This topic

Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:11:24 GMT

I have what should be a simple question but struggle to find an answer for - which I need before my upcoming contract renewal (or not).

Currently my BT socket has one line to my router and one line to a distribution box that feeds a number of extension sockets around the house. (I currently have four phones plugged into these, including a base unit for four rover phones).

This works well for me and I do not wish to lose this capability when renewing and being advised I need to go to Digital Voice (which some people have ended up with locally without proper explanation from BT who just sent the DV phone).

My question is simple (I hope) - if I renew and the copper analogue is turned off to the property can I just connect my distribution box to the router for the phone extensions keep working - unless a way to maintain the functionality of the current extensions can be guaranteed I have no interest in renewing at the moment (I realise I will need to eventually).

If any one can give any indication it would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

imjolly — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:14:14 GMT

that is covered in the FAQ

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

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:39:54 GMT

Many thanks....

I must say this looks very complicated for what should be a simple need:-

"If it really thought necessary to use corded phones in existing extension wiring, this can be achieved if broadband service is via FTTP (Full Fibre to the home) by simply disconnecting the incoming wires from the master socket and connecting the green socket on the hub to any of the phone sockets with a cord consisting of a phone plug at each end.
This is more complicated if broadband service is still delivered via the copper pair as the incoming wires cannot be disconnected and the hub still needs to connect to the master socket. It will require a new extension socket to be fitted adjacent to the master socket and the extension wiring transferred to it. This new socket can then be connected to the green socket on the hub as with FTTP."

Yes - it is necessary to keep the distribution box and extensions working......

I read (just now) on another thread that BT can/should provide...

To enable subscribers to more easily connect their existing extension wiring into their router's VoIP/phone ports BT will be able to provide a replacement faceplate for their NTE5c sockets (your home or offices "master socket").....

Although it also talks about checking the voltage to ensure the phones ring.....

I have never had this level of detail of advice when talking to the BT sales/contract renewal people.

I appreciate your replay but I really want to know how BT will ensure they provide all the needed equipment and ensure the extensions keep working - without that assurance I will keep as I am for as long as possible.

Rod

PS - My nervousness is a BT advised a local person that things would keep on working - sent the DV - turned off the old system and now they can only use the DV - which is a major retrograde step for them.

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

imjolly — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:45:45 GMT

BT ensure that DV will work and extensions are up to you.

As explained in the FAQ you just need to disconnect the in coming openreach wires from terminals A&B in master socket and connect the phone cable from socket on back of hub to the phone socket on master socket. Your extensions should now work

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

licquorice — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:48:20 GMT

Once the copper is turned off, simply connect the green socket at the rear of the hub to any of the phone sockets with a double ended phone cord.

To be absolutely sure the copper line has been disconnected, disconnect the incoming wires connected to the master

Nothing complicated about it at all

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:58:43 GMT

Thanks

I realise that BT are not interested in my extensions - but if BT change my incoming and the extensions do not work then I am very interested as BT will have screwed up my house..... and it will not work with multiple dect type phones.....

This appears why I cannot appear to get a definitive answer to a simple question.....

Many thanks for attempting - it has shown why what BT is doing can cause so many issues for people.....

Rod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

imjolly — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:02:42 GMT

@licquorice and I have posted a solution to your question about maintaining working extensions and simple to achieve

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:05:32 GMT

Thanks

I guess I was not clear the only copper BT is turning off is the phone line - the copper will still carry the FTTC connection.

From one of the other posts it appears that BT should offer to connect something like this:-

But no-one in BT has mentioned this........ Hence my question as to whether my single link to the sockets (via a distribution box) can be accommodated if I renew......

Just for info I do not have any, nor would I need any (they would not be used and just sit as junk), phones in the vicinity of the router, hence I do not need to plug phones into the router......

Many thanks for the reply - the replies are gradually making things clearer.

Rod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

licquorice — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:06:47 GMT

The definitive answer to your simple question, is that whatever you have currently will continue to work but may require effort on your part to enable it to do so.

BT will supply telephony capability to your house, how you distribute that is entirely up to you.

BT with their implementation of VoIP (Digital Voice) have in fact gone over and above what most suppliers will do and have provided a router with a built in ATA that you can simply plug any existing analogue systems into and furthermore, they also supply a portable ATA in the form of their Digital Adapter.

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

licquorice — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:10:19 GMT

That faceplate, although the ideal solution, appears to be in short supply or not available. The workaround is to simply install a new extension socket adjacent to the master socket and transfer the extension wiring from the master to the new socket. Thus isolating your internal wiring from the external incoming line. That socket is then connected to the router's green socket.

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:22:30 GMT

BT ensure that DV will work and extensions are up to you.

