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BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 18:53:31 GMT

I’ve just been migrated to the digital voice service by BT and have plugged my main “landline” phone successfully into the green socket on the back of my Smarthub 2, recently supplied by BT.

I also have a second phone that was connected to an extension socket, which of course no longer works. I’ve acquired a BT Digital Voice Adapter and understand that this can be paired with the Smarthub 2 by pressing the WPS buttons on both the Smarthub 2 and the DV Adapter. That’s fine, but unfortunately the WiFi signal from the Smarthub 2 doesn’t reach to where I want my second phone to be.

However, I’ve long used 4 BT WholeHome WiFi white discs to extend WiFi to all parts of my house, with one disc connected to my hub by Ethernet cable and the others connecting wirelessly. This disc network, of course, has a different WiFi SSID and password to that from the Smarthub 2.

So, my questions are:

Is there any way I can connect my DV Adapter to the WholeHome WiFi instead of the Smarthub WiFi?
Would pressing the WPS buttons on the master white disc and the DV adapter do it?
Or do I need first to alter the White Disc SSID and password to match that of the Smarthub 2?

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

jac_95 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 19:05:02 GMT

Hi chrisjp,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 19:14:28 GMT

Sigh, for the millionth time, the adapter does not use WiFi, it is DECT.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

imjolly — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 19:36:54 GMT

@chrisjp

Try the FAQ as it will give lots more information DV and alternative methods to use existing soclets

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:21:19 GMT

I don't know what DECT is - pardon my ignorance!. Does DECT have a greater reach through house walls than WiFi?

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

jac_95 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:42:54 GMT

@chrisjp

DECT or it's full name Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications is a standard of communication for cordless handset phones.

Range in ideal indoor conditions is up to 50m

To note though the DECT base station is in the Smart Hub (router) and is not repeated with things like Wholehome WiFi or WiFi mesh systems. This means that you'll need to be in range of the Smart Hub for the BT Digital Voice adapters or BT Digital Voice handsets to work

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:49:19 GMT

Thank you for your reply.
The WiFi signal from my Hub is blocked by a masonary wall from where my extension phone is located. Is DECT likely to also be blocked?
If so, are there any DECT range extenders that I can get?

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:54:00 GMT

Unfortunately not. You can simply use your existing extension sockets by wiring them back to the hub rather than the master socket.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 21:25:02 GMT

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, my DV migration retains the old copper cable connection from the cabinet to my house, so the Hub input has to be connected to the house telephone wiring (and I'm using an extension socket for this because the BT master socket is nowhere near a power outlet for the hub). So I therefore don't think I can connect the Hub's green output socket to this wiring (which was my original plan when I thought BT was going to set me up with fibre to my house).
Or can I do this? I'm unplugging the analogue telephone from the BT supplied filter with its phone and modem sockets. The modem socket is still connected to the Hub, could I then use a standard telephone cable to connect the green socket on the hub back to the phone socket on the filter unit?
This will clearly mix the ADSL signals with the analogue phone signal, but that is how it has always been before I was converted to DV.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 21:48:18 GMT

It can be done but will be a bit more complicated.

You effectively need 2 pairs of wires. One pair to carry the broadband signal to your hub DSL socket and the other pair to distribute DV from the green socket on the hub.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 22:43:13 GMT

Thank you once again. I already , of course, have the BT plug to RJ11 plug to carry the broadband from the filter "Modem" socket to the Hub, and this is already working fine.
So, I assume all I need is a cable with BT phone plugs at each end to connect the green hub socket back to the filter "Phone" socket plugged into my telephone extension socket?

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:21:53 GMT

No, you need to physically separate the pairs, you can't just use the filter to do it. When the hub is connected to the master socket, it is a fairly straightforward operation, but by connecting the hub to an extension socket, it makes it more complicated. Does the extension socket you wish to use the phone at daisy chain from the extension socket you use for the hub or from the master socket? If the former, simply disconnect the wires going to the next extension socket and connect those to the hub green socket.

You will either need to fit a BT 431 plug to the cable or use another socket and double ended cord.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:54:07 GMT

Apologies for keep asking what must be dumb questions!
My two extension sockets are wired from a cable connected to the master socket which then splits, going to an extension socket in my Study, and another one in the Kitchen. These cables run via the loft and are then buried in wall chases, so cannot easily be altered.
My BT SmartHub 2 ADSL input socket is connected to the extension socket in the Study and this is the only socket that I could use for the connection back from the Hub green socket to the house telephone wiring – the cable I would use to do this has a BT431 plug at each end
So, if I understand you correctly, this won’t work, because the ADSL input cable and green socket output cable must be physically separated where they connect to the house telephone wiring. If that is correct, I think I must conclude that I cannot feed my house wiring from the Hub green output socket. Is that correct?

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

imjolly — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:08:41 GMT

if you are currently connected to an extension socket then you now cannot connect your hub to the socket for phone to work. you must isolate the phone connection from the incoming openreach connection used for your broadband

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:37:33 GMT

@chrisjp Its a bit messy but it can be done.

At the study you need to provide a second extension socket. Leave pair 1 connected to the original socket for your broadband and then wire pair 2 (which should be spare currently) to terminals 2&5 of the second socket. The second socket is then connected to the hub with the double ended BT431 cord.

At the master socket, disconnect the wires going to the kitchen and connect them to the second pair coming from the study. You can just crimp them together within the master socket.

Hope that makes sense.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:57:27 GMT

This should also improve your broadband speed as it will get rid of the star wiring.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:00:50 GMT

It does, and thank you. However, I think there may be a problem – there is only one cable going from my master socket to the two extensions. This is split in the loft with separate cables going to the Kitchen and Study sockets. And my broadband signal has to travel from the master socket to the Study via the Study cable.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:17:35 GMT

If you have access to the split in the loft, you can simply make the join of pair2 from the study to pair 1 to the kitchen there instead of at the master socket.

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

chrisjp — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:27:20 GMT

Just to clarify – here is the diagram of the telephone wiring

Re: BT Digital Voice Landline Phone Adapters

licquorice — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:33:33 GMT

Yep, just do in the loft box what my picture shows in the master socket.