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Digital voice and an extension phone.

simw — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 19:15:41 GMT

I have just had Digital Voice activated on my home phone number. I plugged an old extension phone in the digital voice socket on the back on my Smart Hub 2. Although I get a dial tone on the phone and I can ring out, if I try and ring my home number from my mobile, the extension does not ring and when I lift it, all I hear is the dial tone.

The phone line is still active on the copper wires into my house, do you think when this old landline phone is deactivated, the extension plugged into my hub, will then be able to ring and receive calls.

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

jac_95 — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 19:17:06 GMT

Hi simw,

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Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

licquorice — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 19:42:59 GMT

If it's a really old phone, it needs the 'ring' wire generating. This can easily be accomplished by simply using an ADSL filter plugged into the hub green socket and the phone plugged into the filter.

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

countrypaul — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:31:06 GMT

If your old phone line is still active does it ring if you call your number and have a phone plugged in?

On you DV line what number does it tell you if you dial 17070 from it?

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

simw — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:52:06 GMT

Yes, my old phone line still acts as normal.
When I tried that test number on the digital voice line, the automated response did give me my Landline number. But when I tried the ringback test on the DV line, the phones still connected to the old phone line rang, but the handset connected to Digital voice didn't.

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:01:33 GMT

Ringback is a software feature on the old PSTN exchanges. As far as I am aware, there is no such facility on DV.

Perhaps someone with a DV only line could prove this?

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

countrypaul — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:06:57 GMT

What sort of BB do you have? FFTH, FTTC, VDSL?

I can understand that the same number would not ring both your old landline and your DV, so just wondered if the BB type is relevant.

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

licquorice — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 16:27:50 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe Yes, ringback works on DV.

@simw Did you try using a filter?

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

simw — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:23:25 GMT

I'm still on FTTC broadband.
I tried a filter, still the same results no ringing.
Maybe once the old phone line is deactivated, Digital voice will become fully activated, allowing handsets and extensions connected to the hub, to ring and answer calls.

Re: Digital voice and an extension phone.

Tim123 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:44:07 GMT

Yes, ringback works on DV.

@licquorice - I realise you're talking about the 17070 ringback test. However, I just thought I'd point out that the calling feature, known in full as 'Ring Back When Free', is not available on Digital Voice (or, indeed, Virgin Media's 'fibre voice' service). I assume that's because the distinctive 'triple' ring it generates cannot be replicated by the (not-so) Smart Hub. However, as Caller Display tells you that the call is a ringback, this special ring is not strictly necessary and I can see no reason why such a useful and popular feature cannot continue in the digital era. I hope that BT and other providers will sort something out.