Swish Voice FAQs
If you have a question not covered, drop us a line and we'll get right onto answering your query.
1
What is VoIP?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It uses your fibre broadband internet connection to enable you to make and receive telephone calls. Your Swish Voice phone service is a VoIP service and does not use the copper wires used by the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) phone services.
2
Will my existing internal telephone sockets work with Swish Voice?
No, the handset must be plugged directly into the ‘Voice 1’ telephone port of your ONT and will be completely separate to the previous telephone sockets.
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3
I don’t have a landline at the moment, can I still get Swish Voice?
Yes. If you don’t have a landline we can provide you with a new telephone number when you sign up to Swish Voice.
4
Can I use my existing phone handset?
Most modern phones will work with our phone service. You will need an adaptor (BT socket to RJ11 plug) to plug your phone into the ‘Voice 1’ telephone port of your ONT. You can find instructions here www.swishfibre.com/voice-installation
If you have ordered our VoIP service our installer will be able to provide you with an adaptor.
5
Can I keep my existing telephone number?
Yes, we can port your number to us for a one-off fee. You should not cancel your existing phone contract with your current supplier until the phone number porting is complete. If you cancel your service before the porting process is complete they may reallocate your telephone number which will mean that your current number will not be able to be ported.
6
How long does it take to port my existing telephone number?
We will send you a Letter of Authority (LOA) to complete and sign so that we can port your telephone number to us. Once we’ve received your LOA it typically takes about two weeks to port your telephone number to us.
There may be some rare cases where we don’t have a porting agreement with your current provider and we are unable to port your number to us. In these circumstances we can provide you with a new telephone number so you can take advantage of having Swish Voice.
7
Do I need to dial the area code prefix for all calls made with my Swish Voice service?
Yes, you’ll need to dial the area code for all calls, whether local or national, made with your Swish Voice service.
8
Is the service compatible with an Emergency Alarm?
If you have fire, security or care alarms, or telehealth devices connected to your current phone line you will need to check with your device provider that they will work with a VoIP service.
VoIP requires the ONT to be powered on and working. In the event of a power failure your alarm may not work. Please check with your device provider.
9
What are the calling charges for Swish Voice Go and calls not included in my Inclusive minutes Voice plan?
Calls to UK geographic numbers starting 01 and 02, and to non-geographic numbers starting 03 are included in your minutes for the Swish Voice UK and Swish Voice World plans. Calls to premium rate numbers and other numbers such as those starting 084, 086, 09 or 119 are excluded. All call charges can be found in the Voice Call Plan and Charges document at www.swishfibre.com/legal
10
What destinations are included in my Swish Voice World Package?
Inclusive destinations can be found in the Voice Call Plan and Charges document at www.swishfibre.com/legal
11
Can I change my Swish Voice plan?
Yes, you can change your Swish Voice plan. Please contact our Sales team on 0800 0489415 or sales@swishfibre.com . Terms and conditions apply.
12
Why does my phone not ring when receiving calls?
There are a few reasons why this could be happening:
• Check that the ringtone volume on your phone is enabled and turned up.
• Ensure the handset is connected directly to the ‘Voice 1’ telephone port on your Swish ONT using the adaptor provided.
• If your handset is an old one the configuration of the connectors may be different. Replacing the line cord adaptor provided with an adaptor which has a ring capacitor may solve the problem.
If you are still having issues please contact our customer care team on 0800 0489415.
13
Will my Swish Voice phone service work if there is a power cut?
No. Your Swish Voice phone service will not work if there is a power cut or broadband outage. This means that you will not be able to make calls using your Swish Voice phone service, including calls to emergency services. You will need an alternative way of making calls, for example a mobile phone with a good indoor signal.
If you do not have another way of calling Emergency Services, please call our customer care team on
0800 0489415 and we will arrange for a Battery Backup Unit (BBU) to be provided to power your phone for at least an hour. Please note that for the BBU to work you will need a corded phone, as this solution will not work with cordless phones that require their own mains power.
14
What is a Battery Backup Unit?
In the event of a power failure, you won’t be able to make calls (including to emergency services) either using Swish’s telephone service or any other landline/fixed line telephone service that works over your Swish broadband connection. A Battery Backup Unit (BBU) is a device that, when correctly installed and connected to the ONT, can provide an additional supply of power to keep your Swish broadband connection active for at least one hour during a power failure, allowing you to use it to make landline/fixed line calls during this time.
To make these calls, however, you’ll need to use a corded phone plugged into the Swish ONT. DECT cordless phones won’t work during a power failure because they need their own power supply.
We offer BBUs free of charge for customers of our Swish Voice phone service if they do not have an alternative means of contacting the emergency services in the event of a power cut, such as a mobile phone with good coverage within their home, and/or they have a disability and/or accessibility requirements that make them more reliant on it. If you think that you need a BBU please contact our Customer Care team on 0800 0489415.
