Quote Originally Posted by OC_Carl View Post
I thank you for researching this. But I too Googled "external phone ringer" and not only found the product you suggested but also another promising product at Amazon.com:
Industrial Indoor/Outdoor Telephone Bell Ringer : TEC49
- Will not work with VOIP telephone systems
This one won't work because it's got an REN (Ringer Equivalency Number) of at least 1.0, because it's a real bell.

The Clarity Walker is electronic and amplified and likely has a low enough REN to work with a VoIP adapter. I agree I've not tested it and I'm not guaranteeing it and I understand your hesitation.

As for the "Clarity-Walker Extra-Loud Telephone Ringer" I noticed it was also for sale at best buy, radioshack and office depot. Amazingly all within the same shopping center, so i was ready to run to those stores to check it out. But each site announced "out of stock" or "sold out". It was even listed at WalMart but only to find that it was Walmart's "marketplace" (a me too kind of amazon.com). Fry's is to far away for a "maybe".

Further from the Clarity site was this:
Our products operate best on plan [sic] old telephone lines (POTS). They are not tested on individual providers networks.

It definitely depends on the REN, if it requires too much voltage it just won't ring. And I looked all over the 'net for the REN value and couldn't find it. But if it were me, I'd give it a try.

So before I buy, hook it up and blow my Grandstream or have it not work and pay for return shipping, I'd like to know if someone actually has an external ringer hooked to their voipo network. Or if a voipo tech has a (tested) recommendation. (Sometimes voipo staff and even the ceo monitors the forum 8-)[/quote]
Again, I don't guarantee it won't destroy your ATA, but in my (for what it's worth opinion) all it should do if it doesn't work is not work. It doesn't draw current; it's passive in that regard. And I afmit I don't know that, but I believe it, because if it did, then enough extensions would have additive REN values that could harm even the legacy POTS system.

Again, only my opinion.
[/quote]Thank you for trying and responding.[/QUOTE]
You're very welcome. I too would like to see a definitive answer. It get's very noise in my home office every Tuesday when the Gardeners are here managing the lawns.

Jeff