This topic

Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:45:08 GMT

We were switched to DV 2 days ago. We have a very up to date fast broadband connection, installed about 2 years ago.

Our Smart Hub 2 is out of wifi range of our Master Panasonic cordless phone, the other cordless phone is within range.

We paired the adapter with the smart hub and had a steady green light. When plugged in next to the main phone the light changed to intermittent flashing (a fault?) and the phone had an engaged signal. We then tried plugging the main phone directly into the router and suddenly received an incoming call, but still no dial tone - just the engaged signal.

We tried the adapter in lot of other power outlets and it only worked in the rooms where we get Wifi reception.

We have 2 corded phones - one in a barn and the other in our bedroom and have tried disconnecting these but that has not helped.

We are waiting for a call back from BT, but any help in the meantime would be much appreciated - everyone on the forum sounds so knowledgeable. We are not at all tech savvy and were quite happy with the old phone connection!

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

imjolly — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:54:27 GMT

did you read the FAQ on DV it may help. DV works on DECT not wifi

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

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:13:20 GMT

Hello,

Thank you very much for your advice

I have had a good look at the link that you very kindly sent, so can see that Wifi isn't the problem.

The Base set is still not working in it's original position and the Adapter is still showing that there is a fault. I have checked the Panasonic KX-TGC42OE and it is a DECT phone

If we plug the base set into the Router, or the Adapter plugged in next to the router, we still get an engaged signal but can actually dial out. We can also receive calls. The corded phone also works when plugged into the router.

We really need the base set in the original place as it's my husband's office, so any more advice would be welcome.

Thank you

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

licquorice — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:39:16 GMT

Can you not plug the adapter and base station into a socket at an intermediate location between hub and office to allow the hub to connect to the adapter and the handset to the base station?

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 21:24:36 GMT

We have been able to do as you suggested and the phone now works about 10 ft away from the office. We had to go out so will try in the office itself tomorrow.

Another option is to leave the Base set by the Router and use the corded phone in the office. Will we ever get a dial tone back??

Thank you so much for your help.

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 10:50:21 GMT

The base set still does not work at all in the office, and the handset has such bad reception there that it's unusable - wherever the Base set and Adapter are.

The Base set and Adapter are now in the kitchen where at least they work, but no use at all for my husband in his office.

So we now have one out of 4 phones working, still with an engaged signal, but we can make outgoing calls.

The router for our superfast broadband was moved to a room that we very rarely use so is not suitable for a phone.

BT, out of the blue, are sending us another Adaptor - is there any way we can make use of that to get the office phone working, please?

Sorry for all the questions, but it is frustrating that last week we had a perfectly good phone service and now we don't!

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

imjolly — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 11:25:17 GMT

have you checked you don't have a message waiting on 1571. this is active automatically when using DV

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:04:10 GMT

Oh yes, that worked - 9 messages, and now we get a dial tone and hopefully we can get our answer phone working again.

Many thanks

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:37:34 GMT

@retrieve wrote:

Oh yes, that worked - 9 messages, and now we get a dial tone and hopefully we can get our answer phone working again.

Many thanks

Make sure you set 1571 to the maximum number of rings before it answers, otherwise the call will never get picked up by your answerphone.

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 14:18:11 GMT

I spoke too soon - we are now back to engaged tone, and can't dial either 1571 or any other number. Incoming calls still work.

Thanks

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 17:42:42 GMT

That is good advice, thank you.

After a week of trying , we now have phones working, not where we want them, but we can least use them!

I spoke to a BT engineer who said the reason the office phone did not work is because the Wifi has never worked there and the phone needs Wifi to work.

So we put the 2nd adapter that BT sent us in a socket where it worked in the room next to the office. We then got a 10m telephone extension cable to plug into it and into our corded phone which now works in the office.

The corded base set is now in the kitchen and its handset is in the bedroom. The phone in the barn is a lost cause!

It would be preferable to have the Answerphone in the office as that's where the messages are needed. There is nowhere in the office to hang the corded phone, and my husband wants a black one. So not sure about BT's claim that it would not cost anything to switch to DV!

Anyway, thank you to anyone that has posted help on here, all very useful!

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

licquorice — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 17:46:21 GMT

@retrieve wrote:

I spoke to a BT engineer who said the reason the office phone did not work is because the Wifi has never worked there and the phone needs Wifi to work.

BT engineer clearly clueless as DV doesn't use WiFi, it is DECT

Re: Cannot make calls with Digital Voice

retrieve — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 21:29:06 GMT

Oh dear!

We have just plugged the phone base set into the phone extension lead and it does work in the office now. So we are making progress!