Please note that we reserve the right to charge you for the BBU if we find out that, at the time you requested it, you did not meet the criteria outlined above
15
How do I set up [and maintain] my Battery Backup Unit?
You can find instructions on how to set up and use your Battery Backup Unit on the Your BBU page www.swishfibre.com/voice-BBU
You should test and recharge your BBU every 6 months. When you test your BBU, if it no longer provides power to your ONT for at least one hour you will need to contact our Customer Care team on 0800 0489415 to get a replacement.
16
I have a mobile phone but I am a textphone/text relay user?
You will need to have downloaded the Next Generation Text app and/or have registered for emergency SMS.
17
What Calling features are available with my Swish Voice service?
• Caller display
If your phone is compatible with the service then the Calling Line Identification (CLI) number of the caller will be displayed unless the caller has withheld their number.
• 1471 - Missed call CLI
Dial 1471 to hear the CLI of the last call to be received but unanswered. If the CLI is withheld on the incoming call a suitable message will be played.
• 141 – Set CLI restriction
Withhold your CLI for one call. E.g. to call 01234 123456 anonymously dial 14101234123456
• 21 – Call Forward Unconditional
To forward your calls to another number e.g. to 07898 123456 dial *21*07898123456# and to disable it dial #21#
If you wish to withhold your CLI for all your outbound calls please contact our Customer Care team on
0800 0489415 to arrange.
Please note that we make Calling Location Information available to the emergency services when you use emergency call number “112” and “999”. This provides the emergency services with the location of your Swish Voice phone service.
18
What can I do to stop nuisance calls?
There are some things you can do to reduce and/or report unwanted calls:
• To prevent sales and marketing calls
Sign up to the TPS (Telephone Preference Service). Register your phone number at: www.tpsonline.org.uk/register
• Report scam calls to Action Fraud:
Tel: 0300 123 2040
Website: www.actionfraud.police.uk
• You can use a Nuisance Call Blocker phone:
• Phone provides options to block calls by specific numbers or number ranges
• Available from major suppliers.
FAQs
How do I fix my fibre network? ›
Reboot your router and fibre box (ONT/CPE). Check your cabling and power adapters. Make sure everything is “clicked” into place and your fibre patch cable is not kinked or wound too tightly.
How does fibre coverage work? ›With fibre internet, light signals are encoded with data. This data can travel very long distances at extremely high speed. This information is sent as a beam of light through thin glass strands that are cased in plastic. Light travels down the cables by repeatedly bouncing off the walls of the cable.
How does swish Fibre work? ›It uses your fibre broadband internet connection to enable you to make and receive telephone calls. Your Swish Voice phone service is a VoIP service and does not use the copper wires used by the old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) phone services.
What router does swish use? ›Our Home packages come with a Plume Superpod router included, delivering fast Wi-Fi connections and smart features that help you to control and protect your home network.
Why does my fiber internet keeps disconnecting? ›If you're too far from your router, your internet may cut in and out as Wi-Fi signals struggle to reach your device. Obstructions between your device and router may also cause intermittent disconnections. Pay attention to your device's Wi-Fi signal meter to see where your Wi-Fi signal gets weak and disconnects.
How do I fix network connectivity? ›- Unplug the power cable for the router from the power source.
- Unplug the power cable for the modem from the power source. Some modems have a backup battery. ...
- Wait at least 30 seconds or so. ...
- Plug the modem back into the power source. ...
- Plug your router back into the power source. ...
- On your PC, try to connect again.
Considering the difference in speed between both networks, fiber optic cables provide faster data transmission than wireless networks. While wireless networks can become slower during busy times, fiber optic connections remain strong, even during peak hours.
Does fibre replace WiFi? ›While fibre will give you a better WiFi connection, it's important to know that fibre itself is not a wireless connection. For WiFi, you need a router.
How does fibre connect to my house? ›The fibre cable will usually enter your property through the same point as your telephone line, which then connects to a modem to reach the signal. Fibre to the cabinet on the other hand uses fibre optic cable ONLY to the cabinet, and then copper wire delivers the connection into your home or business.
Can you tap into fiber? ›Fiber tapping uses a network tap method that extracts signal from an optical fiber without breaking the connection. Tapping of optical fiber allows diverting some of the signal being transmitted in the core of the fiber into another fiber or a detector.
Who is Swish Fibre owned by? ›
Swish is part of the Fern Trading group (“Fern”) which has an established track record in supporting renewable energy, healthcare, property, and now fibre broadband.
How does fast fibre work? ›Fibre optic broadband uses a network of fibre optic cables that are capable of delivering high-speed data over long distances. This data travels down the fibre optic cables at the speed of light meaning you get a more reliable connection to the internet and faster download speeds.
