Alternatives to BT Digital Voice retaining original telephone number?

[licquorice]

We know what VoIP and DV are, but it doesn't help with @GlynH  query about retaining number.

[Devon_Dave]

@DaveJWalker

Sorry, you have lost me as well. 

[DaveJWalker]

oh i am wasting my time replying to this topic if people don't get it one last one VoIP and DV are the same thing it can be providered by internet it can be programed to your internet connection some programs around the internet can get some phone numbers it maybe cost 2 times more then the bt or other providers atm via there routers but you can get VoIP program on a pc but you have to get conveters and leave your pc on 24/7 simple way to by pass all the hard work disable wifi on bt hub 2 and use the ports on the back incl the phone port you can put your own wifi router that way you have to look around the internet about transfering numbers to them but you have to find one support phone numbers but you need that number on DV to transfer the number easyer if its a Phone line you can't do it and it will be lost number if he canceled to transfer from copper to DV it is a line thats HD calling and not extra cost to you from a provider has a bult in port in there routers thats made for that provider soon or later every provider will put a port on back of there routers it can be one that phone line has atm or RJ11 ports i don't know if later on openreach maybe put them on there modems for people in longer run to use there own routers but atm its not aviable to do this but they always changing that modem sets ups becuse you can get 2nd lines to one modems for 2 internet connections maybe we will see a phone port on the modems from them in later dates when copper lines will not be installed or used again or find a router that has the ports on the router but i don't know how to program them if you find one for your needs but its about 90% of the router makers don't have them the ports with bt or virgin media asked for them they pay the makers to install them to make it easy for people and don't need a pc program for it

[Devon_Dave]

@DaveJWalker  yep you are right, you are wasting your time explaining it.

We all know here what DV is. It's just that your explanation of it makes so difficult reading. 

[SRB]

Hi Glyn, you can use any provider for your VOIP service and you can request a number port - it actually appears to be easier to take a number away from BT and keep it with another provider, than it is to try and keep it with BT DV. (That was my own experience anyway!) Any VOIP service provider will tell you how to go about porting your number, it costs about £15, BUT make sure you set the wheels in motion before your line is stopped. You need to provide proof of ownership of the number, last bill, your address and the date your service is ceasing. Unlike a mobile port it can take some time to go through though, so you may have a "cross over number". You can buy a "VoIP box" which you can plug a phone into or plug into your existing wiring. Most will support more than one line and depending on what you want, some can be configured to ring on various options, say one number rings the phone plugged in, another rings a dect handset or different numbers to different handsets. Any good provider will assist you in your choice of equipment. You could of course just have one VOIP phone with various options on it.  You don't need to use the BT hub as your main router, (I use an old Hub 5 into my own home network) but they do, and I can see why, like you to use one of their own as it makes troubleshooting easier for them, with access to remote logging etc. Hope that helps.

[stevebrass]

You could use your Draytek router connected to the BT Hub. This might cause double natting issues. 

[GlynH]

Thanks for taking the time to reply guys...I understand most of them! 🤣

Crazy that I need to safeguard my original 50+ year old telephone number as there seems to be a high probability I could lose it in the changeover or at sometime in the future if I move away from DV.

I've already lost two of my numbers over the years thanks to the dinosaur that is BT and I am extremely nervous about the changeover to DV which is ironic as I have been so looking forward to FTTP for such a long time now.

I remember playing around with channel-bonding ISDN back with the US Robotics I-Modem back in the day in my need-for-speed! 😁

My Smart Hub 2 arrived last week and I still have until Thursday 1st March before installation takes place but it looks like I need to get my ducks in a row before then so there may be more posts from me soliciting opinions, ideas and advice from the experts in here as trying to obtain information direct from BT in any other way, shape or form seems to be impossible and when I do get information (such as static IP address) it is not to be relied upon.

And here was me thinking I had done all the hard work what with providing an easy way into the house, leaving a set of rods exiting the roofline allowing fibre to be easily pulled into the loft, another drawtape from the loft into the office, removing my old PABX, cordless & conference phone boxes, unused BT termination points etc. from over the years and clearing access/removing desk panels to where I want the termination point to be located!

Thanks & kind regards,

-=Glyn=-

[Keith_Beddoe]

when I do get information (such as static IP address) it is not to be relied upon.

@GlynH BT Retail do not provide static IP addresses, only BT Business customers get those.

[Devon_Dave]

You could port your phone number over to a VOIP provider, plenty out there on a payg basis. 

[GlynH]

Hi Keith,

Yeah I realise that thanks. I must admit I was excited when Residential Sales initially told me (half-a-dozen times on the phone when I queried it that I could and he himself has one) but I suspected it probably wasn't the case as you guys here have pointed out.

So I decided to check out the Business Full Fibre website only to be told that it was not available to my address and that 76MB Superfast was the fastest I could get. Obviously not the case so I rang but was told the same so I pursued this further up the chain.

The first excuse was that it is simply not available. This is obviously not the case as I already have an order in for FTTP which should have been installed on 15th, was put back to today but is now due 1st March.

The second reason was maybe the fibre lines are over subscribed. This again is not the case as I am always first to sign up for new technology, the 8-port CBT on the pole directly outside my house has all ports free - in fact no-one in my street or surrounding streets has a fibre connection yet and I am guessing most of them are not even aware it is here or are not interested!

So I was transferred to another department and finally I was told it is now magically available so I went through the order procedure including assurances about the static IP address. Looking good so far so I agreed the price and was all set to pull the trigger until I asked about my telephone number of 50+ years and incredulously I was told it could not be ported over from BT Residential to BT Business!

Is this really the case? 

Whichever way I turn with BT it seems I am thwarted one way or another.

I used to have 3 lines with BT, one was disconnected despite my paying the outstanding amount 3 days before the deadline given, another I moved away because I needed a static IP address and thought it would be handy as a failover not realising PlusNet use the OpenReach backbone so if I lost one provider I lost them both and now it seems I have to choose between static IP address or telephone number. I can't have both.

First world problem I know but why are things so difficult?

I would happily move away from BT if there might be a way to obtain a static IP address and retain my existing telephone number or do I have to sacrifice one to get the other now that we're in 2022? 🙄

-=Glyn=-