topic Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip? in Everything else

Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Frances28 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:12:02 GMT

I've seen plenty of comments on here that PlusNet's Hub Two phone port has been disabled, so I'll need an adapter to use VoiP. The Openreach engineer who installed my Full Fibre reckoned it should work, as did a PlusNet employee I spoke to today. I've moved my landline number to another provider but up to now it's not working.

If the phone port has been disabled I'll go ahead and get an ATA but I'm receiving conflicting messages about it. Does anyone know the facts please?

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

jab1 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:16:15 GMT

The Hub2 phone port is disabled, as PN don't offer a VoIP service.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Frances28 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:00:19 GMT

But they're doing away with all phone services as I understand it, so it would be nice if they could get the phone port to work for people who are staying with PN but have to go elsewhere for their VoiP.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

RealAleMadrid — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:14:44 GMT

@Frances28 Unfortunately OR and Plusnet personnel often tell you what you want to hear, which may not be the truth. Which Voip provider have moved to? Obviously it is not yet working but if you get an ATA or an IP phone such as one of the Gigaset range it should be working. Will probably need some setting up but help is available on the forum if required.

Edit: It would be nice to have the Hub phone Port working but as it was intended for use with BT digital voice which is a locked down version of VOIP, it would be major software change to allow it to be used for other providers, so as a retired software engineer I would say there is no chance of that happening.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

MisterW — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:17:17 GMT

so it would be nice if they could get the phone port to work for people who are staying with PN but have to go elsewhere for their VoiP.

if the port was functional then people would expect Plusnet to provide assistance with configuring it with whatever VoIP supplier people choose! That's just not practical I'm afraid...

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Frances28 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:39:39 GMT

I've gone with A&A as it seemed well recommended here. And hardly anyone phones me on the landline anyway. The voicemail is working (though with a nice gentlemanly voice, not my own) so I can live with that even without an ATA. But it's annoying that PN said it would work. I think they've raised a support question, so I'm interested to see what the final response will be.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

RealAleMadrid — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:51:42 GMT

@Frances28 A&A is a good choice, I'm sure they will help you if you need any support. As for Plusnet raising a support question I can't see that getting any useful response.☹️

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

MisterW — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:19:39 GMT

@Frances28 if you've got a smartphone , you could use a VoIP app such as zoiper

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Mustrum — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:41:37 GMT

@Frances28 if you think about this, for any call to reach you there has to be a unique identifiable way of sending the call to you. The ATA can do this with the settings provided by A&A. However, it is not something they can do to a PN, or indeed any of the BT Group based routers.

Perhaps one day someone will crack the BT Group router firmware and work out a way of identifying the settings on the routers, but the day is not yet here. Also an ATA is relatively cheap, so hardly worth anyones effort.

HTH

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

HPsauce — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:57:51 GMT

@Frances28 Well the Hub 2 does work with VOIP, mine certainly does, so (depending how you asked the question) the advice you were given by BT/OR/PN was indeed correct at one level. Though probably simplistic and misleading at best. 🤐

HOWEVER you do need an adapter of some sort to answer/make calls, unless (as you have so far with A&A) you rely on voicemail messages and call out via mobile or other alternatives. Personally I'm also on A&A and have purchased some Gigaset equipment in order to answer incoming calls, though in retrospect voicemail would probably have sufficed.... 🤣

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Frances28 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:12:12 GMT

Well I've just switched my internet off and can go to voicemail on my landline - which is all that happens when I've got internet and Hub 2 working, so I'm not sure what you mean by Hub 2 working? I'm sure it would work with an adapter, but that's not what PN said - they said it should work as soon as I plugged the phone in.

But I am in the middle of a contract change so maybe I should wait till that's sorted and try again? Not holding my breath.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

jab1 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:17:45 GMT

Deleted

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Mustrum — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:47:02 GMT

@Frances28 you have not set up a way for a call to your number to go anywhere, hence any call will go to your answer service, roter on or off, calls have no where else to go. You need the ATA, with a phone connected to it and set up as per A&A instructions, or a Viop app on your mobile that will do the same thing.

Again, HTH

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

mystreet1 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 21:28:50 GMT

Another option is to ditch the PN router, replace it with a Fritzbox 7530 from the CEX shop. The Fritzbox does have a working ATA port which can be configured to A&A. Currently about £30.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Baldrick1 — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 06:48:47 GMT

@Frances28 wrote:

.... The Openreach engineer who installed my Full Fibre reckoned it should work, as did a PlusNet employee I spoke to today. ...

The installation techie presumably saw what is a rebadged BT Smarthub and incorrectly assumed it would work simply because the phone socket has been retained. As previously stated, it is a non operational legacy 'feature'.

Regarding the Plusnet agent's response, I guess that it's a matter of the degree of technical knowledge and the way that the question is interpreted.

Can you use VoIP with a Plusnet router? The full answer is: Yes, but you need an adapter or an IP phone. The fact that the adapter/IP phone will work with any router is irrelevant.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

spile — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 06:53:14 GMT

I use Voipfone and a Gigaset 500 base station with the SH2. It works fine.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

HPsauce — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 08:01:30 GMT

@Frances28 If indeed " PN said - they said it should work as soon as I plugged the phone in." that's a blatant lie by them I'm afraid.

I believe calls are recorded, you should demand that they review that, share it with you, and compensate you appropriately.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

markhawkin — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 08:30:33 GMT

@Frances28

For simplicity and likelyhood that it will "Just Work" I suggest buying a DECT phone from Andrews & Arnold as you have their service and it seems they will supply the equipment preconfigured.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/use-cases/home-user/

Personally I have some Gigaset equipment bought from LiGo (who seem an excellent supplier)

https://ligo.co.uk/collections/voip-dect-phones

Andrews & Arnold do offer some support for Gigaset equipment

https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_Phones_-_Gigaset_N300

however, on balance, in your situation I would buy the preconfigured equipment from Andrews & Arnold.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

markhawkin — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 08:40:19 GMT

As for a smartphone VoIP client, I use Acrobits Groundwire

https://acrobits.net/sip-client-ios-android/

Andrews & Arnold also offer support for setting that up

https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_Phones_-_Acrobits

It's a paid app but not very expensive. I think their cheaper Softphone would suffice in your case.

Re: Does Hub Two work with Voip?

Frances28 — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 09:17:24 GMT

Thanks to all for your replies so far. My comments/ info below

I believe it was A&A in an online chat before I went with them who said I should be fine with my Hub Two router and existing DECT handset,. I'm pretty sure they knew I was with Plusnet too. But I wouldn't pursue that. Nor with PN - I'm not that litigious.

Today when I picked up my handset, instead of silence I got 5 rapid beeps. PN did say to wait 24 hours after FttP had been installed, so it may be due to that. Just for info, I realise I'm not getting VoiP on it.

I can't see the Support Question supposedly opened maybe because PN still thinks I'm on my old contract which expires on Sept 27. It tells me an error has occurred - I have a product change in progress.

I know I could have a new router but I had so many problems linking all my household items when I got the Hub Two that I really wanted to keep it.

The Smartphone VoiP options look a possibility, but since I went for VoiP just in case my smartphone was out of action I don't think I'll pursue that.

And rethinking it overnight, I realise that my existing handsets are getting old and don't respond well when I push the buttons, so it looks like a new handset and related equipment is the way to go. These Gigaset phones etc - plug straight into the router via an ethernet port?

II think I'll wait until PN have the correct contract and broadband in my account and then go for Gigaset kit etc.