Modem - Digital Voice

[Jane2018]

When do the new hub2s arrive when BT switch you to digital voice? I am worried I will be switched but not have the modem in time. 

I had an email  on 16 July to say get ready to switch which says that in order to use digital voice I will be "provided with a new broadband hub". However one has not arrived yet. My very very old current BT hub has no socket to insert by landline

Then today Ireceived a moving to digital voice email with an order reference (not that I ordered anything of course as I hate it and don't want it) with a 28 July switch over.  Today's email does not mention the new hub 2 coming. It would have been helpful had it said by 20th July you will have your new hub to allow for postal and other delays and we will not switch you over until we are 100% sure you have the new hub.

So there are 10 days from now before the switch but no sign of Hub2. I suppose I just wait anxiously day by day hoping the new hub will come. I am not sure I want to click on "track or manage my order" in the email as it might be a subtle way to make me confirm I actually want digital voice or want to place an "order" when I don't so any information people who have been switched of how loing before switchover day it was when their new hub2 arrived would be useful.

There is no sign of a sswitch yet on my second landline number/account (I have two landline numbers, 2 BT accounts, 3 lines and 2 broadband.  

The swtich is on the simplest account where I have one number, one land line and one broadband account. The other account has one line with broadband and no telephone number and one telephone number with no broadband on it but that does not seem to be being switched as yet.

[imjolly]

you would normally expect to receive the new SH2 1/2 days before the switch to DV is due

[Jane2018]

Thanks. I will wait with baited breath.....If it all works and is seamless, great.

I am assuming I open up the new modem, plug it in where the old one is - do whatever you have to do with passwords and then the internet works as now.

Then 2 days later once the landline line goes dead I unplug that from the wall and put the traditional landline into the back of the hub 2.

Then I probably have to test it can receive calls from all networks, other landlines and abroad.

Then spend a lot of time in relation to call minder for which I pay on that line with my recorded voicemail. 

At the moment it has a lovely 9 rings - longest setting so I can run like the wind from 2 flights up in the house or the garden to get the call so want that to continue and only after that for BT call minder to kick in.

Then I will need to get used to  not being able just to take phone off hook when I am going out as there is no concept of that with the awful digital stuff. So I won't have my current option where straight to voicemail as phone off hook when I go out but long ringing before voicemail for running to get calls int he house but will have to live with that part of it  being worse.

Whether a single bit of it will be the slightest bit better remains to be seen.

I wonder if I have to tell everyone they now will need to dial the 020 bit of the number even if they are local (I know I will have to do that - again something worse, longer, harder)

[licquorice]

Yawn

[Jane2018]

I think it is very helpful that people can read the experience of people who are not very tech savvy with the switchover so I will continue to bore people, sorry. I will be the first person next week to say for this first line they are switching over it has been seamless and the line is as clear as day for all my voicemalls next week as clear as it has been since 1997 when I started using this BT line here without a fault on any day since then. I am happy to be proven wrong.

Today's excitement is first a voice text to the other landline nu mber (not the one on this account, not the one to which the switch will happen) with the longest string of numbers ever to track the modem. Hoever that has not mattered although I was worried about it at first, as they have sent an email too with the tracking - to the email address I use with the correct line they are switching over.

I got a worrying thing on screen earlier today  "Sorry you are not allowed to access the internet at the moment". I have never had that on screen in 20 years so clearly it may be the start of many problems and must be related to the switch but the internet DID keep working fine so I am going to try to ignore that and hope for the best.

The address for the modem to come  weirdly misses out the first word of the house name which is on every bill and starts The. Someone obviously does not like the definite article on house names but I am sure the post man will know the house

This is a slightly confusing statement in the email "If you're using one of our older hubs"  (obviously I am) "or another company's route  it won't work with your new service. You'll need to replace it with the hub we're sending out" . That does not make sense. "Will not work with" implies people might use both old and new hubs at the same time. I will just ignore that confusing bit as I do not have anyone else's router. 

