How I kept my number with DSL

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 7

Hello all. I'm not sure if anyone else has posted this, but this is what I was able to do with Qwest to keep my phone number.

I had a phone number that I wanted to keep. The problem was that I also had DSL on that line. I really didn't want to get cable, because I can't stand the cable company here. There's just something about Mediacoms commercials that make me want to stick my head in a bucket of ice water.

Anyway, what I did was I called qwest and told them, I would like to turn off my dial tone service and just keep my DSL. I also want to get my current number setup to ring to a voice mailbox.

Qwest offers a stand alone voicemail service that you can switch your line to.

This was no problem. When you shut off dial tone service with Qwest and just get DSL, they give you another phone number. (Well, it's not really a phone number, because if you call it, you don't get through; they have to have a phone number associated with your DSL line anyway). This frees up your current number to be switched to the stand alone voicemail.

Finally, after my old number was ringing to voicemail, I called Vonage and had them grab that line from Qwest. In the mean time, the people who called that number got a message telling them to call my temp number.

I hope that these instructions can help someone else. Good luck. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:01 pm Post subject:

I have a complicated question for you. I don't yet have Vonage and I don't currently have DSL. I do have cable broadband internet thru Time Warner and I have land-line phone service thru USA telephone (3rd part overbuilder that doesn't own the phone lines.) Verizon owns the phone lines and is basicly shutting USA telephone down becuase they stole a huge number of customers. (they are about $20-30 less a month then Verizon). I'm moving soon (within the same market) and Verizon has blocked USA from accepting new customers or new addresses or customer transfers.

Now my only (real sense) option is to go with Vonage, as Verizon would just cost way to much. Vonage is about $6 less per month then USA. I'm fine with that, as it saves me money. However, I would like to switch internet providers. TW is too expensive and too slow for the money. I want to use a local high speed DSL provider (not Verizon). Problem is they won't sell me the DSL service unless I'm a Verizon customer. My new house currently has Verizon service with a random phone number. Now, how do I trick them into selling me stand alone DSL? Can I sign-up for the service while I still have Verizon, then cancel Verizon, tell them to keep the DSL on, and then switch my current phone number to Vonage and put Vonage on the DSL line?

What is the tirck?
Thanks!

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 7

I don't know how Verizon works, but you should be able to just get DSL at the new house. I know that when I signed up with Qwest DSL, I could tell them which provider I was going to be using for internet service.

It shouldn't matter to your new internet service provider whether or not you have dialtone service with Verizon, just that you have a DSL line with them.

I would also suggest starting the number transfer as soon as possible. It can take a while as you probably know.

You didn't say, but I'm assuming that the phone number you want to transfer is still hooked up at your old residence. If it's at the new residence, then you might have a problem.

Anyway, I would call Verizon, tell them that you just want stand alone DSL service at your new house and that you want to pick your own provider. Give them the name of the internet service company you want to use, and see what they say. They shouldn't have a problem. Also, start that number transfer with Vonage ASAP.

Good luck.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the reply!
Yes, the phone number that I want to keep is currently at my old house (which I'm currently selling and don't know when I'm going to be moving to the new house).
I only have phone service at the new house because someone is renting it to help me pay the bills while I'm not living in it. Maybe I should have them sign-up for the new DSL service in my name now, and then start the number transfer when I know I'm going to be moving.
The tricky part is getting Verizon to turn off the dial-tone and having a voice mail box like you sugested. I guess if I get that far and they say no to stand alone DSL, then I'm going to have go back to Time Warner's Road Runner internet.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 7

I'm not getting why you would need to get voice mail. If your old number is still at your old house, why not just switch it directly to Vonage. The only reason I got voice mail was so that I could keep my old number active. If I had just switched my old number to Vonage direct from my phone line, they would have disconnected my DSL service after the transfer went through. However, since you don't have DSL at your old address, you don't need to worry about it.

Also, you said that you would probably connect DSL now and do the number transfer when you move. I would actually do just the opposite. Start the number transfer now. Who knows how long it will take, and you don't want to lose your old number just because your moving and you can't keep the phone connected there for another month or two. If the transfer goes through before you move, just use Vonage through your cable internet until you move.

Also, don't connect the DSL until you are ready to move to the new address. There's no reason to do so. If Verizon is anything like Qwest, they can have it connected in a matter of a week or so.

Also, if the person living there now already has dialtone service, you would have to put the DSL in their name, and you'd have to pay them for it, and figure out who owed what in taxes, and it would be a big mess. Not to mention a waste of money because you're not using it anyway.

Anyway, just my $0.02. Good luck.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:01 am Post subject:

Another thought might be to call Verizon Online (not to be confused with Verizon, your local phone co). They have a greater interest in getting you as a DSL-only customer than the local co has. I'm not sure what their policies are. There's plenty of other DSL providers out there if they won't do it.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:10 am Post subject:

Ok, so I don't need Voicemail. That is good and you are correct.

I understand what you are saying now. I should transfer my number to Vonage and start using it at my current house, before I move. (unless Vonage is going to take several months to transfer, which may happen.)
In the mean time, do I sign-up with Vonage and get a random number to use in addition to my current number? Then for a period of some amount of time during the transfer I will have two lines at my current house, right? (The Vonage line and the USA land-line with the number being transfered).

Now what I didn't tell you is that the renter over at my new house already has Time Warner's Road Runner (and he is paying it for it). Both the Verizon phone bill and Road Runner at the new house are in my name. I could get him to switch to DSL and save $6/m and get faster service, then when I move in all I would have to do is cancel out Verizon's dail tone service and bring Vonage with me, correct?

Now the last thing I need to check into is: Does DSL require any special phone wiring or would the regular phone line already installed on the poles and in the house work? How do I verify that DSL is available there?
Thanks!

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 7

[quote="mini1"]I understand what you are saying now. I should transfer my number to Vonage and start using it at my current house, before I move. (unless Vonage is going to take several months to transfer, which may happen.)[/quote]

Exactly.

[quote="mini1"]In the mean time, do I sign-up with Vonage and get a random number to use in addition to my current number? Then for a period of some amount of time during the transfer I will have two lines at my current house, right? (The Vonage line and the USA land-line with the number being transfered).[/quote]

Right again.

[quote="mini1"]Now what I didn't tell you is that the renter over at my new house already has Time Warner's Road Runner (and he is paying it for it). Both the Verizon phone bill and Road Runner at the new house are in my name. I could get him to switch to DSL and save $6/m and get faster service, then when I move in all I would have to do is cancel out Verizon's dail tone service and bring Vonage with me, correct?[/quote]

You got it.

[quote="mini1"]Now the last thing I need to check into is: Does DSL require any special phone wiring or would the regular phone line already installed on the poles and in the house work? How do I verify that DSL is available there?[/quote]

Your regular phone wiring should work, especially if it's a new house (as in brand-new). Even if it's old, you've still got a pretty good shot. However, only your phone company can verify that. Give them a call. If you can't get DSL to work at the new place, they shouldn't charge you anything, but, again, ask.

[quote="mini1"]Thanks![/quote]

No problem. Good luck again.

Posts: 103 · Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:57 am Post subject:

Should I call Verizon or the 3rd party DSL provider to ask if DSL will work? (or both?)
Thank you!

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2005 Posts: 7

Verizon.