topic Re: Phone line in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Phone line

gleneagles — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 11:29:27 GMT

Some article in the paper was indicating that phone lines will be discontinued in 2025 but landline will remain for internet connection, calls then being made via a smart phone or some sort of adaptor to connect to the modem for old type of phones.

Assuming I have understood this correctly my question is this, how would you record phone calls when out like you do on the old type of ansaphone

Re: Phone line

MrAllen2021 — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 11:43:42 GMT

Link to the article or it didn't happen, and I for one sincerely hope it doesn't.

I have a BT OR Engineer due in the next 18 minutes due to a bad line on the PN landline, which has been ongoing problem since towards the end of last year when I first signed up, I half wish I'd stayed with Talk Talk but I couldn't talk to their Indian call centre due to having a strong Yorkshire accent which they didn't understand.

Re: Phone line

Baldrick1 — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:09:13 GMT

@gleneagles

As you say, you can have an adapter to which you can attach current analogue phones. This will include current phones with a built in ansaphone.

So in essence nothing changes except that your current phone base unit is connected to a converter, which connects to your hub rather than the current arrangement where the base unit is connected to the phone socket.

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 12:28:01 GMT

@gleneagles wrote:

Assuming I have understood this correctly my question is this, how would you record phone calls when out like you do on the old type of ansaphone

@gleneagles

Further to Baldrick1 s reply above, if you're using an analogue output from an ATA (or router with built-in VoIP) to old analogue phones, you could plug in an old-style answering machine, or if using a fully digital device such as a Gigaset N300A it would have built-in digital answering machine(s).

Some VoIP services such as Sipgate have their own voicemail, much like BTs.

Re: Phone line

MisterW — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:16:39 GMT

Some VoIP services such as Sipgate have their own voicemail

Yes, my Sipgate service records the message and then sends me an email with a link to the message in mp3 format. I can also dial the voicemail access numebr from my voip phone to access it.

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:27:55 GMT

@MisterW wrote:

Yes, my Sipgate service records the message and then sends me an email with a link to the message in mp3 format. ...

Oh yes, I forgot about that extra little feature @MisterW , but although I haven't got voicemail enabled on my main Sipgate number, ISTR that the mp3 is actually received with the email as an attachment, BICBW.

Re: Phone line

MisterW — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:30:53 GMT

ISTR that the mp3 is actually received with the email as an attachment, BICBW.

@RobPN just checked and you are not wrong.

Re: Phone line

MrAllen2021 — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:10:42 GMT

I appear to have a faulty handset, which probably explains the problems with my PN line

Re: Phone line

shutter — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:35:15 GMT

@gleneagles wrote:

Some article in the paper was indicating that phone lines will be discontinued in 2025 but landline will remain for internet connection, calls then being made via a smart phone or some sort of adaptor to connect to the modem for old type of phones.

Assuming I have understood this correctly my question is this, how would you record phone calls when out like you do on the old type of ansaphone

My question is this..... How will people who know my landline number be able to contact me, if they don`t know my mobile number....

Second question ... If it needs some kind of new "terminal" equipment, in the home, on the end of the land line, to redirect calls to your mobile number, who is going to pay for it ?

Third question.... who is going to be responsible for fitting it and maintaining it

Re: Phone line

Longliner — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:42:07 GMT

@MrAllen2021

Yes, we see and we're not surprised. Please apologise for your scurrilous attacks on Plusnet call centre staff who, as was explained to you several times, have no control over Openreach punctuality, nor have other ISPs.

I appeal to Plusnet to release this person from his/her contract without charge and let him/her return to TalkTalk. This is a match made in heaven.

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 16:54:03 GMT

@MrAllen2021 wrote:

I appear to have a faulty handset, which probably explains the problems with my PN line

@MrAllen2021

So by rights you would be liable for a 'no fault found, end user equipment faulty' charge of £65 or whatever it is.

Luckily for you PN have recently announced that they will no longer pass this on.

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:08:03 GMT

@shutter wrote:

My question is this..... How will people who know my landline number be able to contact me, if they don`t know my mobile number....

@shutter

They would call your landline number?

They would only need to know your mobile number if you wanted them to contact you that way.

Second question ... If it needs some kind of new "terminal" equipment, in the home, on the end of the land line, to redirect calls to your mobile number, who is going to pay for it ?

I don't know for sure, but I strongly suspect the telco would provide any necessary equipment needed due to their changes, and fitting would most likely be plug and play.

It wouldn't be necessary for calls to your landline number to be redirected to your mobile unless you choose to do that for your own convenience, in which case it would depend on whether your calling plan included the cost of such calls, and if it didn't, you'd have to pay for them.

Third question.... who is going to be responsible for fitting it and maintaining it

Apart from any batteries possibly required for power backup, probably the telco but I don't really know for sure.

Re: Phone line

MrAllen2021 — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:11:03 GMT

@Longliner I've been looking on the RNID website this afternoon at hearing aid compatible cordless handsets, but they are prohibitably expensive.

All I want is a handset that actually works, fortunately we have one with big buttons which Dad says he'll set up when we go back to the Flat after tea.

