Switching to Sky full fibre from NOW Broadband and keeping landline number.

[filthyrich44]

Hey, I am looking to switch to Sky full fibre from Now broadband but I was told by Sky that it was not possible to keep my current landline number as Now are owned by Sky and they couldn't transfer it for some reason. It is really important that I keep the current number. So I was wondering if anyone knew of anyway I can get around this. Can I transfer the number from Now to a voip provider then Sky could then take it from there or something like that I don't know. I am not really tech savvy so something like this I am really struggling to figure out if it is something that can be done and if there is any work around for it. Any help anyone can give would be very much appreciated.

[Mr+Slant]

If you port out the number to a VoIP provider that will trigger a cease on the broadband you have now.

If that isn't a problem (and NowTV cooperate) then just follow the setup guides the VoIP provider has and use the number from them - its not rocket science in most cases 🙂

Then just ignore the number Sky give you and don't plug a phone into the router once you have FTTP.

[filthyrich44]

Thanks for the fast reply. My contract with Now is up in the next few days so hopefully that would help with transferring my number to voip easier. So if I did it the way you suggested if I signed up to a VoIP service get my current number from Now and get the VoIP provider to take over the number I could definitely keep it. So when Sky give me a new number as long as I don't plug a phone into the router I never have to worry about that number. So would I have to get a special handset to use to receive VoIP calls to my number seeing as it would not be connected to the router. I have seen also on forums about VoIP adapters that plug into the wall phone socket via cable then ethernet cable from adapter to the phone is that something that is needed. So sorry for the long post but just wanted to get as much info as I can. Thanks

[cookiemonsteruk]

@filthyrich44 

The problem with moving from Now broadband with a phone nunber to sky has always been that for broadband Now and Sky have been regarded as being seperate isp's but for telephone they are regarded as being the same telecoms provider. This has in the past blocked switching from now to sky for both services. AFAIK this will continue as far as phonelines go.   So now broadband will be switchable but not the phone number itself 

[mae-3]

@filthyrich44 

I have the ATA VoIP adapter approach myself from a VoIP service provider and it works well without the telephone number being tied to the broadband provider.

Costs £6 a month for a hundred minutes free to national and UK mobile telephone numbers. And you don't need a special VoIP phone with the ATA approach, and the adapters are only about £30.

Other packages are available and the calls above this allows are cheaper than most ISP VoIP services.

[filthyrich44]

This sounds exactly what I was hoping I could do. Did you switch your number from your isp to using the VoIP service this way. If you did how did you do that, did you have to ask your isp for some sort of port code or something so you could give that to the VoIP provider to take over the number. What VoIP adapter do you use and what VoIP provider. To be honest I only really need the phone for incoming calls as I always use my mobile for any calls out. It's really important to keep my current landline number as I have health issues and all my consultants etc contact me using it so can't do without it. I asked about needing special VoIP phones as the current phone I have is quite old, all it has is the one cable that comes from it to the telephone socket. So how does the set up with the adapter work do you put a cable from phone socket to the adapter then a cable between adapter and phone. If I was able to set it up this way you suggested and keep my number will it be as Mr+Slant said just to accept whatever new number sky assign me but don't plug any phone into the router just use the set up you have suggested. I just wanted to see if that is something you had to do as well not plugging into a router after being assigned a new number. Thanks

[mae-3]

@filthyrich44 

I use Voipfone as the service provider. They will allow you to port a telephone number in from another provider. The ATA adapters are available from Voipfone setup or if you are a technology-savvy individual then search for 'ATA adapter' on Amazon and set it up yourself.

With the ATA adapter, one just plugs your old phone into the adapter and an ethernet cable into the router once it is set up via its interface and away you go, instruction are on the VoIP service provider page.