Questions about eventually upgrading to FTTP and porting phone number to VOIP

[#1]

Thank you @brueton This has helped me to decide. I will get the HT801 and give it a whirl with A&A.

[#2]

That is what I did, I have since moved a 92 year old lady's service from BT with digital voice to Plusnet with an HT801 using A&A.
I kept detailed notes of the setup for the HT801, the A&A help pages were very useful.

[#3]

@brueton 

I have today ordered the HT802v2 from https://www.netxl.com/voip-phone-adapters/grandstream-ht802-v2-voip-analogue-adapter and ordered a number from A&A. I was going to temporarily set up the SIP account on my Gigaset N300A IP but I haven't yet done so as there's a lot to take in with regard the A&A control pages. 

[#4]

I have recently purchased a VOIP number from A&A and have set it up using a Grandstream HT802v2. It's worth mentioning that the user interface on the HT802v2 is quite different to what I see on the internet so I hope I have set it up correctly. I am using Plusnet as my broadband provider with a Hub Two router and my landline phones are Panasonic KX-TGJ323 triple set. I have made no special settings in my router and can confirm that SIP ALG is disabled.

The phone calls seem to be working so far during testing. However, I am running into one or two issues and I wonder if anyone with a similar setup might be able to guide me or advise me whether it is expected behaviour.

1. When the phone rings, I notice a few clicking noises as it rings. It stops when I pick up. I plugged in an old corded phone (BT Decor 310) and there are no clicking noises. I tried another set of Panasonic phones and the clicking noise is there so it seems to be related to the phones. Does anyone know if this is normal or whether there is something in the phones' setup that I could alter?
2. The other issue is, after a call, whether outgoing or incoming, when the other end hangs up I get continuous beeps like an engaged tone until I disconnect the phone at my end. Is this meant to happen? Somewhat more annoying is that when I use the phone's inbuilt answerphone I get the same beeps after the message. When listening live, there are 11 beeps and when I play the message back there are 4 beeps on the answerphone. On the PSTN line the answerphone cuts out as soon as the caller hangs up. I don't like the A&A Voicemail as it is very quiet to play back and includes the outgoing message each time. Is there a setting that I might have missed to avoid this after the phone call ends?

I have set up the ring tones for UK. There is no setting called 'Tone Prompt' but there is one called 'Wait For Dial' so I have put the code into that. I can post screenshots of the interface if required.

[#5]

@Annie 

as regards 2. , check that 'Loop current disconnect' is set to Yes. Not sure where the setting is on the HT802 as I don't have one.

[#6]

Thank you @MisterW 

There was also an option called 'Play busy/reorder tone before Loop Current Disconnect' which I have also ticked. It seems to have solved the answerphone issue and now disconnects almost immediately so I'm grateful for your help.

Is it expected behavious that if I answer the call and after the other person hangs up that I get silence? On the PSTN line I think I get a long constant signal. It is probably not too important but it's reassuring to hear it to know that I haven't forgotten to disconnect my end.

[#7]

I think you can extend the Loop disconnect timeout, so together with the 'Play busy/reorder tone before Loop Current Disconnect' setting you can get the busy tone for a little while before the disconnect.

[#8]

@MisterW Changing the Loop Current Disconnect Duration to 10000 (the maximum allowed) didn't make any difference. I also tried it with Play busy/reorder tone before Loop Current Disconnect unticked but it's just the same so it looks like I will have to accept the silence at the end of the call and make sure to disconnect the phone at my end too.

Regarding the clicking noise on the line when the phone rings, I plugged it back into the PSTN socket and disconnected the VOIP and I realise that the sound is on there too. I do not recall noticing it before though so it's a bit strange. At least this eliminates the new setup as being the issue.

Thank you for all the help.

[#9]

Thank you very much for posting the settings from your HT802 - it should prove most helpfull!

I am having similar thoughts about converting to FTTP and VOIP.  It occured to me to wonder what would happen if you obtain a generic number from A&A, and then divert all calls on your own (Plusnet) number to this new number.  When the service is switched to FTTP, do the calls on your old number continue to be diverted to the new number until the 30 day suspension period to recover it expires?  Or (I suspect,more probably), does the diversion end as soon as your own number is disconnected?  It would certianly make things easier if the first option was true!

On a slightly different point, my BT master socket is right next to my router, and most of the existing phones are plugged into extension sockets elswhere.  If the old incoming copper line is disconnected at the master socket, can you simlply plug in an ordinary cable from a telephone (with the RJ11 plug that used to fit into the telephone) between the HT802 and the old master socket to connect up all the existing extension wiring, or is it more complcated?  If it's that easy, I will buy an HT802, otherwise I will buy a Yealink W73P / Gigaset N300 and add my BT DECT handsets to it.

[#10]

@davec13 

When the service is switched to FTTP, do the calls on your old number continue to be diverted to the new number until the 30 day suspension period to recover it expires?  Or (I suspect,more probably), does the diversion end as soon as your own number is disconnected?  It would certianly make things easier if the first option was true!

Its the latter I'm afraid, service on the original number is ceased completely.

If the old incoming copper line is disconnected at the master socket, can you simlply plug in an ordinary cable from a telephone (with the RJ11 plug that used to fit into the telephone) between the HT802 and the old master socket to connect up all the existing extension wiring, or is it more complcated?

If the copper line is physically disconnected at the master socket then yes, its simply connect an RJ11 to BT plug.

If not completely disconnected then this https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_How_to:_Voice_reinjection is worth reading

[#11]

I can't say I am surprised that the call diversion option would not work - if it was that simple I am sure someone else would have thought of it by now, but good to get confirmation!

Your reference to the voice re-injection article on the  A&A website was most interesting. I think, however, that I will probably use a DECT IP solution and purchase a Yealink W70B, probably from Voipfone or A&A as I can make sure this is working with an alternative phone number in advance of switching to FTTP. Hopefully, I can eventually get a couple of my "BT Premium Phone" (!!) handsets re-registered to work with the Yealink base station.

Thank you @MisterW for your most helpful response.

[#12]

Hopefully, I can eventually get a couple of my "BT Premium Phone" (!!) handsets re-registered to work with the Yealink base station.

I'm not sure  the Yealink unit is compatible with anything other than  it's own handsets.

[#13]

I would expect at a "pairing and calls" level that any DECT equipment would interoperate.

Any "more advanced" features are more specific.

At least that's what I found between Gigaset and Panasonic. 

[#14]

@markhawkin 

At least that's what I found between Gigaset and Panasonic. 

Yes, but the Gigaset N300 is 'GAP compatible'  and so will interoperate at the basic level with any GAP compatible handset.

AFAICS the Yealink isnt GAP compatible

[#15]

I've been quite pleased with the Gigaset products I have but there has been a change of ownership and I'm none to certain about their future.

Yealink seems to be the commonly available alternative. It's a bit of a shame if they have a lower level of interoperability.