New Fibre customer/hardware connection issue

[Nando33]

Hello ,

I just upgraded  to BT Fibre  from previously being a BT BB customer .

We currently have a Home Hub4  but BT have just sent a Smart Hub  .Problem is we only need and want wired connections and i do not want the wireless function of the Smart Hub . I was told i could i could turn off this function entirely myself via the settings  but i've just here on the forum from others  that it  is not that simple

I've read  that  Fibre customers  can use their existing HH4 but need to use  a separate  modem  such as  the TP Link TD W9970 where (as i understand it?) i can completely switch off all wireless signal functions there ?

My questions are -

Why do i need to use a separate modem  for fibre and  would my  old  TP Link TD W8980  suffice for this purpose and work with the HH4? The main difference i can see is that this model  ADSL2+ whereas the W9970 is  VDSL/ADSL .

If it might be  relevant  (loss of speed issue etc) , i would add that our fibre is only at our local exchange  and then converts to copper  to the premises ,so not direct to the home .  The  proposed speed  increase   is moderate but ok  (12-16mb from current 6-8mb)  due to our location .

Apologies if any of the  above  is  incorrect or inaccurate , this is my first experience of upgrading to fibre so i'm  just a little unsure of these issues .

TIA

[licquorice]

The reason you need a new hub is that your service is now VDSL rather than ADSL and the Hub4 is an ADSL only device. Hence your old TP Link won't work either.

You can turn off the WiFi on the SH2 just as you can on the Hub 4 

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

@Nando33 

If you want to avoid all wireless signals, then the TP Link W9970 works on VDSL, and has a wireless switch on the back, which stops all wireless transmissions.

This is used instead of your HH4, its not just a modem.

That is not possible on the SH2, as even if you actually manage to disable all wireless signals (almost impossible), there is still an internal DECT base station inside the SH2, which transmits radio signals.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Nando33 

You also need to be aware, that if you have a landline phone at the moment, its likely to be moved to BT Digital Voice. If that happens, then you have to use the Smart Hub 2, or you will not be able to use your phone.

[licquorice]

@Keith_Beddoe  Disabling the wifi signals on the SH2 is no different to disabling them on the Hub4. 

Not sure if the Dect base station on the SH2 is enabled unless/until Digital Voice is provided. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@licquorice wrote:

@Keith_Beddoe  Disabling the wifi signals on the SH2 is no different to disabling them on the Hub4. 

Not sure if the Dect base station on the SH2 is enabled unless/until Digital Voice is provided. 

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What about the hidden SSIDs that I understand are used to communicate with the black discs, and also BT Wifi which can be difficult to turn off, and gets re-enabled on a factory reset?

[Nando33]

@Keith_Beddoe 

Thanks for your reply and clearing  that up for me .

So it seems my issue now is this" BT Digital Voice" situation . Again , i am not up to speed with this development so can i just pose a few issues on that .

Is this likely to have been done  now as part of me arranging the Fibre BB  or more generally will be rolled out in the future ? As i said , i'm in a semi rural location so Fibre is only in at the   village miles away from the house - what i'm wondering is if   Digital Voice switch over is  affected by my location or nothing to do with it ?

I can get the TP link  to solve this current wireless issue no problem but i'm wondering now if it might be better just to cancel the whole thing before it's due to switchover (16th June) Which would be a pity 'cos even a slightly faster speed increase would have been nice .

Is there some way to tell if they are switching me to BT Digital Voice , i mean can i ask BT and who should i ask ?

Sorry for these basic questions , i'm a novice at this .

[Nando33]

@licquorice 

Thanks for your replies and info .

Same general question to you - is Digital Voice turned on automatically by me agreeing to change from normal BB (as opposed to Fibre)  or might this be governed by location  and being not directly on the fibre network ?

I didn't know anything about this and don't know what to do now before it's even due to switch over .

I mean if it's not going to be rolled out to us anytime soon then might not be an issue but if it's done just by switching to Fibre then i've got a decision to make .

[licquorice]

Its not automatic to be switched to Digital Voice, you would have been informed about it if you were being switched. However, the copper analogue phone system is due to be phased out by 2025 for everyone. Much as I doubt this will happen by then, it will happen at some point and you will be switched to some form of VOIP.

[Nando33]

@licquorice 

Thanks for this info.

My question then  is - is this switchover to Digital Voice linked to having a Fibre connection to the house ? Because due to our location i can't see us getting full fibre laid on to the few houses in our area any time soon .(semi rural) a  visiting  Open reach engineer  recently  said it'll be years before it rolls out here .

We only have Fibre cabinet in the nearest village  and then copper  out to the houses surrounding .

So does does that mean i should just carry on and switchover to that (limited) fibre and get the 3rd party Router/modem as suggested ?