This topic

FW500 hybrid phone

sambda — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:56:46 GMT

BT are sending me one of these phones. I am reading the instructions here, but am I being thick or does it not take voicemail/answerphone messages?

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

Aljaha — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:21:33 GMT

The Hybrid phone is a stand alone phone and does not have an answerphone but uses the BT's voicemail unless you have another phone with an answerphone.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

imjolly — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:57:48 GMT

@sambda

the FW500 hybrid phone is for use in emergency should you have a power cut leaving you without internet connection and is not intended for use as an every day phone.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

sambda — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:09:36 GMT

OK. Thanks. I've got an engineer coming Monday to install full-fibre. I am told this is compulsory even if you're not having a tariff which actually needs it (I am going to BT Essentials (for Universal Credit)). So if this new phone is just for emergencies, can I get my old phone (with a BT plug), which is upstairs, working with this new setup. Somebody said the engineer that comes will supply a BT-plug-to-wireless adapter?

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

imjolly — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:23:16 GMT

your existing phone will connect to the BT SH2 router. there is a green socket on the back of the router and you just unplug phone from wall socket and connect to green socket on back of hub Openreach engineer may do that for you but it is simple to do

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

sambda — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:24:35 GMT

No, I want my existing phone upstairs in what is sort of my office. The router has to be downstairs, SIU.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

licquorice — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:12:13 GMT

Then you simply need a DV adapter which is a portable phone socket that just plugs into any mains socket.

FW 500 provides connectivity in the event of a power cut.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

Aljaha — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:32:50 GMT

The FW500 works just like any phone whilst connected to the internet, so you can make and received calls etc as usual. If there is a power cut or BB outage it automatically connects to the mobile system and then the restrictions apply.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

paulpablo — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:46:21 GMT

samboda Re Emergency CW 500

Not sure if your information is correct concerning Motorola CW 500 emergency phone was informed 2 different version s by BT tech that its only emergency then was informed you can use as normal phone for every day use & when Router Goes down it connects to sim card

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

paulpablo — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:49:38 GMT

HI Aljaha
i think that is correct but was informed by BT Tech 2 different versions one you can use as normal phone as well then informed its only a emergency phone !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

conrad — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:20:26 GMT

I have my FW500 plugged into my router and my Graphite 2500 connected to an adapter in my lounge.
They both ring on an incoming call with the call going to my answer phone if not picked first on the 2500. Nuisance calls are shown as such on the 2500 but the number is displayed on the FW500.

The FW500 can only be used when there is a power cut and has about 8 hours charge. It is best to call 0800 numbers so you don't reduce the limited calling credit on the sim card. People can contact you using the sim number during the power cut if it is still charged.

The drawback of the FW500 is the 8 hours charge availability which can mean that if there was a power cut just after going to bed it will have used up the charge by the time you wake up.

Another quirk which maybe because I am with EE is that if a call is known to be spam and is blocked by the ISP the FW500 will still ring but the 2500 won't.

Re: FW500 hybrid phone

Tim123 — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:18:49 GMT

@conrad Does your phone actually charge its battery? Some posts on this forum have suggested that the FW500 doesn't charge well and perhaps that's why it's been discontinued.

Also, how many minutes does the BT/EE Mobile SIM card come pre-loaded with? And is the phone unlocked so that a SIM from another network can be used?