BT FTTP + VOIP+ Digital Voice - best option?

[spile]

I have BT FTTP (Smarthub 2) and a copper landline that is being moved to Digital Voice.
I also have a VOIP line that I pay Voipfone £2 a month for. I use a Gigaset N300 to connect the VOIP and landline.
The obvious way forward is to connect the N300 directly to the Digital Voice port of the Smarthub 2 when I am switched over - As it is a PSTN port, I assume this will work?

So effectively N300 connects to SMARTHUB2 via LAN (VOIPFONE line 2) and also PSTN/DIGITAL VOICE (BT provided line 2)

Are there alternative options that I should consider?
I presume that I am not going to save anything by moving the landline number to Voiphone as I would still have to pay line rental (residential) and outgoing call charges would be higher than BT?

 

[kommando828]

BT and Digital Voice can be an issue even when porting a BT copper number over to their own service.

BT Broadband VOIP Problem

Has anyone had a problem with their VOIP installation. We were part of a 71 household BT community fibre scheme completed in September 2020 and have an FTTP connection. Our VOIP service works fine when making calls but will only ring when receiving calls from digital devices. No calls are...

www.ispreview.co.uk

Keep your FTTP dealings with BT as data only and use a Voip provider for Voip seems to be the risk free option.

 

[spile]

BT and Digital Voice can be an issue even when porting a BT copper number over to their own service.

BT Broadband VOIP Problem

Has anyone had a problem with their VOIP installation. We were part of a 71 household BT community fibre scheme completed in September 2020 and have an FTTP connection. Our VOIP service works fine when making calls but will only ring when receiving calls from digital devices. No calls are...

www.ispreview.co.uk

Keep your FTTP dealings with BT as data only and use a Voip provider for Voip seems to be the risk free option.

Except that financially I will still be paying for the landline (line rental) so not benefit and I will incur higher call charges. Unless I have missed something?

 

[kommando828]

You dump the landline by porting the number to a VOIP provider not to Digital Voice, on porting the service ceases. You then use the FTTP router to handle the VOIP and only pay the VOIP provider for outgoing calls. I use Sipgate for voip and pay no rental, only pay for outgoing calls, the data side is handled by my Router which connects to 4G unlimited data.

 

[spile]

I am not certain I can downgrade the BT FTTP package so that you don’t pay line rental? The line is therefore bundled in I believe.

 

[Meatball]

If you have signed up to the FTTP package then BT are responsible for all number porting if they are the owner of the number range. Some have had issues previously but I think BT have resolved these issues and are now aware where it is still not technically possible.

Once on BT Digital Voice side then number porting to other providers in future is easy and you can do that at the next renewal. If don't want BT's Voice service + then why go for FTTP with BT?. BT does not appear to have different pricing whether you have it or not.

Whether BT Digital Voice or a 3rd party VoIP is best depends on you usage of them.

 

[spile]

I've come to the conclusion that there is no advantage in moving the Digital Voice number to my VOIP provider because
1) I still have to pay BT for my line rental and that number is included as part of the package at no additional cost
2) I would (of course) incur a monthly charge to my VOIP provider for the second number as well as paying additional charges for my outgoing calls. Call charges from my VOIP provider are much higher than those from BT (I pay £5.22pm for 500mins to UK landline or mobile)
3) I may be able to connect the Digital Voice port from the BT router to my Gigaset N300.

 

[Meatball]

In addition BT Consumer are currently offering either a free DECT handset or a DECT Digital Voice Adaptor (for a corded phone)

 

[spile]

“DECT Digital Voice Adaptor (for a corded phone)”
I am not sure if that is necessary or would work with the N300.

 

[Meatball]

Just gives you more location options

 

[spile]

Just gives you more location options

I can't work out how this device would interface with the N300 which (I believe) needs a physical connection to the PSTN line.

