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Merge two phone lines into one

FIXED
DJ1UK
Grafter
Posts: 76
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Merge two phone lines into one

Hi,

 

 

I would appreciate everyone's advise on the easiest way to complete the following and if anyone has had experience of a similar situation.

 

I have two phone lines in the house; Landline A and Landline B

Landline A is a BT line rental and used for calls only, no broadband. We want to keep Landline A's number. Master socket is downstairs.

Landline B is a PlustNet line rental and Fibre broadband, rarely used for calls. Master socket is upstairs next to the router.

We want to cease one of the lines, so we only pay for one line rental for calls and broadband.  

We want to keep Landline As number.  Note the broadband router should stay upstairs near Landline B.

 

I expect my options are;

(Option 1)

  • Cease Line A with BT, stop paying BT line rental.
  • Transfer the phone number to Line B.  
  • Continue to pay PlusNet for Broadband and line rental on Line B.  
  • The handset at Landline A can become a wireless handset from the master at Line B, so the socket at Line A is then no longer in use.  

Is there a danger of losing the phone number, when moving from A to B ?

It it possible to move plusnet broadband from one number to another in the same house?

 

(Option 2)

  • Transfer plusnet line rental and broadband from Line B to Line A (or sign up as new customer and cancel old account).
  • Cease Line B.
  • Ask local engineer to create an extension from Line A to Line B (possibly using existing wiring?) and locate the broadband router upstairs near Line B

 

Are there any other options?  Whats the easiest / cheapest way to achieve this with the least amount of disruption and minimized risk of losing the phone number we want to keep ?

 

Answers on a postcard Smiley

 

Thanks, DJ

4 REPLIES 4
wisty
Pro
Posts: 591
Thanks: 112
Fixes: 8
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Merge two phone lines into one

How do the two lines come into the house - on separate drop wires, or using separate pairs on a single drop wire?

If it's the latter, then there must be a box at the point of entry where the two lines split. If this is the situation,  (assuming keeping Number A is the most important issue) I would go for option 2, and once the changeover of the broadband happens, simply swap the incoming pairs over at the point of entry and use a wireless handset downstairs.

In fact you probably have (at least) two pairs in each of the cables from the point of entry to the master socket. You or your local expert could wire a second pair in the cable from the point of entry to the router master as a filtered extension from the router master socket, then at the point of entry disconnect the incoming pair you no longer use and connect the (return)  second pair from the router cable across to the cable to the downstairs master - that way it would be an extension with no additional wiring needing to be run.

If they are separate drop wires - then you will need to do it your way - I would still go for option 2 as it minimises the chance of number loss.

However financially option 2 may be seen by Openreach as a broadband cease - making you liable for the chargeSad, but you would be able to grab all the new customer discounts on your new line Smiley

The third option would be to transfer number A to a VOIP provider and use Number B or VOIP for outgoing calls and VOIP for inbound calls to number A

 

 

 

 

HarryB
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 5,199
Thanks: 1,466
Fixes: 256
Registered: ‎25-03-2015

Re: Merge two phone lines into one

Fix

@DJ1UK wrote:

(Option 1)

  • Cease Line A with BT, stop paying BT line rental.
  • Transfer the phone number to Line B.  
  • Continue to pay PlusNet for Broadband and line rental on Line B.  
  • The handset at Landline A can become a wireless handset from the master at Line B, so the socket at Line A is then no longer in use.  

Is there a danger of losing the phone number, when moving from A to B ?

It it possible to move plusnet broadband from one number to another in the same house?


On this option, the danger of losing the phone number would occur when BT stop providing the number, but before we're able to take the number over as a renumber. The renumber would also come at a cost of roughly £36/£37

 


@DJ1UK wrote:

It it possible to move plusnet broadband from one number to another in the same house?

Yes. This would be essentially be treated as a housemove.

We could place an order to transfer the BT line to us, retaining the telephone number, and then provide broadband on it.

Following this, we'd cease the old line we were providing.


@DJ1UK wrote:

(Option 2)

  • Transfer plusnet line rental and broadband from Line B to Line A (or sign up as new customer and cancel old account).
  • Cease Line B.
  • Ask local engineer to create an extension from Line A to Line B (possibly using existing wiring?) and locate the broadband router upstairs near Line B

Are there any other options?  Whats the easiest / cheapest way to achieve this with the least amount of disruption and minimized risk of losing the phone number we want to keep ?

This would be more or less along the process mentioned above.

If you were to go the new customer route as opposed to the housemove route, you could become liable for the cessation charge for ceasing the line and also early termination fees if your current plusnet line is still within the minimum term of a contract (Unless you signed up a second account as a new one and kept the current one there to the end of the contract, but the cease fee would still be applicable when ceasing the service)

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Harry Beesley
 Plusnet
DJ1UK
Grafter
Posts: 76
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Merge two phone lines into one

Thanks both for the information, really helpful.

DJ1UK
Grafter
Posts: 76
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Merge two phone lines into one

Its " or using separate pairs on a single drop wire".. I've got a local ex BT engineer coming soon to advise the possibilities then I'll look to move broadband over.

 

Thanks.