This topic

Using Digital voice with an alternative router

bolojede — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 12:48:18 GMT

I have recently been forced to change from my normal Bt phone line to digital voice. I have always used a tp link archer vr900 for my BT broadband as the wifi has been poor with the Bt hubs.

On receiving the digital voice phone I realised that it can only connect to a BT Hub. I have searched through forums and it seems the only way around this is to connect my tp link router to the bt smart hub 2 and connect one of those to network terminal. I have tried to do this but not being tech savvy in this sense can't seem to get this to work.

I wonder if anyone can explain how to do this step by step "Barney style" please.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

jac_95 — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 13:17:06 GMT

Hi bolojede,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

licquorice — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 13:35:01 GMT

The first thing to do is put the VR900 into Wireless Router Mode rather than DSL Modem Router mode.

Disable DHCP server and connect one of the Hub LAN ports to one of the VR900 LAN ports.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

WSH — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 15:09:12 GMT

As Liquorice said, the easiest way is to switch the TP-Link to Access Point mode, (if it has one), then skip to *. If it can’t do that then it is still doable but this is where it gets more complicated.

Two things to remember. You can’t have two routers in a network, so you are not using the TP-Link’s router function. Nothing should be plugged into its WAN port or DSL port. Secondly, two DHCPs in a network will cause problems. (Not strictly true, but the ISP’s kit is usually not up to it and you would need to know how to configure them to work together anyway).

Basically, to make this work you have to switch everything in the TP-Link off, except for the wireless function.

What you also need to do is give the TP-Link a static address inside your network but also outside the range the BT hub is issuing. I seem to recall the BT smart hub is already set up to allow addresses 1 to 63 to be used as static addresses. Go into the TP-Link and set it to use 192.168.1.20 (They both need the same subnet mask, if it asks for it. Usually this is 255.255.255.0 on ISP’s equipment. If necessary, check what the BT hub is using).

*You will also need to turn off the wireless function on the BT hub. (The two Wi-Fi’s may interfere with each other if you don’t).

You then connect the BT hub to your master socket, (or ONT if full fibre), and the TP-Link from one of its ethernet ports to one of the BT hubs ethernet ports.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

licquorice — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 15:46:30 GMT

The TP Link has a default address of 192.168.1.1, no need to change it.

There is no need to turn off the wifi on the hub, just fix the channels to be different on each device.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

bolojede — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 18:50:55 GMT

Thanks for the advice. Need more help. I have put the VR900 into Wireless Router Mode, disable DHCP server and connected one of the Hub LAN ports to one of the VR900 LAN ports.
I have connected the broadband from the wall socket to the hub instead to vr900 as it was before. Is this correct?

My devices that previously used wifi via the vr900 now have no internet access. Also I can't access the ip address of VR900 anymore since the changes. What am I doing wrong or completely misunderstanding?

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

bolojede — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 19:30:55 GMT

Okay It all of a sudden does work. I changed the Ethernet ports I was using on the VR900.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

licquorice — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 20:47:40 GMT

I guess you connected to the WAN port rather than a LAN port.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

anandass — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:17:23 GMT

Could you please clarify , if the Digital voice were wifi connceted via WPS on BT HUB 2, and if you disable WIRELESS ? then how would this work

My setup is BTHUB2 >>>> RJ45 4 ports >>>>> connceted a RJ45 to alternative router like Linksys wifi router{ for better better WIFI on Rj45 PORT and I end up conneted as repeater , and have a setup as DHCP with 10.x.y.z/24 - and it works fine but i still couldnt work out how to disable WIFI on BT HUB 2 -due to couldnot get digital phone working .

any help would be great

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

imjolly — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:21:47 GMT

Digital voice phones connect to SH2 base by DECT not WiFi so turning off WiFi will not affect DV

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

WSH — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:25:10 GMT

Digital Voice does not use Wi-Fi. It uses a different type of wireless signal called DECT. This remains on even when the Wi-Fi is turned off.

Edit: Typing at the same time as Imjolly.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

WSH — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:49:04 GMT

The SH2 must be the first thing connected to the ONT (for Full Fibre) or the wall phone socket (for FTTC/VDSL).

If your "digital phone" is a traditional cordless unit then the base station needs to connect to the green phone socket of the back of the SH2.

If it is a non-cordless, ordinary phone it also needs to plug into the socket on the SH2.

If a BT digital unit it will need registering to the SH2 as base station. This is in the management pages of the SH2, as is the place to turn off the Wi-Fi.

If Digital Voice has just gone live, be aware that the SH2 will need a reboot before it picks up the correct settings.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

anandass — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:55:58 GMT

many thanks for the quick reply, { is anyway to know the SIP UN/PWD so we can use Polycom SIP phone ? or may not be possible for home users ( thanks again )

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

WSH — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:00:43 GMT

Digital Voice is a proprietary version of VoIP, although still SIP based. I doubt that phone will work but others on here know more about this area than me, so someone might know a way.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

anandass — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:03:55 GMT

Apologies, for asking {Great , my digital phones are all Digital HD and to get them working all i did was press the WPS enabled to get them working when they came inertially about 4 yrs ago, and have been working OK -so hope is reboot with new Linksys AND BT hub wifi disabled should be OK

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

anandass — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:05:15 GMT

Many Thanks again,

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

WSH — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:07:52 GMT

As far as I know, only BT's own digital phones can be registered direct to the SH2. As I said, it's a proprietary system.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

MrTapper — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 17:26:22 GMT

I'm in the same predicament as you.

Re: Using Digital voice with an alternative router

Noslek — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:48:45 GMT

Not sure if the following will help anyone, but thought I would share my solution that is a little different and has a good degree of flexibility. We have recently upgraded to BT Digital Voice with a SH2 and have a SIP phone system running Avaya IP Phones through my IP PBX - YeaStar S20 through out the property.

I installed the IP Phone system well before the switchover was started because I wanted hard wired phones and the ability communicate between our house and our home office. When looking to upgrade to DV I wanted a simple upgrade path that did not involve buying a whole load of new or replacement kit.

My solution was to connect the YeaStar S20 (IPPBX) to the green phone port on SH2 (in place of the analogue wall socket) and continue using my IP Phone system without any change. My IP phones are connected to my LAN via Cat6 cabling that I installed. This meant that all the settings in the IPPBX remain unaltered and all the scam call blocks etc I had set up operated seamlessly. It also means that because I have a UPS installed the phone system will not be affected by a power outage at home.

This might not be for everyone, but having an IP phone system through out the property (eliminating DECT call drops/batteries dying mid call etc) allowed me to retaining a hard wired flexible system that also allowed a very simple upgrade path for DV. Although the Avaya phones can all connect using WiFI, I chose to hard wire then via my ethernet infrastructure.

The advantages are that every room can have a hard wired IP phone connected on the LAN (and therefore be able to reach any other phone on the same network); for those without ethernet cabling, using WiFI SIP phones would be an alternative, though you would need to use a small IPPBX and WiFi Access Points as necessary.