Extension Bells

[Nemo2000]

As we are both hard-of-hearing we have loud-sounding BT extension bells plugged into extensions sockets in three different parts of our house. How will these be supported under Digital Voice, given that none of them are anywhere near our broadband hub?

[jac_95]

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[Bob1001]

I am afraid there is no easy way, Once you have switched to DV your phone will need to be plugged into the back of your  hub rather than into any extension sockets.

If you do not have a phone near your router then contact BT as they will supply an adapter so you can plug the phone in somewhere else or even supply you with a digital phone.

However they only supply one free, if your bells plug into phone sockets extra ones may work, I would ask BT for more free ones so you can have one for each of your phones and bells.

You could get someone (and pay for it) to wire your phones/bells so that everything is connected to the hub BUT I do not know if the output from the hub is enough to ring the big extension bells.

My other thought is that you may have a very old installation where everything is wired and there are no sockets in which case there are other problems.

Either way I would contact BT and see what they can do to help, in my opinion, BT should not just change over without any idea of what problems it will cause people.

[Nemo2020]

[ Original poster now writing under a new ID ]

We have the extension bells because of hearing problems. Because of reduced mobility problems we have sockets and phones in every room. Because of the number of devices, we have a BT Line Booster to provide increased REN capacity - will that be supported under Digital Voice? Our energy supplier recognises us as vulnerable customers and we rely on the landline for contact/information in the event of power cuts.

It would appear that we may face a situation where we are reduced to just one or two phones, no bells, and maybe a 1-hour power back-up if we're lucky. How can BT make such changes without taking disability impact into consideration?

[Bob1001]

@Nemo2020  I think it best to actually talk to BT and explain the problems, I doubt if anyone here can give a definitive answer.

[JB2016]

@Nemo2020   Assuming that this https://www.businessdirect.bt.com/content/uni2/documentation/4kqv/bt-ren-booster.pdf , or a something similar, is the REN booster that you have, then there seems to be no reason why it could not be connected to the phone socket on the  Smart Hub 2, either directly or via the extension cabling.   Of course, you would have to disconnect internal extension cabling from the master socket and connect the extension cabling to the Hub phone socket (a flexible cable with BT plug at each end is available for that purpose).    See https://bt-digital-voice.blogspot.com    for some information about REN and a link to the original BT document describing the phone socket and its wiring system.  

[Bob1001]

This lead will work ASSUMING the master socket is wired correctly, mine was not. It also has to be the type of master socket where you can split the external from the internal wiring.

MainCore 1m long BT to BT Cable Lead

[Devon_Dave]

Just get one of these off a well known Internet auction site.

BT 4 Wire 431A Plug to Male Plug Telephone Cable Lead 1m/2m/3m/5m Black/White

If you are FTTP, just disconnect the incoming copper pair of wires from your main socket. Then plug one end of this cable into the green socket, and the other into the front of your main phone socket, if there is a nearby extension socket Into that instead of main socket.

If you are FTTC it can still be done but a bit more complicated, don't disconnect your incoming line or you will lose your broadband service.

This will also work if you want to keep any existing phones currently insitu throughout the house. 

[Nemo2000]

My Line Booster is located downstairs and is fed from an extension wired off the back of the faceplate in the master socket, so It would be possible to disconnect that and extend the cabling to the SH2...however the SH2 is upstairs at the back of the house (with all the wired Ethernet PCs and printers), so it will be quite a long bit of 'reverse cabling' 😞 

Does anyone know any more about these 'adaptors' for Digital Voice' ? For example, does each one need a 230V power source, in which case I'm going to have to install more sockets on my ring main 😞 

[licquorice]

The adaptors are simply DECT to analogue converters, and yes, they just need a power source.