What is the difference between VoIP adapters and VoIP gateways?

Question

Telephony

Here, for example. Linksys SPA 2102, on one site they write that this is a gateway, on the other - an adapter ... On the third I read about the difference - no specifics, everything is in the style of "well, like a gateway is quality, it's cool, but an apapter is kind of not cool, and like not quality." So is there any specific criterion or is it all baloney for marketers?

Answer 1

More often balabolism of marketers who are trying to come up with a more beautiful name.
Well, it has historically developed that the gateway is usually a large piece of iron with 4-48 ports, and 1-2 ports - like an "analog-to-digital adapter".
And so essentially the same thing.
Although it is canonical to call a blunt passive adapter an "Adapter", and the Linksys SPA 2102 has enough specific settings, so it would be more correct to call it as a gateway, although in technical English these are practically synonyms

Answer 2

Some by "gateway" mean FXO, by adapters - FXS.
At work, FXS-set-top boxes / gateways / adapters are called "ATAshki" (Analog Telephone Adapter) :)