Latest VOIP advice

[dpmiller]

So we're getting a bit closer to making a move. As the copper line is *so* long to the area that ADSL or FTTC are pointless, I've gone down the 4g route for now. The locality is the Rural Broadband Voucher scheme but the length of the lane is probably a dealbreaker there I fear. Even if I did take a copper connection I don't believe I could transfer the current number onto it. We're currently on Newtownards exchange, the new place would be Millisle. They're both 02891 but different number ranges. I do want to keep the number regardless, I've had it for 30years and been trading from it for 20...

 

How would one find out easily whether the number actually *could* move? Try and set up a house move and then cancel? But there's no line yet...

 

But I think I'm more likely to just pull the number across to a VOIP service. There's a shedload of choice out there and I know nothing-  is it all just re-selling? Any recommendations please? Only looking a single line, with low useage. Will be bringing the current DECT suite with us so don't need "free" phones, happy to purchase an interface.

 

Gracias.

[PeterW]

As long as they stay on the same exchange then they should be portable. 

[joe90]

As @PeterW says the number should be portable.

[ProDave]

36 minutes ago, PeterW said:

As long as they stay on the same exchange then they should be portable. 

He said although they share the same area code, the new house would be on a different exchange.

[dpmiller]

It's not the same exchange tho, Millisle is an annexe of Ards IIRC. Certainly trying to instigate a housemove on Talktalk (just tried it there) says the number can't move/ out of range. Ards town is all 81 or 82xxxx whereas Millisle is 86xxxx.

 

.just re-checked, and the area code is Bangor (North Down) with local number ranges within that. See:

https://telephone-exchange.co.uk/group-list.php?group=Bangor (Northern Ireland)

 

I see Millisle is on  Openreach's stop-sell list for August '22

 

[PeterW]

Sorry meant area code not exchange 

[dpmiller]

I think the number format is slightly different over here?

[dpmiller]

anyways... VOIP. Experience, recommends, WHY?

[dpmiller]

Just to close this off, I ended up going with VOIPify,  and acquired a Cisco SPA232D Dect-capable ATA. They're happy to port the BT number over when the time is right and I've got a "nice" local number on the accout for now that I might just hang on to as well when we move, for the extra quid a month...  All working happily now, after a bit of a faff getting the right ports opened on the router.

 

It's quite odd. All the speedtests I do come out pretty poor (provider is Three), in the 1.5 to 4Mb/s region down, up slightly faster. But a recent stress test proved surprising- Full screen HD video on the laptop, another video on the phone, and big son gaming on his laptop while chatting on his phone; no glitches and Andy reckoned his connection was more responsive than he normally sees on the FTTC at home. I'll not complain tho...

 

 

[JohnMo]

I'm on 4g, and have three on my phone, which is rubbish in the house, I asked the different contractors that came to site, which mobile provider they were using and if they wouldn't mind doing a speed test.  Vodafone, gives me between 16 and 36Mb/s, where three gave about 1 at best.  At my old address it was the other way around, three great, Vodafone not so good.