VOIP calls on BT Home Hub

TheGuvnor_2

Hello all,

I have been asked to organise a wireless network for a friend of the family. He has ordered BT Broadband, and the salespeople told him that he could have free calls for (I think) £4 a month extra if they went through the router.

As he is 79 years old he has phones plugged in everywhere so that he doesn't have to walk too far to get to the phone, and after the salesperson told him the free calls deal he had an idea to buy one of these DECT packages where you only plug one hub in and the rest of the phones hang off this (sorry, I don't know the technical term for it!!) and plug this into the router.

With me so far? I have a tendency to babble

He was not aware that he will get a new 0500 number from them for his VOIP calls, but this is not a problem if he could still accept calls on his normal landline number. I spoke to BT about the details of this, and it seems I am getting conflicting information from them.

The first person I spoke to at BT told me that if he did not have any phones plugged in outside of the router, then his normal landline would not ring if somebody called him. However, another person I spoke to said that if the home hub was set up properly then the phone that is plugged into the router should ring and accept incoming calls on either number.

Now I am really confused!! If the second person was correct, then how would the system deal with a call coming in on one line, if the other line (and therefore the phone) was already in use?

What I really want to know is if anyone knows FOR DEFINITE either way.

Sorry if I am rambling. If it makes no sense, please let me know!!

Thanks

blackcateddie

We have Bt Home hub and when the landline rings that the broadband is on, then the internet phone rings - ie I didn't have to give anyone the new number but can answer the internet phone when that rings. Not sure if he has to have one phone plugged into the ordinary line but our internet phone is actually a standard BT studio1100, not a digital( there's a connection at the back of the BT home hub for this, as well as the dect connection at the front) These phones can be linked to each other so there's no reason why I couldn't have a normal connection with a fixed phone on our landline and then a set of phones linked to the internet base phone around the house - all would ring when the landline was called and be easy to answer. That way no calls will come in on the other number cos he won't give it anyone!

with Home Hub the calls are free for weekend and evening as part of the package so I hope the £4 is for calls durng the day - if he doesn't use it then there's no point since the other calls are free, sorry just realised this may not be the router you have.

TheGuvnor_2

Thanks for that! You have put my mind at ease. :beer:

He has a lot of time on his hands as he is retired, so he will make use of the daytime calls too. It is the wireless home hub he has ordered, so it is fine

Thanks again.