if you switch from eircom to upc, do you keep your phone number

CorkMan

I want to switch over to UPC, but I want the same phone number.

Very sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I couldn't not find the appropriate forum using google.

jor el

You have to port the number over from eircom. There's a form you need to fill in, and you need your UAN from eircom (it's on the bill).

Karmafaerie

All in all it takes about 2-3 weeks, but you won't be without your old number.


UPC install their phone.
You fill out the form.
UPC arrange the port with Eircom.
You have two seperate phone lines, with two seperate numbers (UPC give you a temporary one).
About two weeks later the both lines go down and Eircom close your account.
Then the UPC line comes back with the old number attached.

GerardKeating

CorkMan wrote: »

I want to switch over to UPC, but I want the same phone number.

Very sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I couldn't not find the appropriate forum using google.

You can transfer the number from eircom to UPC, takes a week or two, and you must not cancel the eircom account until the number is transfered.

PogMoThoin

Karmafaerie wrote: »

All in all it takes about 2-3 weeks, but you won't be without your old number.

Its quicker now than it used be, my Mam ported her number from Eircom to Blueface last year and it only took a day or 2. Still far too slow, You can port a mobile number in 10 mins, whats the story there?

LB6

Apologies for resurecting a zombie thread, but it's what came up when I googled my question.

I'm here filling in the form for porting the numbers from Eircom to UPC and it's asking for the UAN number. It's supposed to be on the Eircom bill. For the life of me I can't see anything described as UAN on the bill. Please help. Thank you.

mark17j

LB6 wrote: »

Apologies for resurecting a zombie thread, but it's what came up when I googled my question.

I'm here filling in the form for porting the numbers from Eircom to UPC and it's asking for the UAN number. It's supposed to be on the Eircom bill. For the life of me I can't see anything described as UAN on the bill. Please help. Thank you.

It should be on the bill as the ''Uni account ref'' with an 8 digit number, if you're still having problems locating it, just ring eircom and they will give it to you.

LB6

Tx Mark - didn't see that ref there either. Phoned - he said the UAN is just their a/c no. Why don't they just say these things?

Solair

It can take anything from 24 hours to two weeks depending on eircom's mood.

I actually suspect it has do with the type of exchange, and the software version it is running, that your eircom phone number is hosted on. If you're on an older exchange, the procedure is quite likely to involve more manual / local intervention to get the port to happen. Where as if you're on a newer setup, the probably just have to click a few mouse buttons to make it all happen.
If it's a more modern exchange, running newer software, it seems like it's a lot easier.

LB6

I was told yesterday when the BB came in that I can expect a wait of 15 working days from the time they get the porting notice form. Will be interesting to see

collier

You can do it faster on http://www.upc.ie/transfermynumber/ I did and only took two days

LB6

Dropped over the form to UPC office and got txt 2 hrs later to say it will be done by Monday. Wait and see now.

Solair

It seems it's getting faster.

It's pretty simple really. Your phone number is a bit like a URL on the internet.
When you dial say (020) 999 9999, the "exchange" looks up a routing database to see what the real end point is.

So (020) 999 9999 might have been Line 123456980X at exchange PLQX which has a big long code.

When you move to UPC, eircom updates the routing database to point (020) 999 9999, they change the end point to reflect your UPC end point on one of UPC's switches.

Mobile number porting is done the same way. It's a feature of so called "Intelligent Networks" (IN) technology. The same kind of system routes calls from 1800/1850/etc to end points which are real numbers.

IN is also used when you setup call forwarding, so the exchange knows where the call's really meant to go, it doesn't actually have to dial the other number and patch the call through (which was the case in the earlier days [1980s]).

The delays were largely about administrative processes behind the scenes rather than any particular technical reason.

However, in the PSTN, there are a hell of a lot of switches, so it can take a while for the new data to fully propagate through the various networks i.e. all of eircom's, BT's, Smart's, Vodafone's, O2's, UPC's etc etc major nodes.

So, if your number isn't working from a particular network e.g. your mobile, just wait a while and it should refresh and start working.

It's very similar to URLs and DNS servers on the web.

Basically, the structure of the telephone numbers you dial no longer necessarily reflect the routing of the call. In the past, it was all hardwired and the digits actually represented areas, exchanges, levels with in exchanges and there was really no 'intelligence' in the network when it came to routing.