Landline Termination

[#1]

@bmc Thanks for the pointers to Zen and A&A.

I am aware of both and whilst the costs may be more, I favour an ISP that can provide reliability and good customer service.

Email is not an issue as I have my own domain which I arranged following the loss of my PN email when they deleted my account. Long story which exists in another thread on the forum.

Thank you, Brian.

[#2]

@bazzer 

Couple of things.

If you use house extensions for the phone they don't work with VOIP without some extra work  - disconnect the extension wiring from the Master Socket and install a new extension beside it. For FTTP you simply disconnect the incoming (redundant) copper wire from the Master Socket.

Apart from a phone port the Zen router has a built in DECT Base Station.

Brian

[#3]

Yes the Zen Fritzbox router has an inbuilt DECT base station but you do not have to set that up unless you want to. Otherwise simply plug your existing DECT base station into the Fon port and all the DECT phones will work as before,

[#4]

@bmc @jgb Thanks for the info.

I started think about how I am going to retain the BT Call Guardian phones I currently have as I like the ability to call screen unknown callers and permit the genuine ones to come through.

I currently have 3 of these phones.

If (when) I move to FTTP I believe I can use my existing router which is an ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 AX6600. This is a mesh system and I have two of these.

Assuming this is correct, can I use the phones I currently have with this router (@jgb you mention plugging an existing DECT base station into the Zen router, but can I do the same with my ASUS router?).

The other issue is that my router is not in the same room as the base station, so presumably that means running a cable from an upstairs room to downstairs which is not very convenient. 

As far as routers are concerned, is the ASUS a better more secure device than the Fritzbox that's been mentioned?

[#5]

@bazzer 

Re whether thew Zen router will work with the Call Guardian base station plugged into the Fon socket - I have no knowledge of that router and cannot give a definitive answer but I would think it would as you are effectively only plugging in a phone with the base station doing the lifting regarding communication with the other phones.

Re the location of the router and base station - is it not possible to relocate the base station near to the router and move another phone to "cover" where the base station is now?

[#6]

Hi @jgb 

Yes, I could swap the base station location, but it's just a matter of convenience as the base station contains the answer machine.

However, I believe the other phones can access the answer phone messages, so I will need to look into that.

Alternatively, I assume the VoIP provider would have built-in answer phone services, but do they have call guardian? I need to explore that.

Thanks.

[#7]

@bmc can I just follow up on what you mean by "If you use house extensions for the phone they don't work with VOIP without some extra work  - disconnect the extension wiring from the Master Socket and install a new extension beside it."

I'm trying to visualise (at 200 miles) how my mother's corded extension phone is set up (I did it decades ago). What did you mean by installing a new extension beside the master socket, please? Mum will remain on FTTC (SoGEA) and digital voice after the move from analogue.

[#8]

@Yorkie6 

"If you use house extensions for the phone they don't work with VOIP without some extra work 

This is referring to what is called 'voice reinjection' , where the voip connection from the router is fed back into any existing extension wiring. Its quite straightforward where the broadband connectin is FTTP but where it is SoGEA it is more complicated since the VDSL broadband signal is still present at the master socket.

Theres a description of what is required here https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_How_to:_Voice_reinjection

[#9]

@Yorkie6 

The link provided by @MisterW is more complicated than I remember.

My way is shown to a certain extent in the following YouTube video. Three things to note - they use a BT router as an example whereas some people might need an ATA. It speaks of the Bell wire - no longer needed I believe. Finally they use a junction box - I believe a phone socket is just as effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id_KGXMcJHk

With Full Fibre it's easy - once FF is up and running you either ask the engineer on the day to disconnect the incoming copper cable from the Master Socket or you wait and do it yourself (taking care to tape up the ends).

With SOGEA the problem is the incoming copper cable is still in use so you need to isloate the house extension cables. Once done you need to create a hole to reach the wires beside the MS and then install a phone extension socket. If you want a phone at the router and other's elsewhere then you'll need a short double extension lead.

Brian

[#10]

@Yorkie6 

Basically, you need to remove the extension wires from the master socket & connect them to your own, new box fitted next to the master socket. Then plug a lead from the phone socket on the back of the router to the new box. There are a couple of YouTube videos showing different methods. The gist of it, is that the green phone socket on the back of the router is now the equivalent of the old master socket.

bmc has already linked to one of the videos. Here's another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En3vYui5bjM

If you don't fancy touching the wiring, EE & BT supply wifi digital home phone adapters which only work with their own hubs (don't know if other ISP's supply something similar for their own hubs). Here's a video showing how the adapters work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2n1yJyXMak

[#11]

@bmc 

The link provided by @MisterW is more complicated than I remember.

That's because my link covers both the FTTP and SoGEA situation and isolates the extension wiring (and phone socket) at the faceplate. 

[#12]

@RadioFox 

The video you linked to is exactly what I was talking about other than the extension cable is visible. I assumed it is hidden in the wall so you "need" to find it.

Brian

[#13]

Many thanks everyone. Will have a rummage when i next visit my mum later in the summer.