Digital Voice: Need to switch Voicemail 1571 off for a couple of hours.

[pamelap]

I work on a telephone support helpline for a couple of hours a week and we are told we cannot have our personal 1571 voicemail on during that time as when the line is busy callers would get the wrong message. Previously I've managed by having a seperate answerphone and not using 1571 at all, but this isn't possible with Digital Voice. How can I turn 1571 off and then back on again? I keep reading that it has to be via managing the calling feature with myBT but it doesn't disable it immediately so this would not work for me. Surely there is some way of switching it off and on? It's such a basic requirement.

[jac_95]

Hi pamelap,

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[Les-Gibson · Accepted solution]

You can still work as you used to, simply set the number of rings before 1571 kicks in to maximum (10 rings I believe), connect your answering machine to the socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2 (the green socket covered by a removable sticker) and set your answering machine to answer in less than 10 rings

[pamelap]

@Les-Gibson

Thanks. In fact I had already done the ring settings, but I am not sure whether my answerphone will connect as it is pretty old. I need to experiment with it plugged into the green port. It is a shame BT 1571 cannot be switched on and off - it seems like a very obvious thing to be needed.

[Les-Gibson]

As I understand it, the green socket is provided for exactly this scenario.

[TimCurtis]

@pamelap 

You can use your own answer phone with Digital Voice just as you did before.

You can connect the answer phone into the phone connection on the back of the SmartHub2 and use it as before.

That's just what I did when I went to DV.

[pamelap]

@Les-Gibson @TimCurtis 

My ancient answerphone works plugged in to the green socket on the hub. The ancient separate phone plugged in with it works too, and all the ancient cordless phones that are linked.

This does nothing to help with the 1571 problem which I have investigated further. The diverted service rings for 40 seconds before cutting in with the required message, but with 1571 set to 10 rings (maximum) 1571 cuts in at 30 seconds. So callers get my personal message, and my 1571 mail box, rather than the right message and the diverted service mail box.

This is a general problem now with increasing use of voicemail. But it looks to get worse as more people are converted from landline to internet.

[TimCurtis]

@pamelap 

Just re-reading your original post why don't you turn off 1571 permanently as you did before and just use your answerphone which you turn off at a touch of a button when not required.

There's certainly a lot that's not so good about 1571 with DV.

I initially set it up to text me when there was a message waiting but at a cost of 20p a time I decided against it but then had to totally cancel voicemail and start again as there's no other way to cancel that feature.

[pamelap]

@TimCurtis 

I may well decide to switch off 1571 but I am thinking about keeping it on at present. Actually this issue affects many people who find they can't keep 1571. It looks like it is going to affect more people as everyone gets converted to the internet. I know background talks about it are going on. I may just wait to see what resolutions transpire eventually.

When the line is engaged my answerphone does not cut in, it only answers if one doesn't answer a call, so I don't actually need to switch it off. Of  course, for personal use 1571 provides an answer service when the line is engaged which means never missing a call!