Renewing contract and maybe moving home phone to fibre...

[#1]

Just a quick update. 

Spoke to Plusnet yesterday and Open Reach will be here next Monday to install FTTP Full Fibre 145, I've been on FTTC for a couple of years.  Plusnet records show I have a Hub 2 router so I was told I won't need a new one.

A very helpful lady at A&A said to call back once the install is complete and she will port my number.  Apparently that should take 4 – 5 days.  I will also get an ATA box from them.

I’ll post when it’s all up and running but it all looks promising. 

Thanks to everyone on here for their help.

[#2]

@PNnewbie 

I believe you can set your A&A up in advance (a few quid for a dummy number). This lets you check you phone works and get the billing with A&A sorted out.

Then when FF is installed you phone, get the number ported and cancel the dummy number.

Remember to use your mobile for calls whenever possible to use any "package" you have with your mobile provider.

Brian

[#3]

bmc

A&A said that porting my number would take 4 to 5 days so probably not worth me doing anything else in the meantime but thanks for the suggestion.  I’ll plug everything in – cordless phone into the ATA and ATA to Hub Two and it will hopefully be OK - I'm sure it will - everyone on here assures me it will!!! 

I have a pay as you go mobile with Vodaphone so sadly no ‘package’ of free or cheap calls.  Maybe when all this is over I may search around for a different mobile deal.

Thanks again.

[#4]

Just had the OpenReach Engineer here this morning connecting me to FTTP.  When he’d finished he checked the speeds on his mobile which he showed me and said that it seemed ok.

I have two desktop Dell PCs in the back room each connected via ethernet cable to a D-Link switch, this in turn is connected to my Hub Two router again obviously via ethernet cable.  My speeds have been ~68 Mbps down and ~15Mbps up for a couple of years (on FTTC).  I also have a Dell 7490 laptop in the front room and it’s also given me virtually identical speeds to the desktops, via it's WiFi.

After going onto FTTP both PCs still show similar speeds - but ~94 Mbps down and ~22 Mbps up.  I’m on Plusnet’s Full Fibre 145 so this is way down on what I was expecting…  When I queried this with the OpenReach Engineer he said it might take a few days to settle down.

Now here is where it gets interesting – I did a speed check with my Dell 7490 laptop and it shows ~149 Mbps down and ~29 Mbps up – the sort of speeds I was expecting.

Couple of things I’ve tried:-

The Hub 2 router has 3 internet ports on the rear, well 4 really but one is marked WAN and has a lead going to the small box the Engineer fitted.  I’ve tried all three ports and get the same results.

I’ve also tried turning the router on and off – nothing changes.

I was hoping this move to FTTP would have been straight forward then I could have phoned A&A to port my landline number, as it is – slight hiccup!

Does it look like a Hub Two problem?

[#5]

I have two desktop Dell PCs in the back room each connected via ethernet cable to a D-Link switch, this in turn is connected to my Hub Two router again obviously via ethernet cable.

After going onto FTTP both PCs still show similar speeds - but ~94 Mbps down and ~22 Mbps up. 

@PNnewbie check that

1) your PCs have gigabit ports

2) your switch has gigabit ports

3) all your cables have all 8 cores

[#6]

@PNnewbie 

Good to hear the FTTP install went smoothly.

Given the Dell is is showing expected speeds everything appears to be in order from that end.

The problem with the PC's in the back room will be related to a connection issue between the Hub2 and the PC's themselves  - have no experience so can't offer advice.

With FTTP up and running you should port your number asap.

Brian

PS I suspect @MisterW  types faster than me as a notification just popped up

[#7]

MisterW – thanks for your advice re the gigabit ports and cables.

I’ve removed the ethernet lead between the Hub Two and the D-Link switch and plugged one of the desktop PCs directly into the Hub Two, so by-passing the switch – and I’m getting the speeds I expected.  It would appear the switch is the problem, it is as old as the hills and ‘followed me home’ when I retired many moons ago – perhaps I should have left it where it was!  

Scavenging in the cupboard I found a no-name WiFi dongle thingy and that allows my second desktop to connect directly to the Hub Two - at surprisingly good speeds so looks as if my speed problems are over!

Bmc – thanks also for your input.  Yes, the FTTP install went very smoothly, probably took a couple of hours. Fibre from the pole to the back of the house and the grey ‘customer access’ box suitably hidden.  The Engineer was an hour and a half early but said he’d come back if I preferred but I obviously said no go ahead.  I suspect he might have been home early this evening! 

I’ll phone A & A tomorrow and get the ball rolling with the porting and getting an ATA box ordered.

Thanks again for the help.

[#8]

@PNnewbie if you need a cheap and cheerful gigabit switch https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-LS1005G-Wallmount-Ethernet-Splitter/dp/B07VWB347G

[#9]

@PNnewbie 

A decent gigabit switch is what you need, personally I might buy Netgear but TP Link are often quite decent and good value.

