On 04/02/2023 21:53, John Rumm wrote:
> On 03/02/2023 19:45, Roger Mills wrote:
>
>> I've just received an email from Plusnet reminding me that all their
>> prices are going up on 1st April by over 14% (inflation plus 3.9%)
>>
>> This will bring the price of the Anytime package to over £10 per month
>> - and that's just for calls to landlines and doesn't include calls to
>> mobiles.
>>
>> In contrast, there are lots of SIM-only deals out there which provide
>> unlimited calls to landlines *and* mobiles, plus a wadge of data - all
>> for far less than £10.
>>
>> The obvious solution would therefore seem to be to ditch the Anytime
>> package and to use a mobile for all outgoing calls. Incoming calls are
>> ok, and we still get most of ours via the landline.
>>
>> The problem with that is that SWMBO hates using mobiles, and wants to
>> use a 'proper' phone. If I could find a way of using the *same*
>> handset for incoming landline calls and outgoing mobile calls, I just
>> might be able sell the idea to her.
>
> It might be an idea to find out what in particular she does not like
> about the mobile. The most objectionable thing I find is with the
> latency which tends to make conversation less "comfortable" since you
> get more inadvertent talking over each other forcing the human version
> of CSMA/CD to have to kick in!
>
>> Having done a bit of googling, I came across a Youtube video by
>> someone calling himself MrTelephone.co.uk in which he was extolling
>> the virtues of DECT phones made by the likes of Philips, Binatone and
>> Panasonic which also incorporated Bluetooth. This apparently enabled
>> them to be paired with a mobile phone and to use the mobile's call
>> allowances for outgoing calls, as well as being able to handle
>> incoming calls from either source.
>>
>> However, none of these seems to be available any more. Do any of you
>> know of any such phones which *are* still available, or can you
>> suggest an alternative solution which would achieve the same result?
>> Better still would be the ability to use the landline's CLI when
>> making outgoing calls using the mobile.
>
>
> Perhaps (given the impending demise of POTS) you should look at going
> VoIP. Port your landline number to a SIP account, and then setup an ATA
> gateway to allow all the existing analogue phones to carry on thinking
> they are still on POTS. That leaves the usage unchanged, and does not
> require bluetooth. (however you gain the flexibility of being able to
> access the phone service in other ways such as from mobile, or using a
> headset and softphone on your computer. Plus also being able to answer
> landline calls on the mobile when out etc). Latency is probably lower
> than on mobile as well.
>

Sounds good in theory, but I don't think I can port the landline number
without cancelling the BB contract - coz it's tied to the number.
Cancelling would cost an arm and log because I'm only a little way into
a 2 year contract.

I could use VoIP on a number supplied by the VoIP provider without
porting the existing number, but I'd still need a way of answering calls
coming in on the landline.
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 04/02/2023 23:36, Roger Mills wrote:

> I could use VoIP on a number supplied by the VoIP provider without
> porting the existing number, but I'd still need a way of answering calls
> coming in on the landline.

Turn on call forwarding on the existing land line, and direct it to
forward all calls to the VoIP number.

On the down side it means you pay for that leg of incoming calls - but
how much that matters will depend on if you have a calling package and
how many incoming calls you get.

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
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On 04-Feb-23 20:37, Andy Burns wrote:
> Sam Plusnet wrote:
>
>> I'm considering the same thing (renewing to get a reduction in price)
>> but was concerned that there might be some hidden 'gotchas' that
>> PlusNet somehow fail to mention up front.
>>
>> Have you found any?
>
> No, every time I've re-contracted with plusnet nothing other than the
> direct debit and contract end date has changed.

Thanks. I think I'll go ahead then.

<checks> G'Lord! We've been a customer of Plusnet since 2003!

--
Sam Plusnet

On 05/02/2023 19:53, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 04-Feb-23 20:37, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Sam Plusnet wrote:
>>
>>> I'm considering the same thing (renewing to get a reduction in price)
>>> but was concerned that there might be some hidden 'gotchas' that
>>> PlusNet somehow fail to mention up front.
>>>
>>> Have you found any?
>>
>> No, every time I've re-contracted with plusnet nothing other than the
>> direct debit and contract end date has changed.
>
> Thanks.  I think I'll go ahead then.
>
> <checks>  G'Lord!  We've been a customer of Plusnet since 2003!

I've been with them since 2007. Have they updated your routers FOC? The
one they supplied had one Ethernet/USB connection and no Wi-Fi. I've
since bought two replacements. I wonder what they will do when the phone
system goes digital (by the end of 2025)? We'll need new routers then,
preferably with a socket for an analogue phone. Needless to say
PlusNet's website doesn't mention it; in my case it's complicated as my
phone line is BT. I wonder whose responsibility it will be?

--
Max Demian

On 05/02/2023 03:11, John Rumm wrote:
> On 04/02/2023 23:36, Roger Mills wrote:
>
>> I could use VoIP on a number supplied by the VoIP provider without
>> porting the existing number, but I'd still need a way of answering
>> calls coming in on the landline.
>
> Turn on call forwarding on the existing land line, and direct it to
> forward all calls to the VoIP number.
>
> On the down side it means you pay for that leg of incoming calls - but
> how much that matters will depend on if you have a calling package and
> how many incoming calls you get.
>
>
>
We get quite a few incoming calls, and the whole point of this thread is
that I'm trying to get rid of my calling package because it keeps going
up in price!
--
Cheers,
Roger