Moved from Vodafone to Now Broadband but phone not working.

[Greigster]

Joined Now broadband  from Vodafone last week and although broadband is fine, I have no phoneline. I am able to call my original landline number from my mobile and I can hear it ringing on the mobile but it is not ringing on the landline. if I try to turn on the landline phone it sounds like a continuous disconnected tone. 

[Jayach]

It sounds like the number port didn't work. Best to give Now a call, number in link below:

https://help.nowtv.com/article/how-to-submit-a-broadband-complaint1

Do let us know how you get on.

Because, as no new connections to the PSTN (public switched telephone network) are allowed, yours sounds like a problem I've been expecting to happen.

[RoyB]

@Greigster @Jayach 

If it was just the number port, then I would expect the new landline to have a dial tone, and then you could call your mobile to see what it showed for the actual number calling.

So it seems more drastic than that. As per @Jayach‘s comment, did you ask for your number to be ported, and did nobody say that not only could it not be ported, you couldn’t even have a phone line going forward?

[Greigster]

Thanks RoyB for your reply, I just changed from Vodafone to Now broadband as I had come to the end of my contract and Now was (seemed) better value. I just assumed that my broadband and phone would change over automatically from one to the other as the package stated Now Broadband and Phone in the price. 

I have often changed providers in the past and broadband and phone have always connected seamlessly.... just not this time. My neighbor has a socket on the back of her router to plug in the phone but the Now router does not. 

[Jayach]

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@Greigster wrote:
My neighbor has a socket on the back of her router to plug in the phone but the Now router does not. 

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Indeed, all new services seem to be provided that way. (except Now)

I'm with Vodafone, and had intended to swap to Now, but Vodafone offered me a better deal to stay.

However, that was before the stop on new PSTN connections (5th September 2023)

Now seems to be able to offer new connection over FTTC in area's where Sky have their own equipment in the exchange (LLU) so they don't use the PSTN.

Whether any of that explains your problem, I don't know.

I shall be most interested in what Now tell you when you contact them.

[RoyB]

@Greigster 

If you want to port your number, you have to tick a box to this effect on your new agreement with Now, when signing up. Did you?

Likewise, there should have been a choice of call packages. Was there? Did you select one?

But I defy anyone but @Jayach to understand what’s going on with phone services these days, and even he seems duly confused 😎

PSTN? SOGEA? LLU? Can Now still sell everybody phone over landline? Or just in exchanges where they (Sky) have LLU? Is that every exchange, most, or just some?

My mental picture at the moment is that, for phones, Now Broadband is like Wile E. Coyote after he has walked off a precipice into midair, but not yet realised this 😛 

[Greigster]

Thanks Jayach for that, I will call them tomorrow. 

[Greigster]

Spoke to Now today who put me on hold for 5 minutes whilst the tested the phone line and came back with "there may have been a power cut at the exchange or a line may be down somewhere" even though I am getting broadband as normal. 

I have been told to leave things for 48 hours to see if the phone comes back on but if not, call them again. 

[Greigster]

Hi All, 

Thank you for your advice and help with my phone problem. 

1 week on from my reporting the problem to Now customer services by phone, they had arranged for an open reach engineer to visit my house to test my phone line and after further investigation, they found a joint that had been effected by moisture in the road about 500mts away. 

All sorted now and the engineer suggested my broadband speed may also improve after the fix. 

Cheers and Merry Christmas. 

[Jayach]

Glad to hear it's fixed, but I'm surprised it wasn't affecting the phone on Vodafone when you were with them, they would be using exactly the same pair of wires. 

Merry Christmas to you too.