Using Old Telephones on Modern Networks.
The old way for telephones to tell the exchange what number you were dialling, whether the 'phone had a rotary dial or push-buttons, was to send a series of pulses — you could hear clicks as you dialled. The modern way is to send tones.
Definitive information is very hard to come by but it seems that BT exchanges work on either system, as do most Virgin ones. Some of the other companies, like TalkTalk, may only accept tones though; there is further confusion as to whether these companies simply don't support pulse dialling or if they do but their equipment won't work with a dial that is less than perfectly adjusted.
You are certainly screwed when it comes to things like home-banking where account numbers &c are entered via the telephone keypad and you need to use the * and # keys.
Another thing that could be a problem is if you have an Analogue Telephone Adapter to use a Voice Over Internet Protocol service. About the only ATA that understands pulses is the Grandstream Handytone/HT 502, and as that's made primarily with the American market in mind it may not work properly with UK 'phones.
There are devices around which can change pulses to tones, including ways to dial * and #. See 'A Homemade LD-DTMF Converter,' which also gives information about commercially available ones.
Despite the foregoing, an old 'phone, correctly set-up, will be fine for in-coming calls.
The old way for telephones to tell the exchange what number you were dialling, whether the 'phone had a rotary dial or push-buttons, was to send a series of pulses — you could hear clicks as you dialled. The modern way is to send tones.
Definitive information is very hard to come by but it seems that BT exchanges work on either system, as do most Virgin ones. Some of the other companies, like TalkTalk, may only accept tones though; there is further confusion as to whether these companies simply don't support pulse dialling or if they do but their equipment won't work with a dial that is less than perfectly adjusted.
You are certainly screwed when it comes to things like home-banking where account numbers &c are entered via the telephone keypad and you need to use the * and # keys.
Another thing that could be a problem is if you have an Analogue Telephone Adapter to use a Voice Over Internet Protocol service. About the only ATA that understands pulses is the Grandstream Handytone/HT 502, and as that's made primarily with the American market in mind it may not work properly with UK 'phones.
There are devices around which can change pulses to tones, including ways to dial * and #. See 'A Homemade LD-DTMF Converter,' which also gives information about commercially available ones.
Despite the foregoing, an old 'phone, correctly set-up, will be fine for in-coming calls.