s take a deeper look at IP paging adapters.
Integrating analog paging systems with IP paging systems
An analog paging system is a separate system with dedicated speakers, amplifiers, zone paging controllers, cabling and more. IP paging systems use common Ethernet cabling and can be integrated with your VoIP phone system or cloud phone service.
They simplify management of the entire system because you can see all the endpoints from the interface on your computer. You can imagine how much easier it is to control everything from a computer.
How does an IP paging adapter fit into this? Let’s take a paging speaker with an IP paging adapter like Viking Electronics PA-IP Paging Adapter as an example.
In your management portal, you set the adapter as a paging extension. When you call that extension, you are sending a page. You can also send background music, set it as part of a Multicast group and more. If you have an existing paging amplifier like a Viking PA-30 or PA-60, you can connect the amp to the adapter, as well.
Another option is the CyberData 011233 SIP Paging Adapter, which works with many VoIP platforms like 3CX, OnSIP, RingCentral, Yeastar and Zoom. It’s also been tested with many different amplifiers. If you want a complete breakdown of amplifier compatibility, check out CyberData’s Connect to Compatible Analog Amplifiers page (external link).
Both PA-IP and 011233 are SIP paging adapters, which means that they support the open SIP communications protocol.
Always check compatibility
SIP is an open protocol, the basis for the majority of VoIP phone systems and VoIP phone services today. Even if you use a SIP adapter, however, you need to make sure that it works with your system. For example, the Algo 8301 IP Paging Adapter is known to be compatible with dozens of systems and services, including 3CX, 8x8, Asterisk and more. If you want one designed specifically for RingCentral, check out the Valcom VRCPA RingCentral Paging Adapter. If you want one that connects to both analog FXO/FXS ports as well as a VoIP phone system, check out the Valcom V-9972 Universal Paging Interface.
Check compatibility. You don’t want to buy an IP adapter only to find it doesn’t work with your system. Because compatibility is highly specific and ever-changing, we can’t offer any hard-and-fast rules here.
What we suggest is that you check the manufacturers’ websites for their compatibility guides. Here are a few examples (external links):
- Algo: Compatible VoIP Phone Systems & UC Platforms
- CyberData: Connecting to Compatible IP-PBX Servers
- Valcom: SIP Config - All Systems
- Viking: Viking VoIP SIP System Compatibility List pdf
Hybrid paging systems: analog and IP working together
You don’t need to change everything all at once. You don’t need to do a full migration. In fact, many organizations establish a hybrid paging system: both analog and IP paging devices are used. It’s a mixed environment.
CyberData 011146 SIP Paging Server is an excellent solution for hybrid paging. The paging server can connect to both analog amplifiers and speakers and IP amplifiers and speakers. You can connect a line-in music source for background music. Because it supports Multicast, up to 100 zones from a single SIP extension and comes with a bell scheduler, 011146 is a powerful tool for large-scale hybrid deployments like schools, factories, warehouses and similar.
With a hybrid paging system, when you need to expand your system, you can add either analog or IP endpoints.