Corded VoIP

[52Mike]

My broadband and landline will shortly be moved from Plusnet to EE, so my landline will come through the broadband.   Would  my landline work on a corded VoIP phone connected to the router by an ethernet cable?   (To explain in more detail: actually I want to connect a VoIP phone in a different room via an ethernet cable plugged into a TP-Link Powerline adapter connected to the router via my mains electrical circuit, using another TP-Link Powerline adapter connected to the router by another ethernet cable.)   This is because I do not want to use Wi-Fi or a cordless DECT phone, I would like everything to be connected through cables, and I'd like to access my landline from different rooms of the house.   I asked EE support who told me it would not be officially supported, but recommended that Community members might be able to advise me whether it would be likely to work or not.

[JimM11]

@52Mike Not with any EE or BT hub, the Digital Voice DV supplied is proprietary in operation and NO true voip phones work at all. EE/BT will never give up the connection protocol details. You should have stayed with PN gone Fibre and moved your landline to a VOIP supplier. The EE DV system is DECT based and nothing at all to do with WiFi in the slightest...

You should in theory be able to move your landline over and port your number to a VOIP supplier with EE, as to wither it will operate correctly over a Powerline circuit you would have to try and see.

Are you currently copper connected, and any prospect off FF close for new?

[XRaySpeX]

@52Mike : If you have a VoIP provider providing a phone no. for that phone, then it should work as per that provider's directions.

However if you are expecting it to work with EE's DV on a EE phone no., you're out of luck. EE are not delivering its proprietary VoIP (DV) to an Ethernet port but to an analogue phone port on back of router or to an ATA adapter.

You can still have everything phone-wise to be connected through cables, by buying normal analogue corded phones such as the BT 200 Big Button Corded Telephone 

[52Mike]

Thank you, that’s very helpful.   Yes, I am currently copper connected, but Full Fibre is now available at my address.   I’ve not yet been transferred from Plusnet to EE but it is imminent; I can investigate whether there’s still time to cancel my transfer to EE and stay with Plusnet for the broadband, and go to a VoIP provider for my landline, as you helpfully suggested.

Are you recommending that I should upgrade to Full Fibre before a VoIP landline would work?   Or could I start by using a VoIP landline provider via my Plusnet broadband-through-copper, which would be easier to organise first, and then upgrade to Full Fibre after that?

I think you are saying that if I am too late and am already committed to EE, I should still be able to change my landline to a VoIP supplier, but you are not sure whether the landline would work in other rooms via a Powerline – do you have a reason in mind why that might not work?

[Jones01]

@52Mike ,

I've used a VoIP service via PLAs without any problems.

The only issue could be that PLAs reduce broadband speed, sometimes quite dramatically, depending on your house mains wiring. Having said that, twenty or so years ago I used BT's original VoIP service on, I think, about 4Mbps ADSL broadband without any problems.

[JimM11]

@52Mike It has to be carefully done regarding keeping your landline and the copper connection and depends on what PN does with copper.... If they require the Landline number on Copper to supply you broadband that is an issue so question best asked of the PN Forum also the VOIP provider you look at will tell you if they have also done/moved/ported the number etc on an PN copper connection....

PN Full Fibre connection will be Broadband Internet only, they may even use the old PN hub no ideas what they do!

[52Mike]

To JimM11:  Thanks, that’s a very good point.   If I should be told that it wouldn’t work, I wonder if I would be better to migrate to EE anyway, broadband and landline (initially plugging my main analogue handset into the back of the new router), and subsequently transferring my landline from EE to a VoIP landline provider.   That way, hopefully my landline phone would only be unavailable for a minimal time while the transfer took place.   Then later move EE to Full Fibre, broadband only.

Even though you can’t comment about Plusnet, would you be able to comment on whether it might work to transfer my landline number to VoIP while the EE router was still working on the copper line (which, as you say, might be dependent on my landline number, but perhaps you might know if that was so in the case of EE)?

[Jones01]

@52Mike ,

If you decide to stay with Plusnet and full fibre isn't available at your property, they will switch your line to SoGEA, which is FTTC without a landline. When the switch is complete your telephone number will be put in quarantine for 30 days, giving you time to port it to a VoIP provider. If you port your number before the switch to SoGEA is complete, your broadband and your contract with Plusnet will be terminated.

There are quite a few VoIP providers. I have an account with A&A. They took about five days to port my number after I had full fibre installed.

You could rent a temporary number from your chosen VoIP supplier and get your phones working in your house in advance of the switch taking place. Then you would be ready to port your number to your supplier as soon as the switch has been completed. VoIP works on ADSL and part-fibre broadband as well as full-fibre.

[JimM11]

@52Mike It's looking best to get on the VOIP with the Temp number, and gives you a little time to see how it is all going to work and if you are going to be happy with the operation of it all, but do check with the VOIP provider about requesting you will later be calling about PORTING your own landline over to them in the future, some will have an additional charge to do so and will advise what that will be so you have the full picture....

[Jones01]

I looked back at my A&A bills. They charged me £12 to port my landline number. Ten quid plus VAT, I think.

They are good at answering the phone, but it isn't necessary for a number port. It's done online. Other VoIP providers are probably similar.