It will be interesting to see if BT keep separate the entirely different account for the upstairs broadband line, account, hub and landline (I have 2 landline numbers) and does not muddle the two.

If the new router fails on set up I can still, as now,  use the ethernet cable down from 2 flights up for the upstairs different broadband line so hopefully we would not have a situation of both cut off.

I will keep people updated and I am sure they are waiting for updates....

[gg30340]

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@Jane2018wrote:

I got a worrying thing on screen earlier today  "Sorry you are not allowed to access the internet at the moment". I have never had that on screen in 20 years so clearly it may be the start of many problems and must be related to the switch but the internet DID keep working fine so I am going to try to ignore that and hope for the best.  You are most likely receiving generic messages not messages individual to you. If you were a new customer to BT and being switch to BT Broadband and Digital Voice you would not be able to use the Internet while the installation took place.  

This is a slightly confusing statement in the email "If you're using one of our older hubs"  (obviously I am) "or another company's route  it won't work with your new service. You'll need to replace it with the hub we're sending out" . That does not make sense. "Will not work with" implies people might use both old and new hubs at the same time. I will just ignore that confusing bit as I do not have anyone else's router.  Again a generic message however it is not confusing. If you have an older BT hub ie any of the BT hubs that are not a Smarthub 2 or you are using another router ie one you have purchased your self from a 3rd party manufacturer or if you are moving to BT from another Internet Service and are presently using their router, you will need to replace those with the Smarthub 2 that they will send out so that the Digital Voice Service will work. 

Nowhere does it imply that you can use old and new hubs at the same time. It clearly implies that Digital Voice won't work with the older or 3rd party equipment. 

I will keep people updated and I am sure they are waiting for updates....

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[Jane2018]

The new hub for the downstairs landline number and broadband came today. Just to report back it all went fine. 

I was a bit confused when it referred to grey wires as the box just came with the modem and plug (no cables/wires) but my old wires worked. It was a bit of a job to be on dusty ground under things connecting everything up but it has worked.

Of course the big change will be when the landline goes dead and the line switches which I will not mess around with until the line goes dead. Currently it shows as not yet switched over thank goodness.

It took well over an hour due to needing to unbox it, work out where things go and then the very long bit of the new password (keeping the BT one) and getting it to work with my mobile and lap top but not tackled Sky as yet to input the broadband new network and password as that takes ages and then  checking it.

Theblue colour is a lot harder to see and smaller but that probably suits people who have them in a bed room I suppose.

I have parcelled up the old as requested ready to go in a few days' time (I will hang on to it for a little bit just in case the new modem ends up failing quite good) and that took a little while too as the box to use relates to the size of 2025 kit not 2017 kit which had a bigger plug etc but it's done and instructions as to which bit of label on returns box to cover  from when it arrived today was not clear but AI helped me on that one.

So well done BT - phase 1 of Line/account no. 1 has gone fine so far (getting a Hub 2).

[gg30340]

Rather than changing the BT Smarthub's password and SSiD (name) on all your devices you could have just changed the new Smarthub's name and password to be the same as your old BT hubs name and password. Your devices would have been none the wiser and just connected as normal.

When you send the old equipment back make sure you keep a copy of your Proof of Posting and if possible take a photograph of it in case you somehow lose the paper copy.

[WSH]

I'd also factory reset it before you return it.

[chrisjp]

"This is a slightly confusing statement in the email "If you're using one of our older hubs" (obviously I am) "or another company's route it won't work with your new service. You'll need to replace it with the hub we're sending out" . That does not make sense. "Will not work with" implies people might use both old and new hubs at the same time. I will just ignore that confusing bit as I do not have anyone else's router."

I think you are over-thinking this. There is surely nothing confusing or that doesn't make sense about it saying "you'll need to REPLACE it (your old hub) with the hub we're sending out".
"Replace" means just that, it's not instructing you to use the new and old hubs at the same time as you seem to think.
I'm not a great fan of BT's instructions in general, but I can find absolutely nothing confusing about this one!