What is the most private router? ›The most secure choice of router encryption type
The best Wi-Fi router is the one that offers the most security. If you can find a router that offers WPA3, that will be one of the most secure options available. WPA3 offers better security, more advanced authentication processes, and a safer experience overall.
Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
The fibre cable will run to a node (termination box) in the street or surrounding area and from the Node copper lines will run to each home. For this type of technology you will require a VDSL modem router that supports the speed tier that you have chosen on your plan.
Join the UK's fastest broadband network**
Swish Fibre is a Full Fibre broadband provider, bringing truly exceptional connectivity services to homes and businesses. Our goal is clear and simple – to improve lifestyles and enhance communities by instantly connecting people and businesses beyond today's broadband.
Depending on the age and health of your router, a reboot should be done anywhere from monthly to daily. This is sometimes called a “power-cycle.” Rebooting your router cleans out the device's short-term memory (also called “cache”) to keep it running more smoothly.
How do I know if my router is bad? ›Routers rarely show outward signs of decay, rather they will display symptoms of decay, and slower than usual speeds to your devices is one signal that your router is on its way out. One way to check is to use an Ethernet cable to connect a computer or laptop directly to your modem.
What are the most common causes of network problems? ›- Sudden hardware failure. Devices can fail, and hardware wears out over time. ...
- Support network failures. ...
- Power loss. ...
- Traffic spikes. ...
- Diverse linkages. ...
- Out-of-Band Management.
To test if your router is working, try to ping one computer using another computer in the same network. You should be able to do this if the router is working properly. Your computer's firewall must be disabled as well. To learn more on how to check the computer's connectivity with the router, click here.
What are the disadvantages of fiber internet? ›Although fiber optic networks present many advantages, there are also some disadvantages to take into consideration. These include physical damage, cost considerations, structure, and the possibility of a “fiber fuse”.
What are the cons of fiber optic internet? ›
One of the main cons of fiber optic internet is that it can be more expensive than other internet plans. However, the faster speeds and other benefits may be worth the extra cost for some people.
Is fiber wired or wireless? ›Fiber Internet is the wired choice of our present times. It has replaced traditional copper-based facilities such as T-1, DSL, and Ethernet over Copper.
Does fiber need a new router? ›To use the fiber optic internet service, you would need a fiber optic router to accommodate fiber-optic speeds. Whether you can purchase a router or leas one, all recommendation shows getting a new router from your provider ensures all services are compatible and work right as promised with new services.
Does fiber internet still use a router? ›Since the optical wiring is designed for data connections, Fiber doesn't require a modem. Instead, it uses an ONT at each endpoint, short for Optical Network Terminal.
Does fibre use a different router? ›No, the Hub needs to be specially designed to work with Fibre so you can only use the BT Smart Hub or the BT Home Hub 5, Hub 4, Hub 3 or the earlier BT Infinity Hub. The Hub 3 and Hub 4 also need to have an Openreach modem that was fitted by an engineer.
How long does fiber installation take? ›Fiber Line Installation
This typically takes 5-7 working days. During this time, you may see crews feeding the fiber through the conduit from the street to your home.
Full fibre installation
From the modem, the cable will be connected to your router. Full fibre installation can take two to three hours, and you will need to be at home for the engineer to come and do the work – there is no option to self-install full fibre.
How do I know if I have Fiber-Optic Internet? If you have an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) like this on the outside of your location, your connection is fiber-optic. If you have a Network Interface Device (NID) box like one of these on the outside of your location, your connection is copper.
Does fiber internet need drilling? ›To bring fiber into your home, they will drill a small hole through an exterior wall*. Then, the technician will install your Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and free Hunter Wi-Fi router.
How deep does fiber have to be? ›How Deep Should Fiber Optic Cable Be Buried? Fiber optic cable is buried in conduits, typically at a depth of 3 feet to 4 feet, which is equivalent to 36 inches to 48 inches underground.
Does fiber carry audio? ›
A fiber optic cable can be used to send high resolution video, audio, and control signals on a single fiber over 30 km (18.75 miles), and avoids the risk of signal loss or degradation, ground loop hums, and electrical interference.
How do you reset a fibre connection? ›Unplug its power cord. Wait at least 10 seconds. Plug the power cord back in to the device. Wait 2-3 minutes for the LED to turn to solid blue.
Why is my full fibre not working? ›Make sure all the right cables are plugged in correctly
Make sure the power cable is connected to your Hub and the power supply. If you're still having problems, then switch your computer and devices off and then on. Try switching your hub off and then on.
The most accurate way for fiber testers to measure the overall optical loss in a fiber is to inject a known level of light in one end and measure the level of light at the other end, using an OLTS. The difference between source and receive power levels is the loss.