Digital voice - had the email...

Pickers · 26 Jul 2024 at 15:33

So the inevitable is incoming... Whilst I love new technology, DV in the way presented is likely to cause me headaches.

I currently use BT for phone and broadband so a simple question, is it cheaper to get digital voice elsewhere and still retain my number?

My other issue is, I use a 3rd party router and BT's DV require you to use their smart hub - which does not allow me to do advanced settings alike custom DNS. This is a massive barrier.to which BT seem to have no solution.

Anyone got any suggestions or starting thoughts?

throwaway4372 · 26 Jul 2024 at 15:39

I did the DV switchover but it turned out to be so unreliable I decided there's no point paying for it.
So my 2 cents is use your mobile for phone calls and stop paying BT for phone service.

ChrisD. · 27 Jul 2024 at 07:40

Pickers said:
So the inevitable is incoming... Whilst I love new technology, DV in the way presented is likely to cause me headaches.

I currently use BT for phone and broadband so a simple question, is it cheaper to get digital voice elsewhere and still retain my number?

My other issue is, I use a 3rd party router and BT's DV require you to use their smart hub - which does not allow me to do advanced settings alike custom DNS. This is a massive barrier.to which BT seem to have no solution.

Anyone got any suggestions or starting thoughts?

What do you use the home phone for?

Hotwired · 27 Jul 2024 at 08:36

I hate having the phone line reliant on the broadband connection.

Broadband issues? Guess what you can't do. That's right, phone the ISP.

MrRockliffe · 27 Jul 2024 at 08:37

Hotwired said:
I hate having the phone line reliant on the broadband connection.

Broadband issues? Guess what you can't do. That's right, phone the ISP.

Don’t mean this to come across sassy, but do you not have a mobile phone? Or do you not have signal?

ChrisD. · 27 Jul 2024 at 08:53

Hotwired said:
Broadband issues? Guess what you can't do. That's right, phone the ISP.

It’s 2024, there are these things call mobile phones and they do not rely on a phone line or broadband working. Look into it maybe.

Hotwired · 27 Jul 2024 at 08:55

ChrisD. said:
It’s 2024, there are these things call mobile phones and they do not rely on a phone line or broadband working. Look into it maybe.

Duh.

The issue doesn't go away that the landline now relies on the broadband working.

ChrisD. · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:03

Again, what's the use case of a landline? Apart from alarm systems which rely on them, it's far cheaper to use a mobile surely if it's purely for calls?

BUDFORCE · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:06

I've had digital voice for a couple of years now, I've never had a single issue with it.

Fyi it'll still work in a power cut as long as you can power the router and fibre box thing.

I pay £3 a month and kept the old number, through Zen.

BUDFORCE · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:09

ChrisD. said:
Again, what's the use case of a landline? Apart from alarm systems which rely on them, it's far cheaper to use a mobile surely if it's purely for calls?

I personally don't disagree with you in the slightest, and would have quite happily done away with it.

But the Mrs is old fashioned and wanted to keep it.

tom_e · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:11

BUDFORCE said:
Fyi it'll still work in a power cut as long as you can power the router and fibre box thing.

So it won't work in a power cut then, unless you're in the tiny percentage of the population with a generator or UPS.

BUDFORCE · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:14

tom_e said:
So it won't work in a power cut then, unless you're in the tiny percentage of the population with a generator or UPS.

It's 2024 man.

Who doesn't have 3 months of food stored, water purification tablets, a petrol generator a ton of guns and ammunition stored away?

Simon42 · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:21

tom_e said:
So it won't work in a power cut then, unless you're in the tiny percentage of the population with a generator or UPS.

It doesn't take a large UPS though if just supplying router and ONT. For those on VM HFC the local VM service just fails the second the power goes so a UPS won't help.

More of an issue is the mobile service is also vulnerable to power loss as in the UK many cell towers have no battery backup at all and those that do often start with about 6 hours and many aren't maintained after.

Cyber-Mav · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:48

"The Bluetooth device is disconnected"

Hotwired · 27 Jul 2024 at 09:48

ChrisD. said:
Again, what's the use case of a landline? Apart from alarm systems which rely on them, it's far cheaper to use a mobile surely if it's purely for calls?

I'm sure it is cheaper. I have one for family reasons. And when the mobile signal is garbage I have another option.

ChrisD. · 27 Jul 2024 at 10:19

Hotwired said:
I'm sure it is cheaper. I have one for family reasons. And when the mobile signal is garbage I have another option.

My family all use mobiles, even the ones in their 70's. You can get ones which even look like landline wireless handsets. If the mobile signal is garbage, there's wifi calling. Or if the broadband is ever down and I can't get mobile reception, I'll enjoy the peace and quiet. Not that I expect that to happen. I have had a single broadband outage since at least 2010 which was a local area issue and lasted less than a day.

Hotwired · 27 Jul 2024 at 10:55

ChrisD. said:
My family all use mobiles, even the ones in their 70's. You can get ones which even look like landline wireless handsets. If the mobile signal is garbage, there's wifi calling. Or if the broadband is ever down and I can't get mobile reception, I'll enjoy the peace and quiet. Not that I expect that to happen. I have had a single broadband outage since at least 2010 which was a local area issue and lasted less than a day.

Ok, now consider if you will, that your personal circumstances do not apply to other people.

GregI · 27 Jul 2024 at 11:34

@Pickers I had the email aswell 2 weeks ago. They said that Openreach wil be in contact but never actually are. All they do is book an order. You can see it if you go into My BT > Track Your Order. They were set for late August.

I went onto BT live chat and got the order cancelled. Some info that I have gathered:

The problem is if you want to put your landline number with a VoIP provider it will actually fully cancel the service you have with BT, broadband included. One idea is to go with an ISP that actually understands this and will put the order in as a new service that allows both to run independently. Porting the number will cease your old line but still leave you with uninterrupted internet. Ofcourse this means there is 1 month you are paying for 2 services.

To be honest I still feel like Openreach could mess that up so the only sure fire way is to port out and rely on a cheap 4G sim router between the time that you port out and then ordering another service, such as SoGEA. Lebara have an unlimited data SIM at £10 per month right now. Not that bad if you really need to keep the landline number.

Jamauk · 27 Jul 2024 at 15:31

tom_e said:
So it won't work in a power cut then, unless you're in the tiny percentage of the population with a generator or UPS.

No, I just have solar panels, and my modem and router also have a UPS.

Power cuts are more likely to impact on the electric vehicle population.

When I got FTTP I transferred the number to Sipgate.

Pickers · 27 Jul 2024 at 18:42

Thanks all.

Mobile phones are dodgy around here so land line is desirable. Although we have solar panels and battery, it's not wired for backup in a power cut

Looks like I'll have to get on to BT. I really wouldn't mind if I ould.use their digital voice with my own modem/router