I agree that it is up to me if my extensions are not operational - however all of my extensions are fully functional when they have a phone line feed (I do not plug a single phone into the incoming socket - the distribution box is plugged in).

Hence if BT ensure the replacement phone line line feed is working there is should not be an issue.

The issue of the phone line feed is purely in the control of BT and Openreach to ensure that I have a phone signal to plug the extension distribution box into. At the moment I do not see anything that is my issue to resolve.

As commented it appears that BT/Openreach need to come and fix something like this:-

Assuming I get confirmation that this will be done - and will function - that is good - at the moment this seems to be an issue for some reason.....

Many thanks for looking at this.

Rod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:25:17 GMT

Thank you

That seems to be a sensible solution - much appreciated......

I guess that BT "sales" staff are not trained to answer questions and with the "official" solution in short supply it is unlikely to be offered.

Very insightful and much appreciated.

Rod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:30:16 GMT

Thank you

I had not heard of the digital adapter before.

I agree that BT is to supply telephony capability to my house - which is why I asked if there would be a socket I could plug (my fully functional) distribution box into (as it is plugged into the existing socket).

It seems to be a very difficult question to get answered, however the replies in this thread have shown some illumination.

Many thanks

Rod

PS - it is a shame that BT staff are not trained to advise the implications of BT's change in telephony provision, rather than just doing it - as commented I have seen this cause significant issues with people locally.......

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

jtennet — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:19:38 GMT

OK so I am sure your explanation along with Licorice would work just fine excepts that Mr Open Reach who succeeding in wrecking my hallway (still awaiting recompense) took away our old master socket. The DV phone works fine but I would love to be able to use my BT 4600 phones with their answer phone.

No, these work fine if directly plugged into the green plug on the rear of the hub but I don't want the master phone to be there. I wand it to be in my study where it used to be connected to an extension socket. All I have left where the master socket used to be was a single RJ11 plug. Hmm, I thought, use an adapter RJ11 female to BT Male plug and all will be well - how wrong could I be. The message "Please check line cord" disappears but no dial tone. Nothing.

I'm not a complete **bleep** when it comes to this stuff as I started my career as a TO with the GPO as it was then. I did my share of subs apps stuff (changed a lot of course) and would love somebody to tell me how to connect this up. I don't really want to run a whole new cable as the room is a nightmare.

Any clues?

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

imjolly — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:32:50 GMT

You could try a dv adapter which plugs in to mains andconnect to the hub using DECT and then connect base unit to the adapter

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:38:21 GMT

You have my sympathy and I hope a solution appears soon.....

I am intentionally not renewing my contract until I feel confident that ALL of my phone extensions will work and I can place my DECT phones where I want to place (not in the Utility where my line comes in and my router is, which is not the place to plug in a phone).

It may be my responsibility to sort out my distribution - all I need to someone who will do it and guarantee it will work - I am not into fitting sockets and moving or connecting pairs of wires - at the moment this does not appear to be a consideration in the drive to switch people to Digital Voice (or equivalents) - it appears to me to be the one of the most consumer unfriendly switches with no real benefit to the user who just wants a phone with the existing wired extensions that work fine at the moment.

As commented I hope that you have a solution soon that does not mean rewiring and running new cables......

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

jtennet — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:07:38 GMT

Well ImJolly, that is not really a solution. This all worked absolutely fine until OpenReach removed the master socket. The infrastructure is all there and should work 😞 Spending money on a DECT box is not a viable solution. Yes, we are moving away from copper cable outside the home but .... it should work absolutely fine for voice within the home.

Given the problems I have faced with BT over my Full fibre installation (the most expensive option), problems with my VPN, the extension issue and the extortionate costs I am moving to Sky at the end of the month.

If I could have spoken to somebody who really knew what to do, things might have been different.

Regards,

James M Tennet

Edited by Mod

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

licquorice — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:03:41 GMT

Unless you want more spam and nutters calling you that you will know what to do with, I suggest you delete all that personal information.

All you need do is replace the missing master socket, re-connect the extension wiring and connect it to the hub using a male to male phone plug cord.

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

RodoRod — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:05:27 GMT

"If I could have spoken to somebody who really knew what to do, things might have been different."

That is what is needed - why is it so difficult to provide?

Good luck with your Sky move - hope you are able to resolve the issue and get the extensions working again.....

Re: Keeping phone extensions working with Fibre Broadband and Digital Voice

iniltous — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:35:05 GMT

You do realise the switch to using Sky will be accomplished by Sky sending a router for you to plug into the ONT on the day your service with them starts , Sky will also deliver telephony, if you request it , via the router , there is no need for a visit , ( even if there were it would be Openreach ) so it’s still your own problem to connect your existing extensions to the Sky router if it’s imperative to have your extension sockets made useable again