VOIP - will existing cordless phones still work?

[Devonboy55]

Not sure if this is the right "Board" for this, but here goes....

What happens regarding our cordless phones, when VOIP is introduced, I wonder?    The BT info page is very vague on this subject. 

Is it simply a case of plugging the master base (!!)  phone into the back of the  router - and the "satellite" phones (4 no.) will still work?

(The reason I am asking is that I saw that someone was selling their cordless phones "due to now having VOIP"...)

Any info will be much appreciated - thanks!

[gg30340]

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@Devonboy55 wrote:

Not sure if this is the right "Board" for this, but here goes....

What happens regarding our cordless phones, when VOIP is introduced, I wonder?    The BT info page is very vague on this subject. 

Is it simply a case of plugging the master base (!!)  phone into the back of the  router - and the "satellite" phones (4 no.) will still work? YES

(The reason I am asking is that I saw that someone was selling their cordless phones "due to now having VOIP"...)

Any info will be much appreciated - thanks!

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[countrypaul]

Yes, with BT you get a Smart Hub 2 which has a green socket on the back to plug your existing phone /base station into. You also can get a Phone and adapter.

BT Digital voice is just one version of VOIP, you can already get a VOIP phone to use with other suppliers.

[Devonboy55]

Thanks Countrypaul. 

So absolutely no need to get new cordless phones?  So why would I want/need the new phone and adaptor you mentioned, pls?  Thanks!

[TimCurtis]

@Devonboy55 

When you get Digital Voice you're offered a premium handset or 2 basic handsets (quite good ones really) or an adapter.

The adapter allows your existing handset to be used remote to the SH2 rather than having to plug directly into the back of the SH2. It works OKish but I found that sometimes the handset would come up as engaged so dropped using that and used the 2 basic handsets supplied by BT.

[jac_95]

One of the reason why BT offer the digital voice handsets or adaptor is ease of allowing you to have your phone some distance from the hub.

Others include access to digital voice specific resources and potential future improvements such as "cloud" based blocked lists, Alexa integration (if you go for the advanced digital voice handset with Alexa), ect...

As pointed out though, modern corded and cordless handsets should work with digital voice when plugged into the ATA phone port on back of the smart hub 2 

[licquorice]

I can assure you that my Panasonic cordless phones work just fine with the base station connected to the green socket at the rear of the hub via existing internal phone wiring. They work happily alongside the provided DV handsets, and a wired analogue phone.

As I am still on FTTC rather than full fibre, I simply unplugged the filtered faceplate from the master socket, connected the hub broadband socket to the test socket and connected the hub green socket to the dangling faceplate (it's behind a desk so not an eyesore) with a double ended phone cord.

[Gadget_Man]

I’ve managed to link both Panasonic DECT phones directly to SH2. In the settings on the handset the SH2 is Base 2. However it’s not fully compatible, no caller display or time etc are shown on the handset screen but it’s a handy backup in the event of a power failure when the Panasonic base & DV adapter loose power as both my ONT & SH2 have BBUs. I know the BBUs won’t last hrs & hrs but I’ve got peace of mind knowing I’ve done what I can. 

[Tim123]

@Devonboy55 - A couple of the existing BT calling features require use of the 'Recall' button (often just marked 'R' on the keypad) - i.e. to dial a second person into a call (3-Way Calling) or to toggle between an incoming call and the call you're already on (Call Waiting). Timed-break Recall uses pulse dialling (also known as loop-disconnect dialling), to semi-hang up the line. Pulse dialling is not supported by BT Digital Voice and I assume that's why BT's Digital Voice handsets have no Recall button. I also assume it means that the Recall button on analogue corded/cordless phones will not work on Digital Voice. Evidently the DV handsets have some kind of menu option to perform the same function. If you currently use calling features that require Recall, I guess you'll need a DV handset in the future.  I assume that one is also needed to make use of new features such as 'Multi-Call' (or even just to deactivate that feature, if you don't want it - judging from posts on here).

This is all stuff that BT should explain, but don't (hence the assumptions). Incidentally, Virgin's phone guide suggests that the Recall button still works on their VOIP service (see Purple instructions for Call Waiting and 3-Way Calling, showing 'R'). If this is true and not a mistake, it suggests they have taken the trouble of introducing a 'workaround' solution. They also allow Reminder Call on VOIP (again, unlike BT), although not Ringback or Regular Reminder Call ("Sorry, this service isn’t available in your area yet").

Confusingly, the 'Emergency Back-Up Phone' supplied by both BT and Virgin (a Motorola FW500) has a Recall button.

[Jane2018]

Very useful and I will add to my list of differences. I wish BT could just produce a simple list of about 20 things that differ before we are moved to digital voice - not so we can hit BT over the head with it but just so we know in advance that it is not that you plug your corded phone into back of modem and off you go as before. Instead there are lots of differences and I find out more and more each day.