Switching from Home Highway to Broadband

I have a slightly complicated HH setup

HH analogue line 1 has call sign plus a call-divert bypass number

HH analogue line 2 has call sign

HH digital line is also in use for FAXes (as well as being used for
connection to ISP)


When Broadband comes to our neck of the woods I want to change the
above to:

PSTN1 with broadband using the line 2 number plus its related call
sign number

PSTN2 using the line 1 number with its related call sign and bypass
numbers

PSTN3 using the old digital line number

For historical reasons I have 3 wires comming into the house (only one
of which is currently used)


My worry is that if I simply ask BT to change from the old
configuration to the new they will mess the whole thing up (from past
experience it seems to be the case that whenever you ask BT to do
something simple more often than not they get it wrong, but if you ask
them to do anything the least bit complicated they are 100% certain to
get it wrong and it then takes endless phone calls over the next few
weeks before it is completely right).

On the other hand if I ask them to change things bit by bit (so a sto
reduce the chances of them getting it wrong and/or reduce the impact
when the do get it wrong)I may end up paying lost of "reconfiguration
charges". I have the impression that if you ask for changes at the
same time as broadband then you don't get charged for them (is that
right?) and you have a guarantee that if for any reason broadband is
not technically possible it should all be put back as it was without
charge.

Can anyone recommend the best way to get this change made at least
cost and with least risk of it BT messing it up?



John Antell






John Antell
(E-Mail Removed)


John Antell

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
John Antell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I have a slightly complicated HH setup
>
> HH analogue line 1 has call sign plus a call-divert bypass number
>
> HH analogue line 2 has call sign
>
> HH digital line is also in use for FAXes (as well as being used for
> connection to ISP)
>
>
> When Broadband comes to our neck of the woods I want to change the
> above to:
>
> PSTN1 with broadband using the line 2 number plus its related call
> sign number
>
> PSTN2 using the line 1 number with its related call sign and bypass
> numbers
>
> PSTN3 using the old digital line number
>
> For historical reasons I have 3 wires comming into the house (only one
> of which is currently used)
>
>
> My worry is that if I simply ask BT to change from the old
> configuration to the new they will mess the whole thing up (from past
> experience it seems to be the case that whenever you ask BT to do
> something simple more often than not they get it wrong, but if you ask
> them to do anything the least bit complicated they are 100% certain to
> get it wrong and it then takes endless phone calls over the next few
> weeks before it is completely right).
>
> On the other hand if I ask them to change things bit by bit (so a sto
> reduce the chances of them getting it wrong and/or reduce the impact
> when the do get it wrong)I may end up paying lost of "reconfiguration
> charges". I have the impression that if you ask for changes at the
> same time as broadband then you don't get charged for them (is that
> right?) and you have a guarantee that if for any reason broadband is
> not technically possible it should all be put back as it was without
> charge.
>
> Can anyone recommend the best way to get this change made at least
> cost and with least risk of it BT messing it up?
>
>

I don't think that there is a completely foolproof solution, unfortunately.

Whatever you do, I would advise going with an ADSL ISP who will arrange a
"managed conversion" from HH to PSTN/ADSL. That way, if it all goes tits up,
you'll still have HH and it won't have cost you anything. If get yourself
ask BT to convert HH to PSTN, they will charge you 50 quid. If the ADSL line
test subsequently fails, you'll have to pay to have HH re-installed (75
quid, I think) and you'll have to start a new contract with a 12-month
tie-in - so it will have cost you 125 quid for nothing except a lot of
hassle.

With regard to the other lines, I suspect that you need to get them
re-instated - albeit with the wrong numbers - *before* the HH to ADSL
conversion is done. Then, when the numbers are released from HH, get them
re-allocated to the other lines. If you wait till HH has gone, you might not
get your numbers back. On the other hand though, if your line fails the ADSL
test, you'll have 2 spare PSTN lines. Perhaps one of those would pass?
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

For what this is worth:

I am too converting from BTHH to ADSL, but I am keeping the BTHH
service. ADSL will use a new analog line.

I am using a Draytek 2900Gi router (the 2600Gi would also do; I've
tested it) to connect to both ISDN and ADSL, with auto fallback onto
ISDN if ADSL fails.

In my case, having two separate connections to the local exchange is
worth having, especially as I need three analog phone lines.


Peter.
--
Return address is invalid to help stop junk mail.
E-mail replies to (E-Mail Removed) but remove the X and the Y.
Please do NOT copy usenet posts to email - it is NOT necessary.

