Porting and Switching to Dry Loop Question

[PainCourt]

Can anyone help with this? I'm helping my mother in-law (trying to get some browny points), to port her number to FPL/Fongo and get her on Dry Loop DSL. At the same time, try to minimize the blackout of her internet during the porting/switching process.

Note : my mother in-law has DSL and phone service with Bell. She will be porting her number to FPL/Fongo.

I have been reading many threads on this subject but still am confuse on the porting and switching to a Dry Loop DSL. So far this is what I found :

1. Start porting process with FPL/Fongo.
2. Receive email from FPL/Fongo when the porting date will be.
3. When porting date is confirm, call Bell and have DSL switch over to a Dry Loop on the porting date (this is to minimize the blackout of internet service to less then 24 hours)
4. Call Bell after the porting date and cancel phone with them.

For Example :

1. Assume I have sent in a porting request to FPL/Fongo already
2. Assume today's date is February 1st and I just received an email from FPL/Fongo stating that my port date is February 7th
3. I call Bell today (February 1) and tell them to switch me over to a Dry Loop DSL on February 7th.
4. Call Bell after February 7th and tell them to cancel my phone service with them.

Question :

1. What is the average number of days notice will FPL/Fongo give me prior to the port date (days between receiving port date confirmation email and actual port date)?
2. When FPL/Fongo sends me an email, confirming the port date … does this mean that FPL/Fongo has a LOCK on my phone number and Bell Cannot do anything about it? (I’VE READ THAT BELL CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR INDIVIDUAL TO PORT OUT IF THEY KNOW YOUR INTENT). Therefore, once I receive the port confirmation email, can I call Bell the same day I received the confirmation email and have them switch over to a Dry Loop DSL on the same day as the port date.
3. Has anyone gotten a port confirmation date that fell on a weekend (Saturday/Sunday)?

[seagame2001]

Dry Loop + DSL will cost more than cable internet I am sure on that

Yes you need to have dry loop DSL so when FPL port over you will have internet and FPL working same time

I would said take about 7 to 10 days to port over for my case take about 5 days only

I would suggest to call bell that you want to do Dry Loop first then do the port later

No I don't think port will fell on a weekend at all. Remember FPL only works week day and Saturday so no Sunday for sure

[PainCourt]

Seagame2001 ... thanks for the reply. It is not possible for my mother in law to get cable internet where she is. There is no extra cost to have a Dry Loop with Bell (I already confirmed with Bell). As for getting getting a Dry Loop before the port, I heard that it was not recommended ... from other threads I read here.

Can any FPL/Fongo representative answer my question below and confirm?

Question :

1. What is the average number of days notice will FPL/Fongo give me prior to the port date (days between receiving port date confirmation email and actual port date)?
2. When FPL/Fongo sends me an email, confirming the port date … does this mean that FPL/Fongo has a LOCK on my phone number and Bell Cannot do anything about it? (I’VE READ THAT BELL CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR INDIVIDUAL TO PORT OUT IF THEY KNOW YOUR INTENT). Therefore, once I receive the port confirmation email, can I call Bell the same day I received the confirmation email and have them switch over to a Dry Loop DSL on the same day as the port date.
3. Has anyone gotten a port confirmation date that fell on a weekend (Saturday/Sunday)?

[FONGO_mike]

Question :

1. What is the average number of days notice will FPL/Fongo give me prior to the port date (days between receiving port date confirmation email and actual port date)?
2. When FPL/Fongo sends me an email, confirming the port date … does this mean that FPL/Fongo has a LOCK on my phone number and Bell Cannot do anything about it? (I’VE READ THAT BELL CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR INDIVIDUAL TO PORT OUT IF THEY KNOW YOUR INTENT). Therefore, once I receive the port confirmation email, can I call Bell the same day I received the confirmation email and have them switch over to a Dry Loop DSL on the same day as the port date.
3. Has anyone gotten a port confirmation date that fell on a weekend (Saturday/Sunday)?

1) Average porting time is two to three weeks after we received the letter of athorization and most recent phone bill (copy) and payment is had been made (payment is made before the form is sent out.

2) When we send you the updates via email, we are in the process of taking the number. You do not however want to call Bell at any time to indicate you will be terminating service before the number has been officialy ported over.

3) There are no porting completions on the weekends. All porting requests are completed on weekdays (Mon-Fri)

[PainCourt]

Thank You FONGO_mike!

Question #1 - Sorry, I may have confuse some with the wording of my question. What I wanted to know is what is the time frame from the time that I receive the porting confirmation EMAIL from FPL to the actual porting date.

