topic Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie in Home Phone

Home phone clarification for non-techie

Polaris1 — Sun, 10 May 2026 09:42:06 GMT

Hi,

I appreciate that others have asked similar questions, but I'm very non-technical and some of the jargon in the replies has totally confused me and left me feeling very apprehensive. I currently have PlusNet Unlimited Fibre broadband with a home phone line which I believe I will lose at the end of the year if I do nothing. My current broadband contract still has 10 or 11 months to run, so I am hoping PlusNet will contact me at some point with more information, but I am trying to be proactive.

My home phone line isn't heavily used, but I do rely on it for an elderly relative (no smart phone / internet access) to be able to contact me, in particular I need the caller display to see when they have phoned if I'm not around. I want to retain my existing phone number.

Having been happy with PlusNet broadband for many years, I really would like to stay with PlusNet, and even more importantly, I want to retain my existing email addresses (PlusNet and a second legacy email).

I understand that PlusNet will try and transfer me to EE if I ask to retain my landline, but I have friends who have had bad experiences with EE (both broadband and mobile), so I really don't want to go down this route.

I have been told than another option is to retain my PlusNet broadband service (upgrading to full fibre), then signing up with a new provider for a separate 'landline' service - two names I have been given are VoipPhone and Arnold & Arnold, I need to do some research but I don't really understand what I am looking for in terms of working out what is best. Apparently I may need to purchase some additional hardware, but again I don't really understand what I need.

I think I am currently using a PlusNet Hub One router, but I have a newer PlusNet Hub Two router (when I last upgraded my broadband contract, the PlusNet representative said my existing router would still work, which it did, but I purchased the newer router as a spare).

Please could someone lay out in simple terms exactly what I will need to do, and in what order so that I don't lose broadband connection (I rely on that for working from home), I retain my existing home phone number and I don't lose my existing email addresses.

- what do I need to purchase

- stepwise, what order do I need to do things in so that I don't lose my existing phone number/email addresses

Any additional 'how to retain your home phone line for dummies' links that might help explain things to me would also be useful, particularly without all the abbreviations/jargon that mean nothing.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

pvmb — Sun, 10 May 2026 10:18:50 GMT

@Polaris1

Assuming you want to stay with Plusnet as your Communications Supplier after the changeover to the digital fibre network and you also want to continue with a 'Home phone' (not a 'landline'!) with your old landline telephone number, then you will need to contact another supplier to provide you with a digital network based VoIP phone service and transfer your old landline number to them. Many people on here have done this and can advise.

You will need an extra bit of kit to go with, or replace, your Plusnet router. If you buy an Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA), which connects to an Ethernet port on your router, you should then be able to plug your existing analogue phone into the ATA (which is mains powered). Alternatively, you can buy another router! Some have built in ATAs for direct connection of an analogue phone, some even have built in DECT base stations to allow wireless connections from DECT handsets - very convenient. I'm sure others will be along soon to give their recommendations on these points.

Then again, with a mobile phone you can make and receive Wi-Fi calls via any wireless router as is and lose the landline (this is what I do now). This is little different in practice to a home VoIP phone - apart from only having a single 'handset' on the phone number. OK, in the first instance this means your current phone number is that of your mobile, not the old landline number. But I understand there are Apps for mobiles which allow receiving calls to your landline number - I do not know if this means you have to keep your old landline number on a VoIP phone, or still works with no home telephone. Perhaps others do?

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

bmc — Sun, 10 May 2026 12:38:38 GMT

@Polaris1

Do you know exactly what is available to you going forward without the phone?

Fibre is the current FTTC service without a phone (known as SOGEA)

Full Fibre is what it says - fibre all the way to your property.

Technical terms are

VOIP - Voice Over Internet Protocal

ATA - Analogue Phone Adapter which is required in some cases for VOIP

CSP - Customer Splice Point. External box used for full fibre installs.

ONT - Optical Network Adapter. This is the internal box for full fibre. Your router connects via ethernet cable.

As you've stated you have two basic options. Stay with PN and use a third party VOIP supplier or move to an ISP which offers both. PN will move you the EE free of charge but you could choose to move elsewhere. For example Zen Internet have a good reputation and you do not need to buy an ATA. They arr not the cheapest and you would incur early termination charges.

A&A have a good reputation and, given your phone usage, is reasonably priced. You can even use an App on your smart phone in place of a traditional phone (I believe) or set the A&A answer phone to ON - this means you get an e-mail of each message received and you can use your mobile to reply.

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

Note that VOIP doesn't work during power cuts.

Finally, PN are in the process of migrating email services to a company called Greenby. Once you've been migrated you don't lose the addresses if you leave PN.