Tiscali Tim wrote:
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> John Antell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>I have a slightly complicated HH setup
>>
>>HH analogue line 1 has call sign plus a call-divert bypass number
>>
>>HH analogue line 2 has call sign
>>
>>HH digital line is also in use for FAXes (as well as being used for
>>connection to ISP)
>>
>>
>>When Broadband comes to our neck of the woods I want to change the
>>above to:
>>
>>PSTN1 with broadband using the line 2 number plus its related call
>>sign number
>>
>>PSTN2 using the line 1 number with its related call sign and bypass
>>numbers
>>
>>PSTN3 using the old digital line number
>>
>>For historical reasons I have 3 wires comming into the house (only one
>>of which is currently used)
>>
>>
>>My worry is that if I simply ask BT to change from the old
>>configuration to the new they will mess the whole thing up (from past
>>experience it seems to be the case that whenever you ask BT to do
>>something simple more often than not they get it wrong, but if you ask
>>them to do anything the least bit complicated they are 100% certain to
>>get it wrong and it then takes endless phone calls over the next few
>>weeks before it is completely right).
>>
>>On the other hand if I ask them to change things bit by bit (so a sto
>>reduce the chances of them getting it wrong and/or reduce the impact
>>when the do get it wrong)I may end up paying lost of "reconfiguration
>>charges". I have the impression that if you ask for changes at the
>>same time as broadband then you don't get charged for them (is that
>>right?) and you have a guarantee that if for any reason broadband is
>>not technically possible it should all be put back as it was without
>>charge.
>>
>>Can anyone recommend the best way to get this change made at least
>>cost and with least risk of it BT messing it up?
>>
>>
>
>
> I don't think that there is a completely foolproof solution, unfortunately.
>
> Whatever you do, I would advise going with an ADSL ISP who will arrange a
> "managed conversion" from HH to PSTN/ADSL. That way, if it all goes tits up,
> you'll still have HH and it won't have cost you anything. If get yourself
> ask BT to convert HH to PSTN, they will charge you 50 quid. If the ADSL line
> test subsequently fails, you'll have to pay to have HH re-installed (75
> quid, I think) and you'll have to start a new contract with a 12-month
> tie-in - so it will have cost you 125 quid for nothing except a lot of
> hassle.
>
> With regard to the other lines, I suspect that you need to get them
> re-instated - albeit with the wrong numbers - *before* the HH to ADSL
> conversion is done. Then, when the numbers are released from HH, get them
> re-allocated to the other lines. If you wait till HH has gone, you might not
> get your numbers back. On the other hand though, if your line fails the ADSL
> test, you'll have 2 spare PSTN lines. Perhaps one of those would pass?

See the slightly earlier thread 'Can I transfer an existing number to BT
Call-Sign' which may provide some info. The points above might be valid
as I was certainly concerned that any delay would cause 'my' number to
be reallocated.
It seems to me that BT can actually do almost anything, but getting
someone who a) Understands what you want, b) Understands that BT can do
it, and c) Understands how to get it done, is something of a lottery.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Rory <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> See the slightly earlier thread 'Can I transfer an existing number to
> BT Call-Sign' which may provide some info. The points above might be
> valid as I was certainly concerned that any delay would cause 'my'
> number to be reallocated.
> It seems to me that BT can actually do almost anything, but getting
> someone who a) Understands what you want, b) Understands that BT can
> do it, and c) Understands how to get it done, is something of a
> lottery.

Actually, the recent post from 'Peter' could provide the answer.

Why not *keep* HH - with all your callsign settings etc. and have just *one*
of the other 2 lines re-installed for ADSL?

The rental for HH isn't that much more than for 2 PSTN lines - and it would
avoid all the hassle.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Tiscali Tim
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>Rory <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
>> See the slightly earlier thread 'Can I transfer an existing number to
>> BT Call-Sign' which may provide some info. The points above might be
>> valid as I was certainly concerned that any delay would cause 'my'
>> number to be reallocated.
>> It seems to me that BT can actually do almost anything, but getting
>> someone who a) Understands what you want, b) Understands that BT can
>> do it, and c) Understands how to get it done, is something of a
>> lottery.
>
>Actually, the recent post from 'Peter' could provide the answer.
>
>Why not *keep* HH - with all your callsign settings etc. and have just *one*
>of the other 2 lines re-installed for ADSL?

That was my solution, although BT still managed to make a mess of it,
leaving me with the new POTS line coming to the HH box and my HH coming
out of the new POTS socket. (I wasn't in when they did the work, and my
wife didn't think she _had_ to check that everything was OK when the BT
man said he'd finished).
It took them a week to sort it out, during which time BT claimed that
they couldn't divert incoming calls from the HH to the POTS line.
Still, I got them to pay compensation based upon them having disconnect
my HH incorrectly, rather than a line fault.

>
>The rental for HH isn't that much more than for 2 PSTN lines - and it would
>avoid all the hassle.

Assuming that you don't let the BT man out of your sight until you've
made sure it works :-)

Matt
--
Matthew Haigh --$matthaigh{News06}$@haigh.org--
GCRSoft, providing SMS solutions since 1996...
http://www.gcrsoft.com http://www.moretext.com

"Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Rory <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>
> Actually, the recent post from 'Peter' could provide the answer.
>
> Why not *keep* HH - with all your callsign settings etc. and have just *one*
> of the other 2 lines re-installed for ADSL?
>
> The rental for HH isn't that much more than for 2 PSTN lines - and it would
> avoid all the hassle.

Basic rental for HH is not much more, but BT Together Opinion 3 is
rather more expensive with HH.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
John Antell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> "Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
>> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>> Rory <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>
>> Actually, the recent post from 'Peter' could provide the answer.
>>
>> Why not *keep* HH - with all your callsign settings etc. and have
>> just *one* of the other 2 lines re-installed for ADSL?
>>
>> The rental for HH isn't that much more than for 2 PSTN lines - and
>> it would avoid all the hassle.
>
> Basic rental for HH is not much more, but BT Together Opinion 3 is
> rather more expensive with HH.

Then don't buy it! Make your calls via 18866 at 1p per *call* at any time of
the day. You can make a hell of a lot of 1p calls for the price of Option 3!
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> John Antell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> > "Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> >> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> >> Rory <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >> Actually, the recent post from 'Peter' could provide the answer.
> >>
> >> Why not *keep* HH - with all your callsign settings etc. and have
> >> just *one* of the other 2 lines re-installed for ADSL?
> >>
> >> The rental for HH isn't that much more than for 2 PSTN lines - and
> >> it would avoid all the hassle.
> >
> > Basic rental for HH is not much more, but BT Together Opinion 3 is
> > rather more expensive with HH.
>
> Then don't buy it! Make your calls via 18866 at 1p per *call* at any time of
> the day. You can make a hell of a lot of 1p calls for the price of Option 3!

But you can't use it for diverted calls unfortunately.