ZEN Digital Voice Confusion for Older User

Let me start by saying that we are older and haven't a clue.

We are reaching the end of our Plusnet contract (April) and looking at what to do next as we need a landline which Plusnet no longer offer. We don't own a mobile other than a very old PAYG that is in the car in case of breakdown.

Our landline is a Panasonic DECT system with 5 satellite DECT handsets scattered around the house. We have developed this over the years and it suits us perfectly.

The incoming main telephone socket is in an upstairs bedroom and connects to the Panasonic base station (downstairs lounge) via the old wired telephone wired distribution system that we used before the DECT system.

The modem router is upstairs and at the opposite end of the house to the main telephone socket and fed by a Cat5e cable which runs thrugh the loft space.

If we move to ZEN FTTC (no FTTP possible) and take the digital voice package what happens? How do we enable our existing phone system?

I am guessing that we can link our existing handsets to the Fritzbox as it says that it will act as a DECT basestation but do we then loose our existing base station and its answer phone facility?

Our cabled telephone system has sockets both near our modem/router and telephone base station locations if this helps.

Do we need to do this:
https://support.aa.net.uk/VoIP_How_to:_Voice_reinjec...

Edited by chris52 (Mon 19-Feb-24 12:47:19)

The new router could be plugged into either the same location as where the existing one was, or somewhere else like the lounge, though depending on the wiring the best results for FTTC may be if into the main (master) socket.

Generally though you would place the router for best Wi-Fi coverage unless (say) you planned to add a second access point somewhere else.

As regards the telephones you have an advantage if all your handsets are already DECT.

You can either plug the existing Panasonic base into the router's FON socket directly.
You won't be able to have it in a different room because there won't be any analogue phone service on your home wiring* (which is also why I mentioned you might want the router in the lounge).

You would tell the ISP what you are planning to do to make sure they include the little adapter to accept the existing (BS 6312 431A) plug.

Or you can re-pair the DECT handsets to the router acting as the base station. It has an answerphone function and internal calling function though I have not tried that as I only have a single DECT handset.
You would still need the basic charging bases. You would also test that docking a handset to the main Panasonic base does not override the pairing (some systems do this).

(*) Yes it is technically possible to keep using the internal home wiring for legacy phone purposes but involves extra work to isolate it from the master socket containing the external line and the router would then have to sit at the master.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 19-Feb-24 13:00:09)

If you only have the Panasonic DECT phones, just plug the base unit into the router's FON socket. If the base unit includes one of the phones and this will be inaccessible, you could just pick up another similar phone with charging base (e.g. from eBay) and link this also to the DECT base. Your existing phone wiring becomes superfluous.

You will also need to subscribe to Digital Voice (£6/month with 1000 minutes included) in addition to your broadband subscription.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

The new router could be plugged into either the same location as where the existing one was, or
You can either plug the existing Panasonic base into the router's FON socket directly.
You won't be able to have it in a different room because there won't be any analogue phone service on your home wiring* (which is also why I mentioned you might want the router in the lounge).

The legacy wiring would be unused for anything else so can't I just disconnect it from the master socket and then use it as effectively an extenion lead from the router FON socket to the Panasonic base station? This would remove the different room problem.

I don't want to move the router to the lounge as there is no obvious sway of getting a Cat5e cable to it and I don't want the Panasonic base station where the router is located because we would not know if we had messages and we don't have a phone there at the present time.

Edited by chris52 (Mon 19-Feb-24 14:01:51)

You might find it easier to move to a supplier such as A&A though for broadband they might cost more.

Now we have VOIP rather the PSTN it is easy to use separate suppliers for VOIP and broadband.

So maybe you could get your phone number moved to A&A without loosing your Plusnet broadband which you could keep as they are one of the cheaper suppliers.

A few points that may be useful:

Plusnet do say if you want to keep your phone line contact them and you may be able to keep it (it is in their FAQ somewhere) - it is delaying the inevitable and it may be better to get it sorted now but it is an option. Whether you will be able to get a decent renewal price with the phone line I do not know. Also what would happen if you still have a phone line when they are ceased and still in contract? Also make sure any new contract starts at the end of your current one to avoid the automatic 31 Mar price increases. I would be interested on what renewal/deal price they offer keeping phone line or not to be honest.

Check https://bidb.uk/ and see if you have any altnets at your postcode. Also check your surrounding area on the map for altnets work and then go to their specific site to see if you are in their plans. If you do have some altnets you have other options post details you may be able to get FTTP with an altnet and use somewhere like A&A for VOIP and separate your phone line from the internet.

The riskier option as it could go completely wrong and you loose your phone number and your newly contracted phoneless Plusnet internet is keep Plusnet for internet and use the 30 day rule to port the phone number to something like A&A VOIP.

Using A&A for VOIP would need additional hardware and setup though.

Choosing Zen + DV will keep things simple, and should avoid any problems with the switchover from PlusNet, as Zen will do the whole job. Having a FON connection on the supplied (Fritz!Box) router means that you can connect any analogue phone or DECT base, and yes you could use your existing cabling to connect the base to the router. If you choose a separate VoIP supplier you'll need to upgrade to IP phones to provide Ethernet connection to the router.

Yes one of the attractions of going to Zen was the hope of keeping it simple.

I have looked at a VOIP provider such as A&A but it seems to introduce complications and I haven't found one that offers 1000 minutes per month at a reasonable price.

We live in a rural area and are part of Project Gigabit but the contract allows 5 years for completion. There are much cheaper and quicker areas to cable so we are not holding our breath.

I am aware that we might be able to have one extra year with Plusnet and phone but if they want a 2 year contract.................? I am also uncertain about the price that they might offer. I want a plan B before I speak to them which won't be until April to avoid an immediate price rise.

Edited by chris52 (Mon 19-Feb-24 18:34:19)

btw when Zen switched me from FTTC with PSTN to FTTC with DV there was no additional charge as I did not opt for any inclusive minutes.

I still have the DECT phone anyway for incoming calls and emergencies but my mobile tariff already has inclusive UK (landlines and mobiles) and small data allowance (for a reasonable £5/month PAYG on Asda) so in my own case there's no benefit from a landline calls package.

You don't need to get CAT 5e down to the lounge if you are staying on FTTC as it only uses telephone grade cable from outside until it reaches the WAN of the router.
So I'll assume you mean you have things in that bedroom you want to remain wired to the router LAN,

However if it happens all your extension wiring goes into either a removable front plate or some passive plug-in multi-way thing you will be able to isolate it more easily for internal analogue-only use.

I only warned of possible complications as some people had someone else wire their extensions directly into master socket and were not confident about how to separate it themselves and such questions are arising in the VoIP forum.

And also because doing so removes the possibility of having the router any room other than the master socket without extra work, so I am wary of advising that in case they only realise later.

Edit: I have just re-read your OP about the router being fed by CAT 5e to another part of house so sorry I think I understand you want the new router to stay at that location.

Edited by prlzx (Mon 19-Feb-24 21:30:09)