This topic

BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:09:16 GMT

I've recently renewed my contract and have been upgraded from Halo1 to Halo 3.

I notice that a home visit to provide technical support is available and wonder if I could use this service for the problem I am having with existing set up which has Hub/computer in one room TV in another and having to use BT phone extension socket instead of main phone socket. It needs some workaround with the layout.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:15:32 GMT

@Silver29

From https://www.bt.com/halo/terms

9. When can I request a visit from a Home Tech Expert? You can benefit from a free Home Tech Expert visit once in every 12 month period. Charges may apply for any additional visits made at your request.

This means you are eligible for a visit:

i. When you regrade to BT Halo 3; or

ii. When you add certain products and services (i.e. BT TV and Complete Wi-Fi);

or

iii. When you request an Annual Health Check.

10. What is the Annual Health Check? This is where a Home Tech Expert will visit your home and check that your BT Products and Services (e.g. BT TV, Complete Wi-Fi) are set-up correctly, make recommendations that could improve your services (e.g. Replace the BT master socket, installation of Complete Wi-Fi, fix internal wiring problems), and carry out any improvements with your agreement. We may also send a Home Tech Expert if you tell us you have a fault with your Broadband and/or TV service and we determine that the problem may be within your home.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:21:39 GMT

If you explain in more detail what you're trying to achieve someone here may be able to help.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:40:34 GMT

Thanks. It seems the best way for me to go is to request an annual health check.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

licquorice — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:44:31 GMT

Not exactly sure of what you are expecting of the technician.

I suspect the only options you have involve running cables which will be beyond their remt.

As already suggested if you provide some detail,forum members may be able to offer a solution. There is no reason not to plug your hub into an extension socket if the wiring is done correctly.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:47:11 GMT

Thanks. Layout is complicated due to my living in a building with 47 apartments, most of which have wifi, so I prefer to connect computer to Hub by ethernet. Doing this involves Hub being in bedroom beside computer, using BT phone extension socket. Main cordless BT phone also has to use this socket, so I am not alerted to any messages on the answerphone, which I would normally see when I come home and walk into the living room.

I have tried using both phone sockets, but this causes interference on phone line. I'm going to request a health check to see how to work round this, but thanks for offer of help

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 16:58:36 GMT

Homeplug/Powerline adapters would allow the PC to connect to the Hub via ethernet over your mains wiring.

Is your master socket filtered, as in does it have separate connections for phone & Internet?

The answerphone built into my BT8500 cordless beeps when it has messages, & also flags on the display of all handsets. So maybe check if yours has those facilities.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:25:02 GMT

I have a separate filter that plugs into phone socket and then internet and phone plug into the filter.

The TV box works by plugging ethernet through BT mini connectors linking to hub in separate room. I'm sure there is some simple solution to this and hopefully the tech expert will solve it.

It may be he can find some way of strengthening the security of using wifi for the computer. At the moment swifi is being used by almost 47 others in the building and the library a few yards along the road is a wifi hotspot with people regularly standing outside its wall using its wifi. I could also, if necessary, connect to its wifi network

I'll update if a solution is found when they visit.

Thanks for your input.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:27:13 GMT

Sorry should add, the telephone answer phone has flashing red light when message is received but no sound. Nor does it send warning message to extension handset. I only notice the red light if I happen to be in the bedroom.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:35:34 GMT

You've only said what you have & not what you want. Reading between the lines you want the Hub located in the same room as the TV? If that's the case then you just move it, connect the TV directly to the hub & use the mini-connector to connect to the PC.

I have no idea what you mean by strengthening WiFi security as no-one who doesn't know your WiFi password can connect to your network. But if you use the mini-connectors you can keep WiFi out of the equation.

Again reading between the lines, if you plug the phone into a different socket to the Hub then you will need a second filter for that. If you don't have that it probably accounts for the noise you refer to.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:44:56 GMT

Thanks. I've noted all your suggestions. Ideally the hub would be in the living room along with the TV and the main BT socket.

The problem is that connecting the TV to the hub, even in the same room has to be done by mini connectors or have extensive wiring going round room and 2 door frames to stretch between only possible location of tv and BT master socket.

I don't know if the hub can power 2 sets of mini connectors, but even this would mean a heavy load on my electrical sockets. This is something to be advised on by the visit.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 19:04:52 GMT

I don't know the mini-connectors but you should just be able to add a third that will link to the others. The electrical load will be negligible. But if you mean occupying sockets then there are "passthrough" version with a mains socket built in, so you don't lose the use of the socket.

If the Box is the latest Pro that also has WiFi connectivity.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 19:24:02 GMT

Thanks. Been considering your suggestions and the idea of using another filter sounds possible.

As I understand it, I can leave the Hub and computer in the bedroom plugged into the extension BT socket through the existing filter with the mini connector linking it to the TV in living room as at present. I can then switch the main phone back to the living room and plug it into the main BT socket through another adsl filter, moving the extension phone handset into the bedroom.

Googled it just now and also read that BT and several other providers require a filter to be fitted to every phone socket in house, so sounds like my interference problem.

Will go out tomorrow and buy a filter and see how this works.

Re: BT Halo 3 technical support available

Silver29 — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 18:07:52 GMT

Thanks very much. Problem seems to have been solved. Your suggestion about the second filter was correct. Bought second filter and moved the master cordless phone with answering machine through to the living room, connected to the main BT phone socket through an ADSL filter.

Quiet line test showed crackling noise when used without filter, but no sound at all when passing through the filter.

We don't have much selection of shops here, but found the filter on line at Argos and Currys. Half price at Argos so went to retail park to get one. Passed the EE/BT phone shop in town centre and thought I'd try there first as they were advertising mobile phone and broadband. Explained I was looking for ADSL filter but assistant said he'd never heard of such a thing. Asked what I wanted it for so explained needed to attach to BT landline socket to filter through broadband and phone. When he said I must have misunderstood and I explained that I had one already and needed a second one, the coversation finished. Not very impressed with service there!!!

I'm not sure how I change my entry showing solution accepted here.