Can anyone tell me about 2nd lines?

exhashdotdot · 22 Apr 2013 at 15:32

Basically, I share a house which as a poor internet connection (~4Mb) and I've decided I want to get my own dedicated line so I don't have to share with other people.

We could potentially get fibre (14Mb) but that might just mean instead of lagging on a 4Mb connection I'll be lagging on a 14Mb connection.

Can anyone tell me their experiences about having a secondary line installed? Does it require any physical modification to the property? What exactly happens when the engineer comes over? How does the router know which line its connected to?

Finally, as an aside, most contracts are 12-18-24 months. What happens if you move house in that time? Can you keep your contract and just transplant it onto the next property?

Thank you

tribz · 22 Apr 2013 at 15:36

BT will come and install a new socket for the new line.

You'll need another router which connects into the new line (your new ISP will probably supply this)

If you move, its normally a case of letting them know your moving and your new phone number and they'll change it over to that line.

exhashdotdot · 22 Apr 2013 at 15:40

tribz said:
BT will come and install a new socket for the new line.

You'll need another router which connects into the new line (your new ISP will probably supply this)

If you move, its normally a case of letting them know your moving and your new phone number and they'll change it over to that line.

I appreciate that the new router I'll receive (I'll probably go with Plus.net since it's cheapest (seemingly) and is 18 months).

But what's physically happening? BT builds a new cable from the exchange to the house? Then the engineer does some magic? Then do I plug the router into a new phone socket? I really don't know what happens.

bremen1874 · 22 Apr 2013 at 15:42

My line is underground.

The engineer appeared and attached a second master socket next to the first and connected it to a spare pair within the existing cable. He then lifted various inspection hatches and pulled a cable to connect me back to a cabinet at the end of the street. He then made a call and they connected it up at the exchange end and did some tests.

Don't forget you'll need to be paying line rental in addition to the broadband cost.

exhashdotdot · 22 Apr 2013 at 15:49

bremen1874 said:
My line is underground.

The engineer appeared and attached a second master socket next to the first and connected it to a spare pair within the existing cable. He then lifted various inspection hatches and pulled a cable to connect me back to a cabinet at the end of the street. He then made a call and they connected it up at the exchange end and did some tests.

Don't forget you'll need to be paying line rental in addition to the broadband cost.

Okay that's interesting - and I certainly haven't forgotten that there's a line rental as well. But it's still something I'm prepared to pay for.

moogle · 22 Apr 2013 at 18:41

The engineer will attach a new line from the pole in the street most likely.

krooton · 25 Apr 2013 at 09:23

I've done this multiple times in rented properties. Sometimes some drilling needs to be done (so you need approval from the landlord) and sometimes they can do it with the existing wiring.

Line activation was circa £125, then it was monthly line rental to BT, and monthly line rental to my ISP (Be Broadband 90% of the time).

If you move, you can transfer your line to the new property, but if a new line need to be activated, you have to pay the £125 again. And again and again in my case (moved fairly frequently at one point).

Worth it though as I hammered the torrents loads back then, and that wouldn't be fair on my housemates.

HangTime · 25 Apr 2013 at 18:34

I suspect it doesn't happen much any more with the internet being much more prevalent but one thing to be wary of is when you install the new line making sure they know you intend to use it for broadband, back in the day sometimes they used to just do a DACS(?) split which basically just branched a new line off the existing one or something which was fine for voice but not really for internet.