Telecommunications device for use between analog telephones and a packet network

A communication device for a communication session wherein the communication device is coupled to a packet network, the communication device comprising:

• circuitry that includes at least two ports configured to respectively couple to at least two analog telephones wherein the circuitry is configured to receive a first message from the packet network indicating a called number, transfer a ring signal through a selected one of the ports to one of the analog telephones to ring the one analog telephone, transfer a second message to the packet network indicating that a called party associated with the called number is being alerted, detect an off-hook condition for the one analog telephone, stop the transfer of the ring signal, transfer a third message to the packet network indicating packet routing information for the communication session, exchange analog voice signals with the one analog telephone through the selected port, exchange voice packets with the packet network using the packet routing information, and interwork between the analog voice signals and the voice packets;
• and
• a processor configured to process the called number to select the port coupled to the one analog telephone and to direct the circuitry to transfer the ring signal through the selected port and to transfer the second message, and wherein the processor is configured to direct the circuitry to stop the transfer of the ring signal and transfer the third message responsive to the off-hook condition, to direct the circuitry to exchange the analog voice signals with the one analog telephone through the selected port, and to direct the circuitry to interwork between the analog voice signals and the voice packets.