This topic

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:26:47 GMT

Thank you, your observation is germane to the problem. We were originally sold a business package because it was said that this would allow a faster processing capacity until FTTP was available. This order was suspended and replaced with an order for a residential package but then it was decided the business package would be better after all. So it's all been quite confusing.

Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:12:40 GMT

Which router do we require and what instructions should we give to the Openreach engineer for the following conditions?

When switching to BT we wish to retain our current landline number with broadband connection so that we can use corded phones on our house ethernet with the current connection sockets in three different rooms. At present the external lines to the house are copper wire as BT has not yet equipped our village with fibre optics. Lastly, we have Bakelite Series 300 phones we would like to retain in a functioning capacity.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

WSH — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:20:47 GMT

As you have clearly indicated it is not an upgrade to FTTP, (fibre optic), it is very unclear why you are getting an engineer visit. You need to explain more.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:31:46 GMT

We have had four aborted installation visits because on each occasion the particular engineer said the business smart 2 router we had been sent would not give us what we were requesting.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:18:15 GMT

@BevisBeauvais

I can't imagine BT would send you a Business SH2 unless you have a business account, in which case you need to post on the Business Forum:

https://business.forums.bt.com/

Residential & business phone systems are completely different.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:54:46 GMT

@BevisBeauvais

Not sure what's meant by "faster processing capacity"?

To achieve what you want on a BT residential service would require your internal extensions to be isolated from the incoming BT wiring. Once isolated, you connect the extension wiring directly to the SH2, & everything should works as before, although very old phones may have issues ringing. This would be entirely your responsibility & not Openreach or BT. Google "voice re-injection".

To achieve similar with a Business line would be completely different, as that's more of a conventional VOIP service. So if BT are willing to provide the required configuration settings, you would need an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) for each handset & that in turn would need to be connected to the router by ethernet.

Don't know if it's just me but the thread seems distorted, with your last reply at the top!

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 22:55:16 GMT

Cheers guru, that's great - now I can kind of visualise the physical layout from what you say which helps a lot.

Apologies for the sloppy terminology, I suppose I must mean processing speed in that videos keep buffering, so to speak. I-player has never worked on the current system and just recently YouTube has topped working all together on the television downstairs, which I presume is because now the contract with the original supplier has ended and BT have been arranging for the line to be kept running until they complete the take over, we will be on a budget service with reduced speed.

Openreach seems to be stepping back from internal work in buildings and letting customers use local electricians for the sockets and wiring. I was a bit worried about this at first but we've just had a CCTV installation: the firm did a nice job and say they can do the wiring.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 07:42:08 GMT

There should be no speed/quality difference between a residential & business service on a like-for-like package. So residential seems more appropriate for your stated needs.

There is an alternative to voice re-injection by using BT's Digital Voice Adapters. These are essentially a plug-in DECT socket that you simply plug your old phone into. I think current policy is the first one is free & then you have to buy more if required. Someone with more knowledge will hopefully chip in. These will of course be subject to the usual range limits of DECT, so may not be suitable in a large property. These are only available for residential customers because business doesn't use DECT.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 22:49:05 GMT

Thank you for this: I'll have to familiarise myself with the terminology and acronyms before replying.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:42:55 GMT

Yes, message number 5 seems to have been transposed to the beginning of the list. I wonder whether it's a bug in the system or an AI function of some kind deciding it's machine logic is superior to the real-time sequence of questions and responses.

A residential set-up is starting to sound more straightforward than a business one. You pointed out that the former would involve voice re-injection and suggested that while series 300 phones would work there could possibly be a problem with their ringing - could you perhaps elaborate on that and whether there might be a technological solution. Eccentric as it may sound, the ringing of the bell is aesthetically pleasing as is the whirl of the dial. Also, when the line eventually goes digital would all this still apply?

