My further ramblings about FTTP, landlines and perhaps moving to another ISP

[Simon]

Well, if that's the case, and IDNet will still provide the service, I think I'll keep my old landline until I can't. 

I'm assuming it can't be a case of leaving it too late and someone else gets your phone number?

[goldberg]

I've also been deliberating for a long while on whether to take the plunge and migrate to FTTP broadband and transfer the landline number that my family has had for 44 years over to VOIP.  About a year ago, still on IDNet FTTC, I bought some inexpensive second-hand Gigaset VOIP / DECT kit from eBay (a DECT basestation with several handsets) to experiment with setting this up on my router, using the Sipgate service.  It has been working fine for the whole year.  Sipgate supplied a free number to allow me to try out their service.

In light of BT's recent announcement of their schedule for digital migration, I've taken the plunge and ordered FTTP broadband and requested IDNet migrate my landline number to Centrex.  The FTTP installation was done quickly and was completely painless, and the Openreach engineer was more than happy to pull the fibre-optic cable through duct I had installed through my loft, and place the CSP (Customer Service Point), and ONT exactly where I wanted them near my router.
It's important to think about the route the fibre cable will take into your property, because unlike copper cable, fibre cable cannot be bent round tight corners, for example around architraves.

I'm now waiting for IDNet to complete the landline migration - the delay I'm experiencing is most likely from BT who host the Centrex service.  Meanwhile the copper cable from the pole across the street is still providing the PSTN landline service until the migration is complete.  The fibre cable is also strung from the same pole.  Just before the landline goes over to VOIP, IDNet will ship out a Yealink VOIP / DECT basestation with Yealink W73H handset, supplied as part of their Centrex service.

Interesting to read earlier in this thread about forum members' experience with e-mail.  The solution of running IMAP on portable devices, and periodically downloading e-mails to a POP3  desktop to manage the limited storage space provided by IDNet, is a method I've used for many years.  But there's one annoyance I've noticed with my Apple desktop - I can no longer 'Remove Attachments' to save storage space on the POP3 desktop.  It used to be possible, but appears to have been disabled a while ago.

[Simon]

I've also been deliberating for a long while on whether to take the plunge and migrate to FTTP broadband and transfer the landline number that my family has had for 44 years over to VOIP.  About a year ago, still on IDNet FTTC, I bought some inexpensive second-hand Gigaset VOIP / DECT kit from eBay (a DECT basestation with several handsets) to experiment with setting this up on my router, using the Sipgate service.  It has been working fine for the whole year.  Sipgate supplied a free number to allow me to try out their service.

Can I ask which Gigaset model you were using?  I have the C570H base unit and three satellite handsets, and I'm hoping these would work with Centrix.

[goldberg]

The Gigaset kit I'm using with Sipgate is the N300A IP basestation, and the C430HX handset.
However, IDNet have made it clear that they only support the Yealink W73H handset, with (I presume) the Yealink W70B basestation.  So although it looks unlikely I'll be able to use the Gigaset kit on IDNet's Centrex, I will give it a try when the landline is finally switched over to VOIP.

[nowster]

The Gigaset kit I'm using with Sipgate is the N300A IP basestation, and the C430HX handset.
However, IDNet have made it clear that they only support the Yealink W73H handset, with (I presume) the Yealink W70B basestation.  So although it looks unlikely I'll be able to use the Gigaset kit on IDNet's Centrex, I will give it a try when the landline is finally switched over to VOIP.

It'll be bog standard SIP. However, there may be an element of encryption that older equipment may not support.

When they're forced to lose their copper loop phone line, I'll probably port the number to A&A and have it talking to Asterisk on their router (a Raspberry Pi4), with an ATA for their existing phone kit.

[peasblossom]

The Gigaset kit I'm using with Sipgate is the N300A IP basestation, and the C430HX handset.
However, IDNet have made it clear that they only support the Yealink W73H handset, with (I presume) the Yealink W70B basestation.  So although it looks unlikely I'll be able to use the Gigaset kit on IDNet's Centrex, I will give it a try when the landline is finally switched over to VOIP.

Huh. That's the first I've heard and it seems odd. If you have an entirely compatible phone, why would you give it up? Why would you need to? (In the normal course of things that is.)