Re: Phone line

shutter — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:24:55 GMT

@RobPN wrote:

@shutter wrote:

My question is this..... How will people who know my landline number be able to contact me, if they don`t know my mobile number....

@shutter

They would call your landline number?

They would only need to know your mobile number if you wanted them to contact you that way.

Obviously, I have mis-worded the question, or you have mis-understood it... So, I am going to assume the latter is the case... Obviously..

Sorry if that offends you........

You said.....

They would only need to know your mobile number if you wanted them to contact you that way.

WRONG... they would need to know my mobile number if THEY wanted to contact me....

If the landline system for calls is discontinued, then people who have my landline number will not be able to contact me... ( e.g. those long standing "Log-in" prove who you are questionaires, from years ago, are still valid.)

.. Who remembers all those places you left your landline number to be able to contact them, and say... Ayup... my mobile number is....

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:50:08 GMT

@shutter wrote:

@RobPN wrote:

@shutter wrote:

My question is this..... How will people who know my landline number be able to contact me, if they don`t know my mobile number....

@shutter

They would call your landline number?

They would only need to know your mobile number if you wanted them to contact you that way.

Obviously, I have mis-worded the question, or you have mis-understood it... So, I am going to assume the latter is the case... Obviously..

Sorry if that offends you........

@shutter

Well as I've correctly answered the question which you asked and not some question you meant to ask, then no, I've not misunderstood, and you've obviously got the wrong end of the stick.

In my book the phrase "Sorry if that offends you" is used after pointing out someones error(s), so as I'm trying to make allowances here, you'll be pleased to know that as it's not me who is mistaken, I'm not offended.

You said.....

They would only need to know your mobile number if you wanted them to contact you that way.

WRONG... they would need to know my mobile number if THEY wanted to contact me.....

Blimey, if I had any hair I'd be pulling it out !!!

If the landline system for calls is discontinued, then people who have my landline number will not be able to contact me...

It seems you've also misunderstood the basic concept of replacing 'landlines' with digital voice services such as VoIP.

Re: Phone line

shutter — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 18:07:25 GMT

@RobPN It seems you've also misunderstood the basic concept of replacing 'landlines' with digital voice services such as VoIP.

Yes I have.... I haven`t a clue, hence my simple minded uneducated questions... seeking further clarification as to how it would work, in the scenario of when the landline telephone system stops working...

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 18:28:21 GMT

@shutter

Put simply, you'll still be able to have a 'landline-like' telephone service (in most cases with your existing number), it's just that it won't be an analogue service over a copper line like it is now, but a digital service over whatever physical infrastructure comes to your house. Eventually that will be fibre (I mean fibre, not VDSL which is delivered over copper), but as you know from your use of ADSL, digital services (your present Internet connection) ~~can~~ will be delivered over copper, and that's the way the digital voice service will continue for a while for those people who haven't had their copper replaced with fibre by the time the analogue service (PSTN) is discontinued.

As I said above, that was putting it simply, but in reality there is likely to be a 'basic' digital service provided to just carry voice signals for those who don't want an Internet service etc..

Put another way, maybe you could better understand if you compare the new situation with your use of Morse over your Internet connection. In the past those dots and dashes would be sent over copper wires, making and breaking the circuit, but with your present method some software converts your key presses to a digital signal which will then be converted back at the other end.

HTH

Re: Phone line

Mustrum — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 19:51:30 GMT

@shutter just imagine a phone you plug into an ethernet port, rather than a phone line.

They have done this kind of thing in offices for years.

Depending on the system you can log in to it and take calls on a variety of devices, I had a phone in the office and one at home, could take calls on a soft phone on my laptop anywhere I was connected to the internet, or have them come up in my mobile. Callers had no idea where I was, and did not need to know my mobile number - quite a handy thing these days when more a more companies allow BYOD (Bring your own device) but you don't want to give people your personal mobile number.

Not that I expect you will get to do all this with cheapo version ISP's will be giving to customers.

Re: Phone line

RobPN — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 16:25:22 GMT

Here you go @shutter , if you want to find out a bit more about VoIP by experimenting, have a look here and maybe sign up for a FREE account. https://www.sipgatebasic.co.uk/

It won't cost you a single penny, you won't be signing any contract to commit to anything, and you'll get a FREE 'landline' telephone number with pretty much any UK area code you choose, with no monthly charges to hit you unexpectedly, and you can use it to receive incoming calls from your landline, mobile or any other person can call it.

You won't be making any commitment to port your existing landline number to Sipgate unless you request that, the new number will be completely independent of what you already have, and no extra physical lines will be involved, it's a purely digital service.

As (I assume) you don't possess any physical equipment such as an ATA or SIP/VoIP phones to plug in to your router, you could simply download a FREE softphone to install on a computer which you can probably find either by Googling or someone might be able to recommend one. With a softphone you can make or receive calls from/to the number you get from Sipgate, but obviously you won't be able to make chargeable outgoing calls without putting some credit on the account, but nobody will force you to do that. Sipgate allow calls to 0800 numbers without putting credit on the account.

You may have to give some information such as your address to receive a verification code.

Re: Phone line

VileReynard — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 22:06:24 GMT

I bet these softphones don't work well on a computer with no microphone or with the loudspeakers switched off.