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Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:07:01 GMT

Trying to get some more information in readiness for future transfer to DV....

1. The Smart Hub 2 has one phone socket on the back. Can I plug a 'splitter' into that socket and connect two phones? what is the REN capacity of that socket.

2. Similarly, the DV Adaptor for plugging into a mains socket elsewhere in the house has one phone socket. Can I plug a 'splitter' into that socket and connect two phones? What is the REN capacity of that socket?

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

jac_95 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:07:39 GMT

Hi Daedalus2000,

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Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:21:27 GMT

I have looked at the FAQs, but could not find what I need to know, hence the specific questions.

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

iniltous — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 09:47:00 GMT

REN is something of a redundant term , a throwback to when telephones had bell sets so the amount of current that was supplied may have been insufficient if multiple handsets were connected, with electronic ‘ ringers ‘ it’s not really an issue, but AFAIK, it’s a nominal REN of 4 , same as before, the DV adapter is basically a DECT station, a telephone extension splitter connected to it , and more than one handset may work , but that’s not the way they are intended to be used ,

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:16 GMT

Having read up about 'voice injection'.....

My BT master socket is in the hall at the front of the house and supports the main phone+answer-machine. The router is plugged into an extension socket upstairs at the back of the house in the 'office', so I can plug a phone into that as well.

There is an internal extension cable from the back of the master socket faceplate which supplies additional extension sockets all around the house. My basic idea (subject to reading more about the technicalities) was to disconnect that cable from the master socket, put a BT plug on the end, and plug it into a DV Adaptor, thereby using the existing wiring to support at least some of the existing hand-sets.

As I will need a DV adaptor in the hall anyway in order to support the main phone there, I wondered if I would need a 2nd adaptor to support the extension wiring or could just run both of the same adaptor with a 'splitter'?

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

licquorice — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:39:26 GMT

It's basically a case of try it and see

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

imjolly — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:43:33 GMT

this previous post may help rewiring of phones

https://community.bt.com/t5/Archive-Staging/Correct-way-to-enable-all-BT-sockets-after-Digital-Voice/m-p/2164646/highlight/true#M76966

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:14:38 GMT

I've read all that info with interest, thanks.

Almost all the 'solutions', as far as I can see, relate to people who have FTTP and therefore can simply disconnect the master socket from the incoming copper cabling. However my house just has FTTC.

It would appear that I could just disconnect the cable which feeds the internal extensions, stick a BT plug on the end, and then plug it into a DV adaptor? But I would like to have some certainty about whatever method is required so that I can do some preparatory work, not simply rely on 'trial & error' after the eventual switch-over.

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

licquorice — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:36:30 GMT

It is very much dependent on whether your internal wiring has been provided 'correctly' or not.

From your description of plugging your hub into an extension socket, it hasn't been.

With ' correct' wiring, broadband and voice wiring are effectively separated at the master socket, all extension wiring for voice being wired to the removable faceplate and any extension purely for a router wired to the data extension terminals.

Without knowing EXACTLY how your house wiring is configured, it is impossible to give a definitive answer as to what is required.

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 14:59:13 GMT

I will have a look inside my master socket in due course, but....from my recollection of previous access there were no obvious 'data extension' terminals, simply the one set of 4 IDC terminations. Probably an early version of a NTE5?

I would add that the cable which runs from the master socket to feed the router upstairs terminates in a faceplate which has both a BT socket for phone and a RJ11 socket for the router. So I would assume that, if I were to get a new OpenReach 5C socket, then I could simply reconnect that cable to the 5C's 'data' connections and use it solely for router support.

All the other phone extensions are fed by a separate cable off the master socket faceplate, so if I were to disconnect that and plug it into a DV Adaptor instead, then that would support the old phones (and bells?).

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

licquorice — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:26:45 GMT

That sounds as if you have a second master socket rather than an extension socket.

Yes, I have read your other thread, but I still think that cordless phones are a much better and simpler solution than trying to accommodate fixed phones and bells.

Not wishing to be rude, but if your wife struggles to hear anything other than a very loud bells I'm not sure I understand how she can hold a phone conversation in any case.

Personally, I find that using my mobile via my hearing aids with Bluetooth is a far superior method of holding a conversation than trying to use the landline.

Re: Multiple phones on Digital Voice

Daedalus2000 — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 15:57:44 GMT

The answer to your question is....with great difficulty! But we have worked out ways to get around that 🙂

As for hearing aids and Bluetooth etc - I've long since given up the struggle ! Her disabilities are such that anything other than a BIG on/off switch are usually beyond her, as for pairing ....on a hiding to nothing 😞