Potential new Zen customer

It’s looking likely that I will be migrating my parents to Zen. They haven’t switched ISPs for over ten years, and nor have I, so I am not familiar with current best practices.

They are currently on FTTC with Plusnet, who also provide their landline, with their contract running out next month. FTTP is available, and my parents will be getting the VoIP option as well because they want to keep their landline number.

Is the sensible thing to do to order with Zen now, with an install date a week or so before the Plusnet expiry? I’d like to minimise the double billing period and also avoid Plusnet’s out of contract charges if possible, but equally I don’t want them to have a break in Internet service beyond anything which is absolutely necessary. It’s an overhead drop wire for the current copper cable and there are no anticipated issues with the ONT install according to the BT checker.

They have a “big button” wired BT phone (unsure of the exact model) in one room, plus also a cordless (Panasonic I think) base station wired into another room. Will both of these be able to easily work with Zen straight out of the box or will I need to buy/do anything extra?

Thank you in advance for anyone who can help.

>>Is the sensible thing to do to order with Zen now, with an install date a week or so before the Plusnet expiry?

Yup - fibre is installed separately so you can have an overlap to try things out first; obviously you will be paying for the service.

In reply to a post by Sponge35:

>>Is the sensible thing to do to order with Zen now, with an install date a week or so before the Plusnet expiry?

Yup - fibre is installed separately so you can have an overlap to try things out first; obviously you will be paying for the service.

I thought once you requested porting the land line number that causes a cease of the PTSN, and other services on that land line?

In reply to a post by HealthNut:

Is the sensible thing to do to order with Zen now, with an install date a week or so before the Plusnet expiry? I’d like to minimise the double billing period and also avoid Plusnet’s out of contract charges if possible, but equally I don’t want them to have a break in Internet service beyond anything which is absolutely necessary. It’s an overhead drop wire for the current copper cable and there are no anticipated issues with the ONT install according to the BT checker.

The one touch switching switching process should cease the existing PSTN + FTTC services when the FTTP + Digital Voice go live, so aim for an install date as close to the Plusnet expiry as possible. If the switch happens before the Plusnet contract expires you will have to pay early termination charges, if it happens after you will just pay Plusnet out of contract pricing until the switch date.

They have a “big button” wired BT phone (unsure of the exact model) in one room, plus also a cordless (Panasonic I think) base station wired into another room. Will both of these be able to easily work with Zen straight out of the box or will I need to buy/do anything extra?

The Zen Fritz!Box has a RJ11 socket and BT socket adapter to connect wired phones, if the phones are in the same room as the router will be just plug them in. If you want to use existing extension wiring in the house it will have to be disconnected from the master socket and a connection to the router fangled, there are various options if you search for voice reinjection.

You may be able to deregister the DECT phones from the existing base and register them with the DECT basestation built in to the Fritz!Box, it depends on how compatible they are - certainly various Siemens Gigaset handsets work OK. You may also have to replace the existing base with a charging-only one as some main bases seem to reregister the phone placed in them.

The only issue of note with the analogue phone interface on the Fritz!Box is that it doesn't generate a line break signal when the caller hangs up which can lead to problems with call screening boxes or answering machines.