Brian

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

Baldrick1 — Sun, 10 May 2026 15:43:09 GMT

@Polaris1

If you are staying with Plusnet, the easiest approach:

Advise Plusnet that you will give up your landline phone and stay with them. Either convert your current service to SoGEA (that is just have the phone disconnected) or upgrade to Full Fibre.
Do your research on which third part VoIP company best fits your needs. This can be influenced by how much use you will make of the phone, monthly standing charges and any required call packages. Choose a company that will recover your phone number from quarantine and can provide you with a preconfigured ATA. DO NOT PLACE AN ORDER YET
When and only when, your new service is up and running you should consider the recovery of the phone number. At this time, you will have no working phone. Don’t panic, the number will have been quarantined in your name for 30 days. After this time, it will be lost forever. Place your order with your chosen VoIP provider.
When the pre-configured ATA arrives, follow the instructions, which should be no more than connecting the ATA to a spare Ethernet LAN socket of the router, and plugging your existing phone into the appropriate socket (you may need to use a supplied adapter) on the ATA.
Rejoice that after a few days break you have your phone working again.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

Polaris1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 06:22:46 GMT

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your reply, very helpful (and reassuring in terms of not losing the email addresses, a friend of mine has been given conflicting information by PlusNet customer services).

When I log in to my account and look at the 'Offers and upgrades' I am being shown Full Fibre packages at reasonable prices, so I have assumed that option will be available.

I will look in to the VOIP options but that will likely be next weekend, I don;t get much time during the week.

Thanks again.

Polaris1

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

Polaris1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 06:27:08 GMT

Thank you for the stepwise advice - much appreciated.

As above, I will look into this further next weekend.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

spile — Mon, 11 May 2026 06:36:12 GMT

You mentioned that the main reason for having a landline is for people (especially elderly) to contact you. If that is the case, you could transfer your existing number to Voipfone or similar and set up a redirect to your mobile. Minimal cost, no hardware and you will be able to take calls when you are not in your home.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

Baldrick1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:04:46 GMT

There are numerous ways that VoIP can be arranged. Speaking as a wrinkly, with a wrinkly wife, all we want from a landline phone is it to continue working, with the same handsets, just as it has for the last n decades. We don't want to walk around the streets with a mobile clamped to our ear answering landline calls. In our world, mobiles are used for emergencies and 2 FA.

If we are not at home, callers that get past the Trucall filter either ring back or leave a message, which is returned (or not) at our convenience, not the callers.

I could be wrong but I suspect that we are not alone.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

markhawkin — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:11:49 GMT

@Polaris1

Of the available options, in your situation, I would order the full fibre upgrade and then get a VoIP Phone service from Voipfone (probably the one with 100 minutes a month included). I would also buy a phone from them (rather than an adaptor) as it comes preconfigured and should "just work".

The timing is a bit critical but I would speak to Voipfone about how to play it. They may suggest getting the VoIP service going a bit early on a temporary number but I would speak to them.

I don't personally use Voipfone but I think if I were starting again I would be using them.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

MisterW — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:40:53 GMT

I would also buy a phone from them (rather than an adaptor) as it comes preconfigured and should "just work".

AIUI The adapter they supply is also pre-configured so should also just work as well

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

markhawkin — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:28:43 GMT

The only reason I suggested a phone rather than an adaptor is that it would make a freestanding system (particularly using the DECT solution offered) as against an adaptor and the need to join this into (potentially) existing wirings and phones.

There may only be one phone at present and that may be conveniently placed to the Plusnet route, in which case the adaptor route (while ending up as a bit of a "string of sausages") could be appropriate.

If the main present use of the landline is via DECT handsets, then a "one box" solution of a base station that plugs directly into the Plusnet Hub (using an Ethernet cable) would be my chosen approach.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

MisterW — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:42:00 GMT

I dont disagree with that and in fact that's my setup.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

bmc — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:50:38 GMT

@Polaris1

If staying with PN then the thing to remember is you CANNOT port your number out until you've move to full fibre and it's up and running. You can set up accounts with a VOIP provider using a temporary number.

As to a Full Fibre install have a look at

https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/full-fibre-broadband-installation-checklist#accordion-b43490109a-item-56113228ba

Note that the router is connected via ethernet cable so does not need to be near the ONT.

Brian

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

pvmb — Mon, 11 May 2026 11:11:26 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

Speaking as a wrinkly, with a wrinkly wife, all we want from a landline phone is it to continue working, with the same handsets, just as it has for the last n decades. We don't want to walk around the streets with a mobile clamped to our ear answering landline calls. In our world, mobiles are used for emergencies and 2 FA.

I confess to being a bit puzzled by the above, and by the seemingly significant number of people who feel the need to keep a home phone via VoIP. Oh course one only hears here from those who do want to keep a home phone, as those that don't (such as myself) won't be asking how to!