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

iniltous — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:02:58 GMT

The ‘whirl of the dial’ , presumably this means it’s a rotary dial phone ( producing loop disconnect pulses that represent the digit dialled, as was the norm in the 1970’s and earlier) then this phone won’t work on Digital Voice for outgoing calls , as ‘Digital Voice’ telephony which is what BT supply its new residential customers with , doesn’t work with loop disconnect signalling , only DTMF (touch tone signalling) …it probably can be made to work on incoming calls , you may even get it to ‘ring’ but you won’t be able to make calls from it .

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:39:10 GMT

@BevisBeauvais

I don't believe it's possible to order a new residential service without Digital Voice. So you would need to either deploy voice re-injection or try the DVA from the start.

The issue with old phones ringing is that neither the SH2 nor the Digital Voice Adapters provide a ring wire for old phones. Some have rectified this by adding an old style DSL Microfilter, which should provide the ring wire. But this is an imprecise solution & not guaranteed to work. It's a suck it & see option.

There are firms that will convert rotary dial phones to DTMF, but you would need to ascertain from them the compatibility with DV.

A Business service would seem wholly inappropriate for your stated needs, unless you perhaps need the improved response times to faults if working from home.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

licquorice — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:41:00 GMT

You will need to use an ADSL filter to generate the bell wire

If you want to retain your rotary dial, you will need to buy a loop/disconnect to DTMF converter as well.

Typing as @Anonymous posted

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:20:38 GMT

Could you explain the difference between what you have called a conventional VOIP used by a business service and a presumably less conventional VOIP used by a residential service.

Does an ATA carry out a similar function for a business service as an ADSL does for a residential one?

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:24:02 GMT

Business Services have said they could take over my current number whereas Residential Services say they may be able to take over my number but that they cannot give a guarantee. Why might that be?

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

licquorice — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:40:47 GMT

BT residential Digital Voice is totally proprietary system which can only be used in conjunction with a BT Smart Hub2. The hub presents both an ATA in the form if the green socket at the rear of the hub and a standard DECT signal.

If you wish, you can forgo BT's system and use a third party VoIP provider with an ATA that utilises an Ethernet port on the hub.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:44:23 GMT

It appears to be looking as if I probably can eventually get exactly what I want as long as I don't expect it all to be engineered by Openreach or provided by BT for the same cost as a more standard package. So could I put the question another way, bearing in mind I'm ultimately aiming for a landline with a broadband connection that I can run from an ethernet with multiple extension sockets and using corded phones including fully functioning old series 300 models with dials at:

Assuming I can get later an outside firm to come in and take care of all the non-standard features, is there anything about the installation I must stipulate to BT and Openreach so as not to close off the possibility of the outside firm completing the system to my specifications. In other words, is there anything I must not have done by Openreach?

I ask because one of the Openreach engineers aborted the installation because he said we would have lost the dialling tone. Meanwhile, the outside firm that fitted our CCTV to our satisfaction have simply said they need a phoneline with broadband connection and would prefer the master socket to come in where they have made a hole for the CCTV wiring.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

licquorice — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:50:43 GMT

It is not entirely clear whether you are aiming for a business service or residential service

Neither is it clear whether you are moving to FTTP or remaining with DSL.

You cannot 'stipulate' anything to Openreach.

If you take a residential service with BT you will have the choice of using their DV service or a third party VoIP service. Either option will give you dial tone and broadband.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

BevisBeauvais — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:10:35 GMT

FTTP isn't presently available to our locality with BT although a rival firm has run fibre optic to the pole at the top of our drive.

BT are holding my business package open but giving me the chance to opt instead for residential and are due to ring tomorrow. All things considered, from what I am hearing on this forum residential looks like the better option. The sticking point is whether or not I can retain my current number - Business says yes, Residential says maybe.

It seems I have a choice between DV or third party VOIP and shall have to try and choose based on what you have all told me so far, which is a lot of information to condense.

Re: Choosing the correct router for our needs

Crimliar — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:21:17 GMT

Just one heads up for a part of the problem, it is possible to get DTMF dialers that you just hold up to the mouthpiece. Even these though are getting rarer, and as a result more expensive!