Advanced Digital Voice phone links to SH2 but not extenders. Thus range is very limited.

[EDeanButler]

I cannot get my new Advanced Digital phone to link to extender discs. Works when within range of Smart Hub 2 but not within range of extender discs. I have tried deregistration from the Hub and then tried to link to the extender discs. The phone will not link to the the discs.

[EDeanButler]

Now I deregistered the phone from the hub, hoping starting all over might solve the problem. Now the problem is worse. The handset will not link to anything, including the SH2 to which it originally linked. Next I thought to remove and replace the batteries after a few minutes -- but the back cover does not want to come off, and I wonder if the batteries are even replaceable other than, perhaps, with a special tool for prying off the back. Page 34 of the manual makes it look easy -- but it does not seem to apply to my handset.

[Andy005]

Hi @EDeanButler 

A reset of the SH2 usually sorts out registration problems to the hub.

[licquorice]

The digital voice phones are DECT not WiFi, so will only connect to the hub.

[EDeanButler]

This is unfortunate and not what I was told when I ordered digital voice. In later calls to BT customer service, everyone tried to help, but no one had the answer. Everyone thought the Digital Voice phones would connect to a disc extender, but no one really knew. Your response is the first definitive response. Thank you.

Now I have to sort out what to do next. My home is a large property with its own PBX and three incoming phone numbers. Unfortunately, I gave BT the main number we use -- had it for 30 years or more and use it for business all over the world, especially now that we are working from home. That main number no longer works on the BPX, and BT tells me it cannot be switched back (rather difficult to comprehend).

Ideally, I would abandon digital voice and go back to the PBX system. So, the question is how to get BT to switch the digital voice number back to the PBX. Can someone tell me how to do this?

I was hoping the Advanced Digital Voice phones would work on WIFI, so I could scatter several around the property. This is not going to work without massive re-wiring in a Grade I listed building -- not likely to even be permitted. I suppose telephone signal extenders would work if there is such a thing. Do they even exist? Using the house wiring does not work because we are on three phase, with numerous separate ring mains on the various phases.

Net, net, I would like to abandon digital voice and get the digital voice current number switched back to my PBX. If I am force to have a digital voice number for some reason, I will use a different number. How do I get our friends at BT to fix this? Truth is, it was their fault in the first place, as I was originally told the digital line would work through the PBX -- and then told it would work through the extenders.

I hope a moderator with "rank" can sort this out for me, please.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@EDeanButler 

It does sound like you are using this for business, so is this a BT Business account, as they use a proper phone service called Cloud Voice, which is intended for the transfer of PBX lines and uses VOIP.

https://business.bt.com/products/business-phone-systems/voip/cloud-voice/

In addition, its not permitted to run a business on a BT residential service anyway. The residential digital voice system is not the same, and is intended to allow the eventual transfer of domestic phone lines, from the PSTN equipment in the exchange, as its being retired. I doubt that your line can be moved back.

Physical PBX lines as such, would not exist on a residential service anyway.

[EDeanButler]

This is an interesting subject! Some years ago BT told me I had to switch to a business service (even though there business had never been conducted from the this property. The house is a very large Grade I property and needed a PBX so we could have enough internal extensions. BT was happy about this for several years and then told me I had to change to a business service. Several months after I moved to a business account, BT got back to me and apologetically told me they were incorrect about a PBX requiring a business account. BT said I could no longer use a hunt group, but I was clearly not a business -- so BT switched me back to residential. Then, after few months, BT billed me about £3,000 for early termination of a business service. I got nowhere with BT -- business customer service telling me to phone residential, and visa versa, literally hours and hours on hold. It was maddening. BT kept dunning me for approximately £3,000. I told my High Court judge neighbor about the problem. He is not a BT fan and said he would fix it. He filed a fraud lawsuit on my behalf (!!!) and the problem went away within days. I received a very a apologetic phone call from BT and the early termination billing disappeared.

Truth is, other than recent Covid days, no business is conducted from this property, so I have got to believe Covid is a temporary exception and I am a residential customer who happens to have a large property. Correct?

So, here we go again. This time the root cause of the problem is that BT told me digital voice would work through my PBX. When we discovered that advice was incorrect, I was told BT could not move my digital number back to the PBX (difficult to comprehend). Then BT told me to use digital voice phones (out of stock for seven weeks) as these would work via the disc extenders. Now it appears that advice was incorrect and I am back to ground zero.

The only solution that makes sense to me is for BT to move my digital voice phone number back to copper (input to the PBX). I will abandon the attempt to use digital voice, as this will not work in the manner BT said it would work.

How do I work with someone who can make this happen for me? Can you please help?

[EDeanButler]

I tried a reset, with a BT Customer Service on the phone, and this did not work. I suspect there is a glitch in the Advanced Digital Voice handset firmware.

[Keith_Beddoe]

It does sound like you were wrongly advised in the past, but I am not sure if one of the moderators of this forum would be able to help, but I will ask.

What you may be able to do, is to use the phone socket on the Smart Hub 2, and connect that to your PBX input, as it is intended for a wired phone connection.

I have asked a moderator to provide assistance, they will post an invite on this thread.
They are the only BT employees on this forum, and are based in the UK.
Please bear in mind that with the current crisis, it could take a long time for one of them to deal with your request.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@EDeanButler 

Is there any way you can connect the line that goes into your PBX, to the socket on the Smart Hub 2, shown in green below?

You should be able to unplug the PBX from the wall socket, and plug it into the socket on the SH2, as I assume they must be adjacent.