Question #2 - I am conflicted. Somewhere else on this forum, it was advise to do something else (I know the forum was from 2010, but does it still hold true). See below :

"Re: Keeping Existing Number after Porting and Changing Numbers
Postby FONGO_kris » 03/08/2010
I've made some minor corrections here, but could you PM me your number so I can check that status?:

1) Sign LOA and send back with a telephone bill less than 60 days old.
2) Wait for a response from FPL verifying that we've received the paperwork and you've been billed for the port request.
3) FPL will call you when we have a date for your porting to take place and again on that date.
4) Call ISP to get dry loop installed on the date your porting is taking place.
5) Cancel with your Local Voice Provider."

FONGO _kris advises that you can call your internet provider and arrange the day to have Dry Loop internet installed on the date your porting is taking place. Has the process change. Should I be following FONGO_mike or FONGO_kris procedure?

Again, I am trying to minimize the blackout of the internet/phone when porting a number away from Bell and switching from regular Bell DSL internet to Bell Dry Loop DSL internet.

Thank You!!!!!!!

[FONGO_mike]

Paincourt,

The posting from 2010 is a little out of date. You will normally get an email with in a couple days of us receiving your LOA and bill, and other confirmations along the way. If you want to time it for the same day as the switch, i would suggest doing it once you have the confirmation DATE that the porting will take place. It normally takes them about 5 day's to get out to install it and you will have plenty of time to make the order before the porting is completed. So, if porting is scheduled for the 25th of the month, you would want to call on the 24th or 25th at the latest to make the order.

[PainCourt]

FONGO_mike,

Thank you again! Once again, I would like to confirm ... before I screw it up for my mother in-law .

IF I got an email today from Freephoneline with a scheduled port date for the 25th of the month, I can call RIGHT AWAY to BELL and have them schedule to switch the internet to a Dry Loop for the 25th.

By doing this AFTER I received the email with the scheduled port date, I would NOT jeopardize losing my phone number to Bell. In essence, once Freephoneline sends me an email with the confirmed scheduled port date, Bell cannot do anything to my phone number and MUST release the phone number to Freephoneline.

Is this correct?

[FONGO_mike]

If you got an email today (January 30th) for Febuary 25th porting date, you would not want to call yet. I would suggest caling them on the 19th or 20th, maybe even the 18th.
The first email you get is to confirm that we have received your order and will begin processing. You receive another email later on informing you of the exact date the porting will take place.

[PainCourt]

FONGO_mike,

1. Sounds like you are suggesting, to call Bell to switch to Dry Loop 5-6 days before the EXACT date of the porting. Is this correct?
2. When the 2nd email, that is sent out, informing me of the EXACT date of porting, how days is this email sent out prior to the EXACT porting date?

Thanks!

[FONGO_mike]

the email, sadly, tends to go out 3 day's before the exact date. I would suggest that when you call in to port, you request a specific date (ideally two and a half to three weeks ahead) That way you are not having to worry about getting the notification far enough in advance.

[PainCourt]

FONGO_mike,

I will take this suggestion and ask for a specific port date (3 weeks out) when I call Freephoneline to start the porting process.

There is still one question that I am uncertain about ... I wrote earlier "Sounds like you are suggesting, to call Bell to switch to Dry Loop 5-6 days before the EXACT date of the porting."

1. Is this correct?

[FONGO_mike]

FONGO_mike,

I will take this suggestion and ask for a specific port date (3 weeks out) when I call Freephoneline to start the porting process.

There is still one question that I am uncertain about ... I wrote earlier "Sounds like you are suggesting, to call Bell to switch to Dry Loop 5-6 days before the EXACT date of the porting."

1. Is this correct?

That is correct

[PainCourt]

FONGO_mike ... Thank you for your time and patience. Have a great day!

[PainCourt]

Just wanted to give an update on how things went.

1. Emailed Letter of Authorization (LOA) and copy of recent Bell bill to Fongo/Freephoneline.
2. Received email back saying that Fongo/Freephoneline has received the LOA.
3. 3 days later, received email saying that Porting is set for February 14th
4. Received email saying Porting is complete. Checked the Bell line and confirmed that it was dead. Quickly changed the info on phone adapter and was up and running.

Funny thing, internet was still working when the phone number was ported out from Bell. Therefore, it was a seamless transition. We then called Bell and schedule for a Dry Loop (but in the meantime, internet still works ) Mother-in-law was happy, meaning wife is happy, meaning, I'm happy!!!!

[FONGO_mike]

Mother-in-law was happy, meaning wife is happy, meaning, I'm happy!!!!

.......meaning WE are happy!!!

