If you have a standard broadband router but want to make phone calls over the Internet then ZyXEL’s 2002L could be for you. It slots into an existing network to provide Voice over IP (VoIP) services.

The 2002L conforms to ZyXEL’s dull black box design philosophy and comes with a single Ethernet port for connection to the LAN, plus a pair of VoIP phone ports. A useful feature is the extra LAN port, which provides a secure management interface that’s separated from the LAN. The ‘L’ in the model name refers to the router’s lifeline capability as it also comes with a PSTN port, so you can connect the router to a standard phone line.

Installation requires a PC connected to the management port and a web browser pointed at the unit’s default IP address. You’ll find the web interface a simple affair, with menu options for basic systems settings, the Ethernet and management port network IP addresses, VoIP settings and phonebook creation for up to 10 speed-dial entries.

The 2002L supports SIP so you’ll need to find a suitable service provider; for testing we used PipeMedia (www.pipemedia.com). VoIP setup is a cinch with PipeMedia as we just entered our SIP number, the same URL for the SIP and Register servers plus service domain and our account details. You can use two SIP accounts and assign them to each VoIP port. Nothing changes when making calls, you simply punch the number into your handset and use it like a normal phone. There are plenty of other useful features; although your service provider only needs supply a single SIP number, calls can be made on both handset ports simultaneously.

Incoming calls can be made to the 2002L using the same SIP number and if one handset is in use the other port can take the call.

Voice quality using the PipeMedia service is no different to a landline, but testing showed that very heavy usage of your broadband connection can cause a noticeable break-up.

Nevertheless, we found the Prestige 2002L a simple solution for adding VoIP services to existing networks and if you don’t need the PSTN backup you can save a few pounds by opting for ZyXEL’s basic 2002 version.