 I can't quite explain the 22Mb/s up (although for me the Plusnet 145Mb/s product tests at 28.7Mb/s up and 150Mb/s down).

The 94Mb/s down sounds very much like a 100Mb/s switch (not gigabit).

[#10]

@PNnewbie 

In your post #19 about speeds from the PC you said you were getting about 94 down from the PC's in the back room. This would be consistent with either the swiitch or the connection cables only being rated at 100/10 rather than 1000/100. Cat 5 cables are in the former camp while Cat 5e are in the latter.

Brian

[#11]

Just dug the D-Link ethernet switch out from under the bench, it’s a model DES-1005D, marked 10/100 Fast Ethernet so that must have been the problem as a number of you suggested,   For the time being I’ll leave one of the desktops plumbed straight into the router where it works fine and replace the switch and check some of my cables at the same time.

Thanks again for all your help

[#12]

If it was me, I would grab the switch that @MisterW highlighted, under a £10 atm.

[#13]

@MisterW - thanks for the advice on the switch.  I purchased one and my speeds are now more like what they should be.  I've ordered a couple of ethernet cables as well, the ones I'm using have been part of the system for a long time and are due to be changed...  

Porting my number from Plusnet to A&A took ~7 days.  They kept me informed of everything that was happening - loads of emails!  I ordered an ATA box from A&A and I'm glad that I did although there were some much cheaper on Ebay...  There's some setting up to do and as they knew the box would be used on their system they had already partly configured it.  Most of the settings in the config (of which there are pages and pages!) can remain as they are but I managed to miss one (registering my phone) and had to email A&A for some help.  Toby called me back on my mobile and had the system running in minutes. 

Everything is just hooked up temporarily for now but when I get the replacement cables I'll tidy things up.  In the meantime it all looks good - the move from FTTC to FTTP, setting up my cordless phones to VoIP via the ATA and the new switch - and kudos to A&A for their customer support - and of course to everyone on this forum!

I'll post again if I have any updates...

[#14]

This is to an old post and I know you're sorted now, but in case anyone else is following/wondering about the same things:

I’ll probably … look around for an Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA), they seem to cost ~£50, presumably they all do the same?

The only thing I have noticed as a difference is whether they're limited to one SIP or not; that (AIUI) is for when you use two or more VoIP contracts. Why might you do that? Well, you might find one company is cheaper for keeping your number, and another cheaper for calls. I suspect for most of us, one VoIP supplier will suffice (in fact for those who use their landline very little but their fobile a lot, it may not be needed at all; I use my landline a lot and only PAYG on mobile).

I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences with what varies between ATAs - reliability? Audio quality (I gather the common one - Grandview ???1 - you can choose from about 7 CoDecs)? Extra features?

There are two alternatives to an ATA:

1. a VoIP-compatible 'phone. This may be cheaper than an ATA (certainly second-hand), and give you extra features. (Most of which are available anyway with your old 'phone and an ATA, but might be easier - a button rather than having to dial a special code, say - on a VoIP 'phone.)

2. Software. This (free ones are available; most VoIP suppliers link to them) is obviously the cheapest alternative of all - you make and receive calls via your computer. Which is obviously less convenient. (It's not entirely free if your computer doesn't have a microphone - virtually all laptops do, most desktops don't though have a socket, so you have to buy a mike.)

…  If I understand correctly I should then be able to connect my cordless base via the ATA to a suitable LAN port on the new Plusnet router. (I think you said you had a router that didn't need to be replaced, but anyway:) Yes, that's it. You plug your existing 'phone - or phones, including a cordless base, as long as you can combine them all into one plug which you presumably have already at the master socket - into the ATA, and the ATA into one of the ethernet ports on the router.

Note: the ATA (or I'm pretty sure most VoIP 'phones) will require separate power. It should - certainly if new - come with a suitable power briquette, but you'll still need another socket to plug that into.

Reading various threads seems I’m not the only one who is confused – makes me feel a ‘little’ bit better!

Yes; IMO, the area is still pretty wild west - not so much that there are cowboys around (though I'm sure there are some), but it still is a lot more complicated than it needs to be (particularly with BT/PlusNet's decision that PlusNet aren't going to offer VoIP).

Probably a call to A&A in the morning, I wonder if they sell ATA boxes?

Most VoIP suppliers (including A&A as you've found) do; usually at a higher cost than you could get them elsewhere, though for the extra you should get at least part of its setup pre-done to suit that particular VoIP supplier.

[#15]

Audio quality (I gather the common one - Grandview ???1 - you can choose from about 7 CoDecs)?

Its Grandstream and although it might have 7 codecs available, whether they can be used will depend on the voip supplier.

When making or accepting a call the voip device will negotiate the best available codec with the voip server. Whilst there are HD codecs such as G.722 available, many(most?) voip suppliers don't support them yet. The standard one used is G.711 and A & A for instance only support that. Other suppliers may support lower bandwidth ones such as G.729 which may be useful on legacy ADSL connections.

https://getvoip.com/blog/voip-codecs/