[JimmyNeutron]

I have the same situation. In my case, I just receive email from Fongo saying that my porting will be completed on Mar 14, 2012. Does it mean I call Bell to arrange the dry loop now? And what do I say to Bell? Can I tell them my porting will be completed by tomorrow and ask them to arrange the dry loop ASAP for me? Thanks.

[TheHardy]

I have the same situation. In my case, I just receive email from Fongo saying that my porting will be completed on Mar 14, 2012. Does it mean I call Bell to arrange the dry loop now? And what do I say to Bell? Can I tell them my porting will be completed by tomorrow and ask them to arrange the dry loop ASAP for me? Thanks.

One day notice? Bell? ASAP? Best of luck with that, but I really really really would suggest not holding your breath. Me-thinks perhaps you may have left this a little too much to the last minute ...

[callopsitte_himself]

PainCourt wrote,

Funny thing, internet was still working when the phone number was ported out from Bell. Therefore, it was a seamless transition. We then called Bell and schedule for a Dry Loop (but in the meantime, internet still works )

I read somewhere that a dry loop is just a mean to bill you (address serves the purpose of billing) as for when you have DSL billing is tied to a phone number. In that post it was also mentionned that you could be 1-2 month without having the dry loop and your internet would still work (probably time to change billing credentials in their system).

When in early 2008 I got my sister in-law to register with FPL it is also exactly what happened. She first got hooked with FPL and three weeks later changed internet provider and asked at that moment to get the dry loop. So for three full weeks although her DSL line from Bell was cut as she was now usin FPL she still could have her internet.

So of course I would not recommend to wait before asking the dry loop when hooking up with FPL (as it is a highly discussed topic if when it is better to have the dry loop) but I would not worry about it if it's done one week before or after hooking up FPL.

[JimmyNeutron]

I think PainCourt is right. Here is my experience so far:

I have got an email on Mar 13 from Fongo saying that my porting will be completed on Mar 14. I thought I would be in trouble because I could end up with no internet for a while. I called Bell at night on Mar 13 asking for dry loop set up. That guy said I had to cancel my phone first. I said it will be cancelled tomorrow ie Mar 14. He told me to call back on Mar 14. On Mar 14 at about noon time, I received confirmation email that porting was completed. I checked that my landline was dead (ie no tone). However, my Bell DSL internet was still working. I changed my ATA number and it works. I called Bell again for the dry loop. He said it will be done in 48 hours. In between, I never lost the internet. I really don't understand why the internet is still on even there was no dial tone in my original home phone.

[TheHardy]

However, my Bell DSL internet was still working. I changed my ATA number and it works. I called Bell again for the dry loop. He said it will be done in 48 hours. In between, I never lost the internet. I really don't understand why the internet is still on even there was no dial tone in my original home phone.

Very odd ... goes against what I have been told by other telco installers is the actual procedure when bundled service is involved.

Before regarding what has happened as the OFFICIAL version, I would advise CAUTION that it may be a oversight or error -- fortuitous in this case, but against the NORM to be sure. It may not have worked out as smoothly as it did -- it is GOOD that it did, but I think it may have been a fluke!

I am glad that it seems to be going smoothly, and that soon you can have your very own "burning my last Bell telephone invoice" celebration!!!

[dibsmft]

I haven't ported a number but I dumped the landline phone. That was a simple process and the only thing that I was asked to do was to fit some kind of voltage regulator into the phone line. DSL does not need the phone to be active as it works on a different frequency on the same wire. My landline phone ceased operating 3 times and on each occasion I was able to call Aliant for service using voip on my DSL!

[JimmyNeutron]

So far my DSL internet has never been terminated due to the porting. Bell told me dry loop will be set within 48 hrs from my call. It should be set by now. But how do I know if the dry loop actually set up or not? Someone told me that if the DSL light from the modem flashing, that's mean it is not dry loop. But that light seems always flash except I unplug the ethernet cable. Is there a way to check?

[dibsmft]

You still have DSL with dry loop so the light should be (or perhaps flashing in your case) on if you have a connection. You probably have a different router to the one that I have as I am in NL serviced by Aliant (now Bell-ALiant). I suppose that if you call you old phone number and it is disconnected then you have dry loop.

[CSCO]

Just to pitch in my experience. I had Telus cut my entire service to the house (Phone, DSL and Internet) when the porting happened. They insisted I authorized FPL to cut all services at this address. I was without any service from them for a week (full 7 days) when they sent a technician out to do a new install. Good thing now I'm familiar with VOIP and have enough trust that I will always be on either Dry loop DSL or Cable and never touch PSTN again.