Telephone through the Virgin Media Hub.

[lemarsh]

Just received an email stating they are moving me to phone through the Virgin Media Hub.

However, i have an old style dial dial up phone - as in original, not an electronic one that looks like a dial up phone.

So it does not need power, or have anything like tones.

I am guessing that this cannot work through the Virgin Media Hub?

In that case, what happens? Do virgin have the right to say i have to change a phone? I love my phone - it works and is a great talking point when young kids (or older now!) wonder what it is!

To be honest I’m surprised that a pulse-dial phone works on the network even now. I’d be astonished if it works on VM’s IP-based service. I can only speak from personal experience with BT’s offering, but here we have a cordless handset that works over wifi.

Originally Posted by lemarsh

So it does not need power, or have anything like tones.

It does need power, how do you think the pulses work when you dial ?

[lemarsh]

Originally Posted by Paul

It does need power, how do you think the pulses work when you dial ?

I have no idea on the technical side, all i know is that i can dial out on it and it works. I tested it yesterday. And being an old style phone, it definitely has no plug on it

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

I have no idea on the technical side, all i know is that i can dial out on it and it works. I tested it yesterday. And being an old style phone, it definitely has no plug on it

Do you just mean its a corded phone ?. Always wise to have them in a power cut ( unlike wireless handsets, they'll work) Not that it will under the new system if your hub has no power, but that's an 'upgrade' VM style!

[1701-e]

Originally Posted by Mr K

.... that's an 'upgrade' VM style!

All the telcos are doing it. An all round upgrade

Originally Posted by lemarsh

I have no idea on the technical side, all i know is that i can dial out on it and it works. I tested it yesterday. And being an old style phone, it definitely has no plug on it

Paul is making a fairly narrow technical point. You are correct, you do not need to plug it in to a wall socket to power it, whereas modern IP based phones that connect to your wifi (or direct to your hub) do require that.

However, even an old pulse-dial rotary phone requires power, which is supplied to it down the phone line itself. Telephone exchanges have battery backup so if you suffer a power cut they keep working.

Its not a narrow technical point, its a pretty important major point.

He stated it doesnt need power ... when it does. Pulse dial phones (aka dial-up, rotary) need power just as much as tone dial phones. It doesnt matter how its connected, plug or hard wired (nor was this even mentioned until after my post), but JFYI, you could get plug in pulse phones (and still can, afaik).

Exchanges have battery backup, but that on its own would not last too long, so almost all have backup generators as well. We used to test them once a month.

Originally Posted by Paul

Its not a narrow technical point, its a pretty important major point.

He stated it doesnt need power ... when it does. Pulse dial phones (aka dial-up, rotary) need power just as much as tone dial phones. It doesnt matter how its connected, plug or hard wired (nor was this even mentioned until after my post), but JFYI, you could get plug in pulse phones (and still can, afaik).

Exchanges have battery backup, but that on its own would not last too long, so almost all have backup generators as well. We used to test them once a month.

It’s only a major point to someone who is interested in tech and sees a device as a set of functions. To a consumer who sees a telephone simply as something you use to talk to your family they exist in two basic categories: those you have to plug in (cordless, answerphone etc) and those you don’t. Those you don’t plug in ‘don’t need power’ in that sense. To be honest these are the categories most people think in and that’s why the switch to internet based phones is confusing a lot of people.