I don't know what the exact definition of "wrinkly" is, though I won't see 75 again, but I have had a mobile phone for over 20 years now; originally the same 'dumb' Nokia 1100 2G phone, since near the end of last year a new but cheap smartphone. (I won't mention here my adventures with my found 2G 'burner phone', now my second line...). I just can't see the problem, for most* people, with using a 4G mobile phone at home - doesn't even need to be a 'smart' phone - via Wi-Fi calling. This is what I do now. Even if a smart phone there is no law I know of that enforces carrying it around, let alone looking at it, in public. Though I have to say Google Maps app is very useful to let you know when the bus (or train) is coming, especially wrt the Hail & Ride bus that stops just outside where I live, but only runs every half hour.

In fact, if you think about it, what actually is the difference between using a mobile phone handset for Wi-Fi calls (VoWiFi), via your Plusnet router and using a DECT handset for VoIP calls, via your Plusnet router...

* One reason for keeping a DECT phone is to have multiple handsets, on the same phone number, around a home.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

FridayFeeling — Mon, 11 May 2026 11:56:23 GMT

@pvmb – you’ve since edited your post to cover some of the stuff I’ve put below, but I’ve started so I’ll finish (as the saying goes).

I understand the point you’re making about no longer requiring a home phone per se (VoIP or otherwise) for making calls at home, even in a mobile notspot area, now that many mobile phones / smartphones can do Wi-Fi calling.

But there are of course a whole host of reasons why one might want to keep a physical home phone in addition to a mobile. Some of the below, for those capable, could be dealt with by a virtual home number by porting it to a VoIP provider and having it as an app on a smartphone. Just some scenarios that are personally familiar to me:

# Preference of handset – mobiles can pretty heavy in the hand (large-ish battery and decent size screen). DECT home phones tend to be much smaller and lighter. Perhaps an important factor for some. You can prioritise your mobile phone design for see google maps and DECT phone for lightness.

# Current mobile phone or tariff doesn’t support Wi-Fi calling – My parents’ O2 SIMs are an ancient PAYG 3-2-1 tariff. Pretty much unbeatable on cost for their data/calls usage pattern. O2 have not activated Wi-Fi calling on this tariff type, even though their smartphones could use it. I’ll admit this is an edge case scenario these days.

# Neither I nor my parents walk around the house with their mobile in their pockets. There is no way they could get to it in time, or hear ringing, one mobile in their bungalow if they aren’t relatively close to it. Multiple DECT handsets are distributed around the rooms. (Your edit covers this)

# Not having to inform people / banks / businesses of number changes. If others already have your home phone number then porting your number to VoIP gets rid of that faff. A subsequent bonus of which is that once the home number is on VoIP you can take that number with you when you move house.

# International call rates – (a rather limited scenario) A few mobile tariffs include good priced bundles of overseas calls to some destinations, many don’t. If both ends of the call are happy with or capable of internet comms (Whatsapp / Google Meet / Zoom / etc) they you can do that for free too. Many VoIP providers appear to have good overseas rates without having to faff with going via third-party international calling companies.

# System redundancy – (another rather limited scenario) If your mobile phone provider’s systems fail for the day (it happens once in a blue moon), you’ve got the VoIP to fall back onto, providing your ISP is different from your mobile provider. If your broadband fails then you are at the mercy of mobile phone signals.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

julianb — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:17:22 GMT

One confusing thing about this process is that:

@Baldrick1 's Step 4 "At this time, you will have no working phone. Don’t panic, the number will have been quarantined in your name for 30 days. After this time, it will be lost forever."

appears to conflict with this text in the legal section at the bottom of my Plusnet renewal offer:

"You will lose your home phone number and will not be able to get it back. You'll have to get a brand new number if you decide you need a home phone in the future."

Like the OP we have FTTC + landline, our renewal offer is for FTTC only. I was planning on moving the number we've had for 30 years to a VOIP service, but the Plusnet wording doesn't inspire confidence this isn't without risk.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

jab1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:23:49 GMT

@julianb If you decide to move to SoGEA - FTTC only - the number is quarantined in your name for 30 days to enable you to find an alternative VOIP service/supplier. This is an OFCOM mandated requirement, which that comment at the foot of your notice appears to be in contravention of.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

Baldrick1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:25:07 GMT

@julianb

Your quote refers to moving your data and phone service to EE. My post applies if you stay with Plusnet and move the phone number to a third party VoIP provider.

It’s not that the number can’t be recovered, it’s that EE do not offer to recover it.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

jab1 — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:32:30 GMT

@Baldrick1 If @julianb 's offer is to renew FTTC (SOGEA) with PN, that comment does not apply.

Re: Home phone clarification for non-techie

julianb — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:52:06 GMT

@Baldrick1 This is being shown on my only renewal offer to stay with Plusnet. Under "offers and upgrades" | Explore your packages. Moving from "Unlimited Fibre Extra" to a package called "Fibre" with the Plustnet Full Fibre guarantee. I am sure this is still a Plusnet service. The text I quoted is below the "Here’s the legal bit" section, second bullet point under the "Broadband without a landline" heading. It is quite prominent. @jab1 I'm pleased to hear that it should not apply, but the presence of that text on the page is confusing.