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Phasing out home phones

MisterW
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Re: Phasing out home phones

 

 

 

IANAE, but it may well be due to whether the DTMF signals are sent 'IN-band' or by RFC 2833 signalling.

that only affects DTMF tones when a call is in progress. When dialling,the tones are interpreted as digits and stored  by the ATA as numbers. Once it detects dialling is complete ( no more digits within a timeout ) it then send a SIP INVITE to attempt a call to the dialled number

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HPsauce
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Just going back some way in this thread I can answer some questions regarding Gigaset equipment and Gigaset.net.

1. The Gigaset.net "identity", certainly using N300IP, is linked to the base station NOT an individual handset (even if a Gigaset one).

2. Gigaset.net does work in the UK. It is definitely "closed" with no inbound or outbound access to any non-Gigaset.net numbers.

3. As I have a "backup" N300IP I configured both and was able to make Gigaset.net calls between them without any problems.

4. In the configuration/setup on N300IP Gigaset.net is shown as existing but NOT configurable for Outgoing Calls in Number Assignment. This is apparently normal, it is used automatically for Gigaset numbers, even if you tell the handset to use another connection.

As for what use it is, that's open to debate. There's a "global" directory but the names in there are pretty meaningless. So I'll probably not enable it.

machare
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Re: Phasing out home phones

@HPsauce

How did you make the outgoing call via Gigaset.net?  How were you able to direct the call to the 2nd N300 IP?

I happen to have two N300IPs so I am curious to see if I could also make such a call?

 

HPsauce
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Re: Phasing out home phones

I just connected a separate handset to each N300 (a Gigaset handset but not sure that matters), made sure Gigaset.net was active/registered in each N300 and then made the call.

Just type the number of the other system in (ends in #9 remember) and it works.

Can't recall how I got the numbers, you might need a Gigaset handset to get that.

HPsauce
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Re: Phasing out home phones

@machare just to add that I can't see any obvious way to find the Gigaset number in the N300 web pages, so I must have got it via a handset. There is an option somewhere in the Gigaset.net directory to show your own number; I must have used that!

machare
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Thanks. Yes my handset does who me a number ending in #9.  I will give it a try sometime as the other N300 is 300 miles away.

JSHarris
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Interesting twist on the concern that I (and a handful of others that live in our valley) have had for a long time about the loss of communications when there's a power cut once the PSTN gets turned off next year.  I was driving past a small building that;s used as a sort of general community asset (not as grand as a village hall but it's where small community events are held) and there was an SSEN van parked outside. 

 

Turns out they are installing a generator there, that will be used to provide emergency power when the grid fails locally.  Quite a large unit, it needed a crane to put it in place on it's concrete pad.  The chaps doing the work told me it was a permanent emergency backup system, that should fire up when the grid goes down to give us power for up to a couple of days.  Apparently they are installing these in several  small rural communities that are reliant on having electricity.  No idea if it's linked to the switch off of the PSTN, but it seems a bit of a coincidence if it's not.

mystreet1
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Re: Phasing out home phones

@machare / @HPsauce 

 

 

The #9 number is shown in the N300IP management page

 

Settings, info services, 

displayed as username

 

Screenshot 2024-03-12 093935.png

Was a member for years, but moved from PN fttc to fttp from an AltNet. Getting 940Mb up and down. Happy to stay on here and try to help others. 
HPsauce
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Ah, the #9 number must be shown if you don't register on Gigaset.net. I'd already done that so that page shows my username there.

hirot36
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Hadn't thought about the Emergency Services and digital phones, that is like a mobile phone, your number isn't tied down to a location.

Fortunately A&A had and so today I received conformation that BT know that me original home phone number....which is now a digital phone....is my home phone number ie the digital number is tied to my address.

Which means if I dial 999, but don't speak or finish speaking, they know where to come.

Its going to get very complicated when everybody wants/has to change. I suspect there will some raging and gnashing of teeth.

 

MisterW
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Re: Phasing out home phones

Hadn't thought about the Emergency Services and digital phones, that is like a mobile phone, your number isn't tied down to a location.

Although, as you say, with VOIP your number isnt tied down to a location, there is a facility with most third party voip suppliers to register an address to be automatically passed to the emergency services when 999/112 is called. Having that registered means that one must be careful if the voip account is used away from home e.g using a voip app on a phone for instance, that 999/112 is not dialled.

I would have thought that the mainstream suppliers of Digital voice e.g BT etc will automatically register the home address since their service can only be accessed using their supplied equipment.

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SWANECO
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Registered: ‎27-07-2013

Re: Phasing out home phones

On 12th March OFCOM announced that the following the December delay of the  14th March 2023 launch of One Touch Switch, the latest date is 12th September 2024.

The previous regulatory deadline was 3rd April 2023.

OFCOM state that:

" We will use all necessary resources and oversight to hold TOTSCo and industry to account in meeting this deadline".

