dedicated phone line - benefits?

[#1]

Hi
Hoping for informed opinions on the benefits or not of having a 2nd phone line dedicated for broadband
I currently have 2 bt lines in my house and am dedicating one of them for my plusnet broadband deal with a wireless router attached and 3 computers using the signal
However it costs around £8-9 per month for the BT rental (i dont use it for phone calls)
Would i notice any difference if i reverted to my standard phone line using filters (and saving £8-9) or are there any good reasons for continuing as i am ( im getting around 4mps at the moment and generally works well)
I would be grateful for any comments
thanks in advance
j

[#2]

Hi - that's exactly what I have  - a legacy from the time when I had dial-up and didn't want to "block" the voice line for hours on end. In my case it was also very handy because the "voice" line comes  on the ground floor and the "data" line comes in on the 2nd floor where the "offices" are  ;). Also you don't have to worry about filers. However, if you do fit a filter, then you do have a second voice line if needed (handy in house with a talkative wife and daughter  ). Also when I had a fault on my main (voice) line, BT were able to switch all the incoming calls to the second line for "the duration". A quick move and reconnect of my DECT base station and all the phones were back in service  :). 
I'd say if the cost is tolerable and it's working well, keep it. (It ain't broke so don't fix it  ).
Regards,
Ray.

[#3]

Thanks Ray for  that - I take your point about faults on the line and the extra option
Any idea if the actual speeds would be affected by using one line for all?
j

[#4]

We also have two BT lines still - a legacy from when one of them was used for business and one for home.  When Broadband arrived we still had significant DACS problems in the village and our main home line was DAC'sd  so Broadband on second line. 
Kids left home, wife's business finished so only one line now needed.  Now the dilemma! 
Ideally we would want to ditch the second line as most calls are now only on the home number, but that ain't easy or cheap the way things are currently with BT.  If there were an easy low cost, low risk of disconnect route I'd do it.
Maurice

[#5]

jonnyfriendly.  You should have no performance issues with using the one line for voice and broadband.
Maurice

[#6]

Line faults...
Broadband speeds/faults can be affected by extension wiring and other devices, but this can be largely eliminated by attention to detail, such as:
Filter at the master socket, connect the router there.
Minimise or eliminate extension wiring.
No bell wire (i.e. only 2 and 5) in any extension wiring you must have.
Double-filter Sky boxes and DECT phones.
2 lines down to 1.
I guess you can't avoid the various charges BT levy. If you still want 2 (incoming) numbers look at "call sign" possibly in conjunction with "Twin Talk" adapters. Works fine for me with broadband.

[#7]

@ Maurice.
The hardest issue would be getting a sensible message to Openreach!
The actual work is really easy, they just electronically renumber the lines, so you end up with ADSL on the same line it is now, but with the number assigned from the other line.
You can then ditch the other one.
~~~
But, (and I suspect you can see this coming!) when you actually try to do this, the phone companies have a habit of pratting about and using cease/reprovide orders and you end up with all sorts of nonsense occuring.
Before Openreach days it used to be easy - these days, these things can be a real struggle.
I have to move two phone lines with ADSL on them from one DP (Distribution point) to another - (both are within our buildings/site) however, I'm acutely aware that the ordering tools available to phone companies are pretty limited (or maybe its lack of training?) and it'll probably go wrong.
In the old days, I could have phoned BT and asked them to do a "lift and shift" or "rejumper", but even the Openreach chaps I've spoken to don't believe that BT (or anybody else) would be able to order it so that it happened successfully.
I know that the PN Comms guys love a challenge, and I'm tempted to move the lines to PN so that they can have a chance at owning the whole process - but I'm also aware that it may also end up in me falling out with various people when it inevitably goes wrong. (The lines are used exclusively for ADSL)

[#8]

Yup!  James.    Technically a very limited set of challenges to sort out, but to keep all the paperwork in check, they (openReach) will only do it as a cease / reprovide.  As with a house move this is "a maze of twisty little passages" - with lots of 'opportunities' for misunderstanding and delay.  I'll wait till we get a suitable time which is less critical to accept the challenge

[#9]

If you do decide to get rid of one of the lines, its probably easier (although the number will change) to keep the line with the broadband and upgrade the call package to something more suitable.
If you get rid of the line with the broadband on it and want to move it to the main voice line there would be a charge of £40 to do this as mentioned previously it would be classed as a house move although its in the same house. Its possible you can defer this cost and allow plusnet to pay it for you as long as you stay for 12 months. If you left you would have to pay it back. CS would be able to sort this or raise a ticket on your account.
Obviously if you do get rid of the main voiceline and keep the broadband line as is you would have to tell people that your number has changed.
Oh I have my voice and BB on one line and I personally have had a brilliant service, as do my parents.
Hope this helps
Emma

[#10]

Quote from: James_H

@ Maurice. The hardest issue would be getting a sensible message to Openreach! The actual work is really easy, they just electronically renumber the lines, so you end up with ADSL on the same line it is now, but with the number assigned from the other line.

I would say thats not the case. From experience Openreach would rejumper. Probably because it's less risk if the transferred number has diverts, caller display withheld etc, these can easily be lost if a electronic renumber is done.

[#11]

Thats rather the point - if they decide in their wisdom to rejumper, then you end up with no improvement in the situation, you still have one line with ADSL, and one line without. The difference now would be that they enter the premises via the opposite pairs that they used to.

[#12]

Quote from: James_H

The difference now would be that they enter the premises via the opposite pairs that they used to.

Probably not as BT could rejumber the PSTN to the existing ADSL, which is a effectively a number change for a home moving customer. BT will also charge for an ADSL provide for this which I believe should not happening and OFCOM really ought to look into this.

[#13]

Quote from: James_H

In the old days, I could have phoned BT and asked them to do a "lift and shift" or "rejumper", but even the Openreach chaps I've spoken to don't believe that BT (or anybody else) would be able to order it so that it happened successfully.

Are you surprised about that? I'm not. If BT was still a single organisation then the above probably could be done. But now BT are 3 companies each having to make money and with fixed demarcation and ording systems.
BT are no different then other utility companies. Wait until you have a gas supply problem, your billing company will inform you to report it to Transco and Transco will inform you to contact your billing company. Who own the gas meter?

[#14]

Thanks everybody for your comments - as i thought the process of changing back to one line is not without potential problems or cost
Ive decided to stay as i am for the time being and review in a few months - if it aint broken etc....
As an afterthought, I have currently connected my modem to a socket with filter that is NOT the master socket. If I put a filter on to the master socket with nothing connected. Would this make any difference?
thanks again to all

[#15]

Quote from: jonnyfriendly

As an afterthought, I have currently connected my modem to a socket with filter that is NOT the master socket. If I put a filter on to the master socket with nothing connected. Would this make any difference?

Not sure about your proposal but you might want (if possible) to fit a "master socket filter" from here http://www.clarity.it/xcart/home.php?cat=262 (or similar) or the new BT iPlate and then plug your ADSL modem/router directly into that. That should elminate most interference and is the most direct route. If you are never going to install an analogue band device (modem, Sky box, telephone, etc.) you don't even need the filter plate  - just plug you ADSL box straight into the phone socket..
Regards,
Ray.