Netgear TA612V Voice Adapter

The premise of internet telephony is that we can all ditch our phones and call people using the internet instead.

The TA612V allows just that; plug it into an ADSL modem, sign up for an account on the website, and you're ready to make calls.

It's as simple as that, in theory. And in practice, it wasn't too difficult. Installation was a breeze using the supplied installation guide, which takes you through the process step by step, down to which cables to unplug and where to replace them.

However, when we first tried to make a phone call we were greeted with silence, as the installation guide fails to mention that to complete the process, you need to go back to the website to fill in more details.

Once we'd done that - again taken through the process by an excellent step-by-step guide on the site - and waited for the router to reboot, we were able to make calls.

Call quality is fine, although making a connection once the number has been dialled is a little slow.

Calls to some other internet telephony services are free, landline calls are charged at 1.19p per minute and mobiles at 14.9p per minute. The TA612V also comes with 555 free minutes of UK landline calls.

Beware, though, that it will only work with networked ADSL modems, not USB ones, and that there is no emergency (999) access, so don't ditch that landline just yet.