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Essential digital home phone

seb3 — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:25:32 GMT

I have an Essential Digital Home Phone that rings and receives a call, but then beeps and displays the message "Approaching edge of range" before cutting off. This happens whilst standing next to the phone base.

The base is about 25m from bt hub 2.

If , holding the handset, I walk towards the hub then the signal improves at about 20m.

The issue is not improved when a TP-Link Wi-Fi range extender is in use, which normally enables a laptop or smartphone to be used in the room where the problem phone is located.

Any ideas on how the problem can be rectified?

Re: Essential digital home phone

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:29:32 GMT

@seb3

The phones do not use Wi-Fi, they use DECT, transmitted from the home hub, so a Wi-Fi extender will not help.

Re: Essential digital home phone

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:35:07 GMT

The phone connects directly to the Hub by DECT, so the WiFi extender & proximity of the phone to the base are both irrelevant. A DECT repeater may help but not sure the Hub supports them? The best solution would be to move the two devices closer together.

Re: Essential digital home phone

seb3 — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:33:59 GMT

Thanks for that. I had read that somewhere, but thought I would try the extender anyway, as BT help chatline agent said the hub signal would reach to 100m. Any thoughts?

Re: Essential digital home phone

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:48:36 GMT

Like pretty much all technical specs, they are unachievable in real world use. The 100m in this case probably refers to direct line of sight outdoors...

Edit

I don't know how accurate it is but these are the only specs I can find, which suggest that the range indoors is "up to 50m". Again that will be direct line of sight & in perfect conditions, with no competing wireless signals.

https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/bt-digital-voice#Digital_Voice_Handsets

Re: Essential digital home phone

seb3 — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 08:28:06 GMT

The BT Forum earlier concluded that hub2 and DECT repeaters are not compatible.

Re: Essential digital home phone

seb3 — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 08:30:31 GMT

I expect that's it. Like real world mpg or electric car range. Thanks.