Group test: IP phones on test

IP phones are designed to plug into a network with an internet gateway, using the standard Ethernet connection. Once set up, with an account from a VoIP (Voice over IP) service provider, they are ready to make calls via the internet, without a host computer.

Those new to VoIP may believe these calls are free and that IP telephones should be functionally identical to a standard landline phone.

Most people start off using a USB phone or headset plugged into a PC, but after a while they get fed up with having to have the PC switched on all the time just to make calls.

An IP phone usually has its own built-in web server, which means it can be plugged straight into an internet-connected network with no need for a PC at all.

It’s possible to use any ordinary phone for VoIP by plugging in a suitable adapter to your broadband router, but dedicated IP phones can offer advantages such as multiple lines, built-in phone books and all the features and usability you’d expect from a normal phone.

And now they’re a very affordable and practical solution for home users – all the models on test here are wired handsets (cordless and Wifi models are still very thin on the ground and much more expensive), with a target price of £100 or less.

In this group test, following on from the overview of VoIP, we review six IP telephones, look at typical setup procedures and explore some alternative VoIP technologies.

This article is part of a group test of IP phones.
See also
Grandstream Budgetone 101
Grandstream GXP-2000
Alternatives to IP phones
The trials of setting up an IP phone
Other reviews can be read via our pdf downloads
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