 

[Meatball]

The DECT Digital Voice Adaptor has only just been released so I haven't been able test it yet (on its way). The User Guide refers to a corded phone only but its my assumption it should emulate a PSTN line for the N300. While you still need to connect the N300 via Ethernet for VoIP to be certain I would plan on a direct connection to the Smart Hub (directly or via internal phone cabling) for the "landline".

I mentioned the Adaptor (and the BT handset) as it extends the BT DV to a location away from the Hub and negate the need of the N300 if you were only using a single Handset.

A possible issue I see is using two DECT systems in close proximity (Smart Hub 2 and N300) so I would recommend using one. You can't turn off the DECT on Smart Hub 2 so you may need to use the N300 away from the router location.

The BT Consumer system is really targeted at simple phone scenarios and encourage the buy-in to their DECT product line. BT Business provide multi line VoIP products.

 

[candlerb]

I am not certain I can downgrade the BT FTTP package so that you don’t pay line rental? The line is therefore bundled in I believe.

You can actually order BT FTTP without voice, but it costs the same as FTTP with voice.

This is because the vast majority of the "line rental" charge isn't for the voice service - it's the cost of maintaining the physical line to your house. The voice service itself costs only pennies to provide (and indeed makes them money every time you pick up the phone and pay inflated call charges)

So I'm afraid that taking a service without voice doesn't save you any money.

However, you can take a separate VOIP service with zero monthly rental (e.g. sipgate.co.uk) or only a pound or two per month (e.g. aa.net.uk). If you port your number over to these, then your voice service becomes independent of your broadband service: you can change broadband provider at will, or even move to a different country, and keep your landline number.

Note that porting your number over will cease both the landline and any broadband delivered over it, so you need to time it right.

 

[spile]

The DECT Digital Voice Adaptor has only just been released so I haven't been able test it yet (on its way). The User Guide refers to a corded phone only but its my assumption it should emulate a PSTN line for the N300. While you still need to connect the N300 via Ethernet for VoIP to be certain I would plan on a direct connection to the Smart Hub (directly or via internal phone cabling) for the "landline".

I mentioned the Adaptor (and the BT handset) as it extends the BT DV to a location away from the Hub and negate the need of the N300 if you were only using a single Handset.

A possible issue I see is using two DECT systems in close proximity (Smart Hub 2 and N300) so I would recommend using one. You can't turn off the DECT on Smart Hub 2 so you may need to use the N300 away from the router location.

The BT Consumer system is really targeted at simple phone scenarios and encourage the buy-in to their DECT product line. BT Business provide multi line VoIP products.

The adapter will not do anything in my case then and actually could introduce an additional issue so direct wiring of N300 to the SH2 assuming it works is the best option for me.

 

[spile]

You can actually order BT FTTP without voice, but it costs the same as FTTP with voice.

This is because the vast majority of the "line rental" charge isn't for the voice service - it's the cost of maintaining the physical line to your house. The voice service itself costs only pennies to provide (and indeed makes them money every time you pick up the phone and pay inflated call charges)

So I'm afraid that taking a service without voice doesn't save you any money.

However, you can take a separate VOIP service with zero monthly rental (e.g. sipgate.co.uk) or only a pound or two per month (e.g. aa.net.uk). If you port your number over to these, then your voice service becomes independent of your broadband service: you can change broadband provider at will, or even move to a different country, and keep your landline number.

Note that porting your number over will cease both the landline and any broadband delivered over it, so you need to time it right.

I already have a voip service for a second line and that is what the N300 provides. Financially it is not worth moving the first line from BT to my voip provider due to much higher call charges compared with BT. That is is why I plan to utilise DV for the first line via the N300 as well as the voip service from my voip provider for the second line.

 

[spile]

I am pleased to report that the N300 can be connected to the pstn port on the SH2 and it functions as expected...

Digital Voice presented as fixed line on the Gigaset handset

VOIP lines presented on the Gigaset handset as expected

Even a BT digital phone works without conflict albeit and as expected for the BT Digital Voice line only.