Review: BT Broadband Talk Voyager 2500V ADSL router with VoIP internet telephony

BT's Voyager 2500V is an ADSL router that also gives you a wireless network and access to low-cost broadband telephony via BT Broadband Talk.

The Voyager 2500V package includes all the cables you'll need, and a very helpful set-up CD that walks you through the whole process, from opening the box to going online.

Even setting up the broadband voice service – something that can be tricky – is pretty painless; just enter the phone number and password you've been assigned.

As an ADSL router, the 2500V does all that you'd expect, with a built-in firewall to protect your computer, and the wireless network has security turned on by default.

Where it comes into its own, of course, is in providing you with a second phone line for making cheap calls via the net. There's a phone socket on the back and as well as the broadband cable, another wire plugs into your phone socket. That means that calls to both your existing landline and your broadband phone number ring on the handset you plug in.

Calls you make go via the broadband connection, unless you press the number 5 first; in which case you're connected to the landline. And if the internet connection is down, or the router's turned off, the phone automatically defaults to the landline too, so it should always work.

Broadband call quality is reasonable, but a little less clear than an ordinary phone; with the £7 monthly fee covering standard calls anywhere in the UK, it's a reasonable deal – but we don't like the assigned prefixed 056 code you have to use.
They'll confuse some people and they cost around a penny a minute more for other people to call you on than a standard 01 or 02 number. You can have standard facilities such as BT Answer 1571, and there's even an option – accessible via the web page – to automatically reject calls from people who withhold their number.

In all, the Voyager 2500V is very easy to set up and use. But we wish BT would give a proper phone number with it and do away with the extra expense for callers to speak to you when using the broadband number. 

The router costs £30 when ordered with Broadband Talk. There's a £7 per month service fee (£7.99 for non BT Broadband customers) for unlimited anytime UK calls and other service plans available.

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