"Routers" and VoIP

[#1]

I gather the BT router contains a working ATA (analogue telephone adapter), i. e. if you switch to BT for both broadband and VoIP, you just plug your 'phone directly into their router.

Q1. Would it be possible for a PlusNet customer to BUY a BT router? Might be cheaper than most standalone ATAs (as well as only needing one mains plug). Or would configuring a BT router to work with PlusNet be too difficult, or even impossible?

Q2. The PlusNet "Hub 2" has a 'phone socket (under a sticker), but many have said that it is inoperative. Since AIUI the Hub 2 is basically a rebadged (and re-programmed) BT hub, does it actually contain the hardware of an ATA, or is it more than just "rebadged" and has been actually assembled without the necessary components? If it does contain the components, has anyone "hacked" it to re-enable the VoIP part? (Yes, I realise you'd still have to get your VoIP service from another supplier.)

(By "router", I'm referring to the single object most people have in their home. This UK usage I've seen cause some confusion in newsgroups where US folk participate, as the box actually contains MoDem, router, switch, and wifi hub, i. e. it isn't just [what they understand by the term] router.)

[#2]

Q1. Would it be possible for a PlusNet customer to BUY a BT router? Might be cheaper than most standalone ATAs (as well as only needing one mains plug). Or would configuring a BT router to work with PlusNet be too difficult, or even impossible?

You can use the BT Hubs on Plusnet for broadband, but not the ATA.  That will only work on BT.

Q2. The PlusNet "Hub 2" has a 'phone socket (under a sticker), but many have said that it is inoperative. Since AIUI the Hub 2 is basically a rebadged (and re-programmed) BT hub, does it actually contain the hardware of an ATA, or is it more than just "rebadged" and has been actually assembled without the necessary components? If it does contain the components, has anyone "hacked" it to re-enable the VoIP part? (Yes, I realise you'd still have to get your VoIP service from another supplier.)

As far as I remember, the hardware is there, but the firmware doesn't have any support for it.  In theory someone could write a new firmware for it, but I'm not aware of anyone doing so, and I suspect it wouldn't be worth the effort.  If I remember correctly the Hub2 only has the facility to update its firmware via TR069, so even getting a new firmware on it, if you wanted to write one, would be tricky.

[#3]

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Home Phone to Everything Else

[#4]

As @pjmarsh says there wouldn’t be much point if hacking the firmware of the Hub2 so I guess no-one will bother !

If you want to stay with Plusnet and get a VOIP supplier in a ‘one box solution’ you could do as I have done and stay with Plusnet (FTTP in my case) and get a Fritz!box router.

That way you wouldn’t need a separate ATA since it has one built-in so you just plug your existing phone in, it even has a built in DECT base although I don’t use mine. Obviously you have to put your account details in for both internet and VOIP.

You can get these second-hand off eBay etc for less than £40 but beware most of them are ex ZEN units (or similar) which have Zen firmware and TR-069 enabled although it’s quite easy to restore these to their original factory firmware. 

If you decide to go that or a similar route it’s worth paying Plusnet the P&P to get a hub2 as a spare so that in the event of a fault Plusnet will be more helpful if they can access the router at your end.

[#5]

You can use the BT Hubs on Plusnet for broadband, but not the ATA.  That will only work on BT.I

Obviously you can't use the ATA on PlusNet, but will it only work on BT because they do their VoIP different to everyone else?

Though the reason for considering it (just having one box) is less important now someone else has mentioned that there is another make of "router" (Fritz!box) that has an ATA built in.

(When the time comes, unless PlusNet have become totally hopeless - and/or disappeared - I probably will buy an ATA [or VoIP 'fone] and stay with PlusNet and their router, but I was wondering for those who like to minimise the number of boxes [and mains sockets] needed.)

[#6]

Obviously you can't use the ATA on PlusNet, but will it only work on BT because they do their VoIP different to everyone else?

It's not public knowledge how BT's Digital Voice works, but the users don't have any way to configure the voice port on a BT Hub.  That can currently only be done by BT, and is only done against their Digital Voice service.