Virgin Phone line, AOL broadband.........

TrishUK

I have been with AOL for years with a BT phone line. Now i've just signed up for a Virgin phone line as well as the TV. Does AOL work with a Virgin phone line? Or would I be better off getting Virgin Broadband as well?

dylanuk

The Virgin phone line is a different physical line to your property than a BT line - unlike if you took a phoneline with anyone else (Sky, AOL, TalkTalk, etc) who would use the physical BT line to provide you with a different - or rebranded - service.

When Virgin install your phone and TV, sometimes they reuse the BT master socket in your house which will disconnect your BT line (physically, not the account), however if you're also using your BT line (and you tell them) then they may install their own master socket - so you'd be left with two phonelines and two line rental bills to pay.

You can't use ADSL broadband (broadband over the telephone), like AOL, on a Virgin phone line - it has to be a BT line.

You will find it cheaper to get Virgin broadband as well now, otherwise you'll be paying two lots of line rental. There is a list of the Virgin broadband packages here http://www.chooseisp.co.uk/broadband-.../virgin-media.asp which may help. You might find you'll have to go back to Virgin and "re-order" what you want as a bundle deal (e.g. TV, phone & broadband) to get the best price.

Make sure you know the package name and what the price should be and make sure you get the same price as if you'd signed up to all three together.

If you do get Virgin broadband as well - remember you will need to cancel your line rental with BT and your AOL broadband yourself as switching from ADSL to cable isn't such an automated process as switching between ADSL suppliers with a MAC code (e.g. they cancel your previous service for you if you use a MAC code to switch).

spike7451

dylanuk wrote: »

The Virgin phone line is a different physical line to your property than a BT line - unlike if you took a phoneline with anyone else (Sky, AOL, TalkTalk, etc) who would use the physical BT line to provide you with a different - or rebranded - service.

When Virgin install your phone and TV, sometimes they reuse the BT master socket in your house which will disconnect your BT line (physically, not the account), however if you're also using your BT line (and you tell them) then they may install their own master socket - so you'd be left with two phonelines and two line rental bills to pay.

You can't use ADSL broadband (broadband over the telephone), like AOL, on a Virgin phone line - it has to be a BT line.

You will find it cheaper to get Virgin broadband as well now, otherwise you'll be paying two lots of line rental. There is a list of the Virgin broadband packages here http://www.chooseisp.co.uk/broadband-.../virgin-media.asp which may help. You might find you'll have to go back to Virgin and "re-order" what you want as a bundle deal (e.g. TV, phone & broadband) to get the best price.

Make sure you know the package name and what the price should be and make sure you get the same price as if you'd signed up to all three together.

If you do get Virgin broadband as well - remember you will need to cancel your line rental with BT and your AOL broadband yourself as switching from ADSL to cable isn't such an automated process as switching between ADSL suppliers with a MAC code (e.g. they cancel your previous service for you if you use a MAC code to switch).

Sorry,but that's incorrect,

VM are NOT allowed by Ofcom to 'reuse' another providers phoneline or master socket,we may relocate the BT Master Socket & re-use the internal wireing (IE-relocate BT to a cloakroom where the BT line comes in,fit a VM 77A to join the existing cableing to VM's & replace the BT faceplate with a VM one,putting the BT one in the cloakroom) if the house layout & wireing is especially complex.

Normally a VM master socket wil be located next to the BT one so the extensions (if any) can be transferred by simply swapping the test plate.

Some cowboy installers have been known however to cut corners but they get caught out & get fired.

(I started out as an Cable Installer with CableTel before moving over to Service with NTL/VM)

dylanuk

Sorry,but that's incorrect,

VM are NOT allowed by Ofcom to 'reuse' another providers phoneline or master socket,we may relocate the BT Master Socket & re-use the internal wireing (IE-relocate BT to a cloakroom where the BT line comes in,fit a VM 77A to join the existing cableing to VM's & replace the BT faceplate with a VM one,putting the BT one in the cloakroom) if the house layout & wireing is especially complex.

Normally a VM master socket wil be located next to the BT one so the extensions (if any) can be transferred by simply swapping the test plate.

Some cowboy installers have been known however to cut corners but they get caught out & get fired.

(I started out as an Cable Installer with CableTel before moving over to Service with NTL/VM)

They might not be allowed to reuse another provider's phoneline or master socket - but it didn't stop them from doing it at my house.

VM actually cut the BT telephone line just as it entered the house and wired up their own phoneline cable to the BT master socket.

When I had to have it moved back to BT the BT engineer actually said to me they aren't supposed to do it - but they often do.

spike7451

dylanuk wrote: »

They might not be allowed to reuse another provider's phoneline or master socket - but it didn't stop them from doing it at my house.

VM actually cut the BT telephone line just as it entered the house and wired up their own phoneline cable to the BT master socket.

When I had to have it moved back to BT the BT engineer actually said to me they aren't supposed to do it - but they often do.

Was'nt Kelly Communications was it? They sub for VM & I've heard some horror stories about their work.One thing we were told was if it's done that way,the customer can claim the charges levied on a customer by,say BT,to get the service reinstated.

And as to what the BT engineer told you,I've been on calls where the BT engineer has done exactly the same to NTL/VM's wiring.
Even had one where a Sky engineer used the cable for a customers NTL BBand because he could'nt be bothered to run a new cable.
Customer only found out when he tried to go online!

dylanuk

That's interesting - I ended up paying the £125 reconnection fee to BT in the end. I'll certainly remember that though if it happens again.

I've no idea who did the VM installation. It was awful though, they literally left the BT cable dangling down the side of the house and just did a patch job to the end of the cable they'd cut that went to the master socket.

BT just did the same though - luckily there was just enough cable to stick the BT cables back together in a outdoor junction box!