This topic

Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:59:52 GMT

last week BT threatened to cut my broadband for 7 days, at 5 days notice, so I called and they said they wouldnt.

I now find I still have broadband, but my landline has been cut.

They are trying to upgrade me to Digital Voice, and the first 2 appointments BT messed up. No one came the first time, and the second time they cancelled. Then they fixed a third time, for Sept.2, but that morning the engineer called to say he couldnt find the house. I told him not to bother coming, because I'd come home the night before to find I'd been burgled (true -- I have police report etc.), the place looked like a hurricane had blown through it, and he agreed there was no point.

The day after that I got the email form BT threatening to cut my broadband, so i called them right back, and they said they understood etc. But I'm not convinced they havent screwed up again, as they have now 7 times asked me if I have a personal alarm hooked to my line, I've told them no, and to update their records. They say they've updated their records, and then they ask the same question again next time, over and over.

Also, my efforts to contact them online just get me running round in circles. I'd really like to speak to someone at BT, but how can they if they cut my landline?

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

imjolly — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:42:46 GMT

Normally the move to digital voice does not require an openreach visit so have you tried connecting your phone to the green socket on the back of your BT router?

You can try contacting billing using message now in this link

https://www.bt.com/help/contact-bt/account-and-billing/broadband

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:41:54 GMT

They've just sent me messages telling me I'm supposed to set it all up myself.

After spending months making appointments for someone to come round and do it.

I'll try to sort it out in the morning when I have the energy to deal with it -- the house is still in an utter state after the burglary.

Presumably its not rocket science, but I have to shift a lot of stuff to get access to all the wires etc., and I've got no place to move the stuff to.

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

iniltous — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:17:02 GMT

Setting Digital Voice up yourself amounts to taking the phone cord of your landline telephone hanset or basestation of a DECT cordless phone set , and moving it from the telephone socket on the wall to the telephone socket on the router .

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

imjolly — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:19:08 GMT

You just need to unplug the phone from the phone socket and then just plug phone into green socket on back of hub

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:36:37 GMT

So now I've plugged in the hub and the new phone to the power sockets, and I've registered the phone.

But the phone tells me I have no Internet connection, and the BT Hub central light has gone from blue to flashing orange.

I feel there should be some kind of broadband cable going into the back of the Hub, but I currently have my broadband cable going into a router in another room.

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:43:59 GMT

A few days ago BT said they would call to fix a new time for an engineer to come round and set the thing up, but they can't call me if I have no phone service.

I don't want to start messing around with my router and broadband cable, as then I'll end up with no Internet and no phone either.

It also seems impossible to contact BT online.

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

imjolly — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:57:12 GMT

you need to connect you phone to the BT hub that is connected to the internet using the green socket on the back of the hub. why do you have 2 routers? the router that needs phone connected is the one connected to the internet

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:13:48 GMT

I asked Google if BT Hub replaces my old BT router, and it said this, which I'm now going to follow:

AI Overview

Yes, a new BT Hub (such as a Smart Hub) physically replaces your old router. You must unplug your old router and plug the new BT Hub into your wall socket or Openreach modem to get internet access. [1]

How It Works

Physical replacement: Unplug your old router's power and cables, then connect the new BT Hub in its place. [1]

Wi-Fi network: The new hub creates a new Wi-Fi network with a different name and password found on the back sticker. You can log into the hub settings to change the name and password to match your old router so your devices reconnect automatically. [1]

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

imjolly — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:46:30 GMT

@steevh

if you can the follow the AI instructions for replacing existing hub with new hub and if you can change the SSID (hub name) to that of new hub and also password and that should connect to internet and also connect existing wifi devices automatically

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

steevh — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 07:52:35 GMT

Ok, I followed the AI, and it now works.

Both phone and Internet.

Hallelujah!!

But I'm puzzled that I didnt even need to update the Hub name and password -- the Internet connected automatically.

Thanks tremendously for everyone's help in what is a difficult time for me.

Re: Landline cut off, but broadband ok, after threat to cut broadband

iniltous — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:30:37 GMT

The hub ‘name’ and password are for wireless devices (WiFi) so IPads ,tablets , mobile phones etc , the telephone service doesn’t use WiFi , and if you have a wired PC for example ( so connected with an Ethernet cable to one of the Ethernet ports on the router ) then the WiFi name and password are irrelevant, you also must have something else ( that you referred to as a router in another room ) if this is a wired WiFi extension then it probably has its own WiFi name and password and that stays the same , so changing the router in your case will only be an issue if you try to connect directly to it via WiFi , in which case you need its own WiFi name and password .
Why didn’t you mention the fact you were supplied with a new router and this other ‘device’ existed initially, if you had the advice you were given would have been more helpful