Choosing the correct router for our needs

[iniltous]

The ‘whirl of the dial’ , presumably this means it’s a rotary dial phone ( producing loop disconnect pulses that represent the digit dialled, as was the norm in the 1970’s and earlier) then this  phone  won’t work on Digital Voice for outgoing calls , as ‘Digital Voice’ telephony which is what BT supply its new residential customers with , doesn’t work with loop disconnect signalling ,  only DTMF (touch tone signalling) …it probably can be made to work on incoming calls , you may even get it to ‘ring’ but you won’t be able to make calls from it .

[Anonymous]

@BevisBeauvais 

I don't believe it's possible to order a new residential service without Digital Voice. So you would need to either deploy voice re-injection or try the DVA from the start.

The issue with old phones ringing is that neither the SH2 nor the Digital Voice Adapters provide a ring wire for old phones. Some have rectified this by adding an old style DSL Microfilter, which should provide the ring wire. But this is an imprecise solution & not guaranteed to work. It's a suck it & see option.

There are firms that will convert rotary dial phones to DTMF, but you would need to ascertain from them the compatibility with DV.

A Business service would seem wholly inappropriate for your stated needs, unless you perhaps need the improved response times to faults if working from home.

[licquorice]

You will need to use an ADSL filter to generate the bell wire 

If you want to retain your rotary dial, you will need to buy a loop/disconnect to DTMF converter as well.

Typing as @Anonymous posted

[BevisBeauvais]

Could you explain the difference between what you have called a conventional VOIP used by a business service and a presumably less conventional VOIP used by a residential service.

Does an ATA carry out a similar function for a business service as an ADSL does for a residential one? 

[BevisBeauvais]

Business Services have said they could take over my current number whereas Residential Services say they may be able to take over my number but that they cannot give a guarantee. Why might that be? 

[licquorice]

BT residential Digital Voice is totally proprietary system which can only be used in conjunction with a BT Smart Hub2. The hub presents both an ATA in the form if the green socket at the rear of the hub and a standard DECT signal.

If you wish, you can forgo BT's system and use a third party VoIP provider with an ATA that utilises an Ethernet port on the hub.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

[BevisBeauvais]

It appears to be looking as if I probably can eventually get exactly what I want as long as I don't expect it all to be engineered by Openreach or provided by BT for the same cost as a more standard package. So could I put the question another way, bearing in mind I'm ultimately aiming for a landline with a broadband connection that I can run from an ethernet with multiple extension sockets and using corded phones including fully functioning old series 300 models with dials at:

Assuming I can get later an outside firm to come in and take care of all the non-standard features, is there anything about the installation I must stipulate to BT and Openreach so as not to close off the possibility of the outside firm completing the system to my specifications. In other words, is there anything I must not have done by Openreach?

I ask because one of the Openreach engineers aborted the installation because he said we would have lost the dialling tone. Meanwhile, the outside firm that fitted our CCTV to our satisfaction have simply said they need a phoneline with broadband connection and would prefer the master socket to come in where they have made a hole for the CCTV wiring. 

[licquorice]

It is not entirely clear whether you are aiming for a business service or residential service 

Neither is it clear whether you are moving to FTTP or remaining with DSL.

You cannot 'stipulate' anything to Openreach.

If you take a residential service with BT you will have the choice of using their DV service or a third party VoIP service. Either option will give you dial tone and broadband.

[BevisBeauvais]

FTTP isn't presently available to our locality with BT although a rival firm has run fibre optic to the pole at the top of our drive. 

BT are holding my business package open but giving me the chance to opt instead for residential and are due to ring tomorrow. All things considered, from what I am hearing on this forum residential looks like the better option. The sticking point is whether or not I can retain my current number - Business says yes, Residential says maybe.

It seems I have a choice between DV or third party VOIP and shall have to try and choose based on what you have all told me so far, which is a lot of information to  condense.

[Crimliar]

Just one heads up for a part of the problem, it is possible to get DTMF dialers that you just hold up to the mouthpiece.  Even these though are getting rarer, and as a result more expensive!