Using analogue phone on FTTP

[#1]

I am thinking of upgrading from adsl to fttp.  I understand that I will lose my landline and number but that I can connect my analogue phone to the Plusnet Hub 2 router. It does not seem to have a telephone socket unlike the BT hub.  Can I connect using an RJ11 to RJ45 adaptor?  If so what will be the number that callers dial to contact me?  Can I avoid using voip with another provider?

[#2]

 I understand that I will lose my landline and number but that I can connect my analogue phone to the Plusnet Hub 2 router. ?

I'm afraid you are incorrect, you can't connect a phone to the Hub 2.

  Can I avoid using voip with another provider?

In a word, no!

[#3]

 I understand that I will lose my landline and number but that I can connect my analogue phone to the Plusnet Hub 2 router. ?

I'm afraid you are incorrect, you can't connect a phone to the Hub 2.

  Can I avoid using voip with another provider?

In a word, no!

[#4]

@redsox9 

It should be possible to "port" your current landline number to a VOIP provider but to use your current phone you need to add an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) to your setup. You propably need to do some research on the matter.

If the number itself isn't important you can just set up a VOIP account with a new number. A & A seem to offer good deals and have a some Help pages for getting started on VOIP.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

Brian

[#5]

Thanks. What about a DECT phone? I have a Gigaset and the manual says it can be plugged into a router. If it cannot plug into the Plusnet Hub 2 is there another suitable router?
BT has a router that can take a phone but I do not know if it can be used on Plusnet. 

[#6]

You can buy an adapter called an ATA which plugs into the routers ethernet port and allows the use of analogue phones.
Some gigaset phones are both VoIP and analogue capable - what is the model number?

[#7]

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@redsox9 wrote:

BT has a router that can take a phone but I do not know if it can be used on Plusnet. 

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I'm sorry but no. Plusnet do not have the back end services to support the BT digital phone service. Neither can BT hubs be used with a third party VoIP service.

[#8]

@dvorak
It's Gigaset E560A.

[#9]

@redsox9 

You mentioned earlier that your Gigaset could be plugged in to a router.  I haven't checked that particular model, but pretty much any DECT base station or corded phone can be plugged in to a router if the router is a VoIP model such as some of those from DrayTek or FRITZ!Box.

Going by the model number of yours I'd say it probably just has 'analogue/landline capabilities', i.e. it will function as described above if plugged in to a device which is, or contains, an ATA.

There are Gigaset DECT base stations which are standalone, fully functioning, VoIP devices which need to be plugged in to an Ethernet connection on your LAN.  AFAIK they can be identified by the letters 'IP' in their model name, e.g. 'N300 IP' or 'N510 IP'.

Here's a link to check compatibility between various Gigaset handsets and base stations;

https://www.gigaset.com/hq_en/cms/service/compatibility/products.html

[#10]

@redsox9 

Leaving aside whether it would be VoIP (it would) the simplest approach would be to get fibre to the premises from BT.

The BT router has a phone socket that will "just work" with existing phones.

To get this to work with existing phone wiring can be done, but how easy it would be depends on how your existing wiring is configured. 

Sadly, Plusnet has chosen not to offer this facility.

Obviously, moving to BT would terminate any Plusnet services (email etc.) you currently use.

[#11]

Hopefully Plusnet will offer VoIP by 2025 when all copper lines will be disconnected.

[#12]

@redsox9 Not necessarily - BT PLC have decided that the Plusnet brand is for basic broadband provision only - IF it still exists by then, then those customers will be expected to provision their own VoIP service, should they want one.

[#13]

I've heard a slightly different story from the support team, who advised me on an inbound call last week that the infrastructure is there, and there are talks within the team leader meetings about rolling it out, and there is a chance we plusnet customers MAY be getting it in the near future. So all hope is not lost yet.

If BT choose not to roll it out before December 2025, then they are putting Plusnet on a suicide mission, as all those who need their landline will invariably go somewhere else. Many Plusnet Customers won't pay through the nose for EE Prices.

[#14]

Interesting, @hpjohnson . As an aside, it seems like first-line support are being drip-fed morsels of information - which they possibly shouldn't be passing on to customers.

It will need either new Hubs, or a major update to current one, as they are currently not VoIP capable.

[#15]

The Plusnet Hub 2 is a clone of the BT Smart Hub 2, painted white with a different badge on the front. Having moved between them back in November, the functionality and performance of the broadband is identical. There is definitely a Digital voice socket on the back of them.

But, Plusnet appears to have disabled the Digital VOICE Functionality through a customisation of the firmware, to tailor it for Plusnet as opposed to BT, hence why you can't see Digital VOICE options at all. 

But, Plusnet and BT share the same platform for service provision, I.e they both use BT's Infrastructure.

As such, it would presumably be a matter of issuing a firmware update for the Plusnet Hub 2 to enable the functionality for Digital VOICE, this means it is simply a waiting game for the man in the back office to flip the switch and bring Digital VOICE to Plusnet Customers.

The man I spoke to sounded pretty confident that they will be doing something.

[#16]

I agree with most of what you say above, but the implementation may be not as easy. The BT broadband and Plusnet broadband are on different platforms, and would PN customers want a BT Digital Voice provision? - with no other option?