OFCOM state that in "Switching Landlines" , Any loss of service that occurs during a switch should not be longer than one working day and providers must compensate you if things go wrong.

All of the above is from the ofcom.org.uk.

 

Wewilldoyou
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Re: Phasing out home phones

We changed the phone (broadband and landline) in our flat from Plusnet over to ZEN (which is more expensive than many providers but their support makes it worth the extra cost) broadband and digital landline middle of last year (2023).  The following is based on our own experience over this period.  I am NOT looking forward to changing this property over to a digital line, if it was up to me, I would keep the copper line. 

 

I see some people say you must register a VOIP account to keep your landline number, we did not need to.  Our experience of going “digital phone line” on the admin side of things, was the same as in the past when we changed our broadband and (copper) landline from one provider to another.  Just tell the provider which broadband package you want and a phone line (“landline”) and that you want to keep your existing number.  They will make it clear you can only get a digital line but you may keep your old number on the digital line. 

 

It was a “soft” (behind the scenes) switchover, there were no changes to wires at all even though we still have a copper cable (not fibre) running from the green box outside in the street, into our flat to the BT master socket.  

 

The BT master socket is in our entrance lobby (at the front door).  We had one phone in the sitting room at our desk (our “office”) and one in the bedroom, on the same line.  Neither of these phones work anymore because, we have to now plug the phone into the back of the router, which is at the front door and not ideal.  You plug a filter into the back of the router then plug your phone into the filter, the filter was included with the router.   I.e. Our two landline phones that are located away from the router, does not work anymore.  ZEN does not have a solution for this.

 

I see the sales pitch by most providers is that the digital line will be cheaper and clearer, that is not our experience.  We find it more expensive and not as clear.  I am interested to hear what other people found regarding this, only after actually having been on a digital line, not what is promised by providers. 

 

We find the digital line is often a poorer quality than the copper line, it is not as clear.  When I contacted ZEN (which is extremely helpful), they say it should not be and I then go through all the checks and reboots, but it does not improve.  We still often get very soft digital/white noise on the line.  Another feature is that the call is sometimes cutoff (goes dead) and when we redial, the other person is still there.  But this happens seldom.  None of this happened on the copper line, these “features” only started once our landline was changed over to digital.  I’ve given up trying to solve this so now we live with it.   

But my biggest concern is for the safety of old people who have emergency/panic alarms.  When the internet (or electricity) is down, your phone is also down.  Those alarms will then not work.  I see on the internet the “solution” provided by many provider is, to get a mobile.  So if (when) your copper landline is changed over to digital, keep the cost of needing a mobile contract in mind, should you need 24 hour phone access . . . . or want to contact support when your internet is down. 

You will also need a mobile should you ever have a problem with your internet and need to contact support because as I said, when your internet is down your phone is also down. 

 

I remember when the UK establishment “proudly” said years ago they were going to change us all over to digital, well here we are people, you know who to thank.  Mark my words, these providers are killing their own business by forcing people to go digital because, it may now or soon be cheaper to go 100% mobile.   

Moderator's note:
Duplicate post removed. Please note that double posting causes confusion and is against Forum rules

 

jab1
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Re: Phasing out home phones

@Wewilldoyou Your post is a long one, but I will concentrate on my experience of switching (with Zen) from FTTC and phone to FTTC (and recently Full Fibre).

When they (Zen), advised that they were moving me to SoGEA, I asked if I could continue using my Gigaset430  phone - base and one 'slave', and the answer was 'yes' - just plug the base station into the router via the supplied adapter and it will continue as normal, which it did. Did you have the base station plugged into the master socket, or is/was it on an extension?

As I don't use my 'landline' phone for outgoing calls - haven't done for four or five years - all I can say cost-wise is that the Zen phone package at £6.00 pcm is good value should you need it (1,000 included 'free' minutes).

Reception-wise, I have no issues, and the line is much clearer - I still have a couple of people who call on that phone, and they are usually lengthy sessions, not had any issues with call quality or drop-outs.

As an aside, and regarding emergency/panic alarms, queries regarding their compatibility should be directed to whoever supplied/fitted them.

John
MisterW
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Re: Phasing out home phones

@Wewilldoyou 

We had one phone in the sitting room at our desk (our “office”) and one in the bedroom, on the same line.  Neither of these phones work anymore because, we have to now plug the phone into the back of the router, which is at the front door and not ideal.

There is a solution to that if you are brave & technically competent , have a read of this https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_How_to:_Voice_reinjection

I see the sales pitch by most providers is that the digital line will be cheaper and clearer, that is not our experience.  We find it more expensive and not as clear.

VOIP (from a dedicated voip supplier) can be much cheaper, but the 'packaged' digital voice offers are often similarly priced to a landline. For instance my voip supplier charges 0.6p/min for calls to landlines (with no call setup charges ). As to call quality, I've used voip, both in the office and at home for around 5 yrs and (providing you have a reasonably stable broadband connection) the call quality is as good as, if not better than, the PSTN.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.