BT Halo 3 technical support available

[Silver29]

I've recently renewed my contract and have been upgraded from Halo1 to Halo 3.   

I notice that a home visit to provide technical support is available and wonder if I could use this service for the problem I am having with existing set up which has Hub/computer in one room TV in another and having to use BT phone extension socket instead of main phone socket.   It needs some workaround with the layout.

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

@Silver29 

From https://www.bt.com/halo/terms

9. When can I request a visit from a Home Tech Expert? You can benefit from a free Home Tech Expert visit once in every 12 month period. Charges may apply for any additional visits made at your request.

This means you are eligible for a visit:

i. When you regrade to BT Halo 3; or

ii. When you add certain products and services  (i.e. BT TV and Complete Wi-Fi);

     or

iii. When you request an Annual Health Check.

10. What is the Annual Health Check? This is where a Home Tech Expert will visit your home and check that your BT Products and Services (e.g.  BT  TV, Complete Wi-Fi) are set-up correctly, make recommendations that could improve your services (e.g. Replace the BT master socket, installation of Complete Wi-Fi, fix internal wiring problems), and carry out any improvements with your agreement. We may also send a Home Tech Expert if you tell us you have a fault with your Broadband and/or TV service and we determine that the problem may be within your home.

[rbz5416]

If you explain in more detail what you're trying to achieve someone here may be able to help.

[Silver29]

Thanks.   It seems the best way for me to go is to request an annual health check.

[licquorice]

Not exactly sure of what you are expecting of the technician.

I suspect the only options you have involve running cables which will be beyond their remt.

As already suggested if you provide some detail,forum members may be able to offer a solution. There is no reason not to plug your hub into an extension socket if the wiring is done correctly.

[Silver29]

Thanks.  Layout is complicated due to my living in a building with 47 apartments, most of which have wifi, so I prefer to connect computer to Hub by ethernet.   Doing this involves Hub being in bedroom beside computer, using BT phone extension socket.   Main cordless BT phone also has to use this socket, so I am not alerted to any messages on the answerphone, which I would normally see when I come home and walk into the living room.

I have tried using both phone sockets, but this causes interference on phone line.  I'm going to request a health check to see how to work round this, but thanks for offer of help

[rbz5416]

Homeplug/Powerline adapters would allow the PC to connect to the Hub via ethernet over your mains wiring.

Is your master socket filtered, as in does it have separate connections for phone & Internet?

The answerphone built into my BT8500 cordless beeps when it has messages, & also flags on the display of all handsets. So maybe check if yours has those facilities.

[Silver29]

I have a separate filter that plugs into phone socket and then internet and phone plug into the filter.

The TV box works by plugging ethernet through BT mini connectors linking to hub in separate room.   I'm sure there is some simple solution to this and hopefully the tech expert will solve it.

It may be he can find some way of strengthening the security of using wifi for the computer.   At the moment swifi is being used by almost 47 others in the building and the library a few yards along the road is a wifi hotspot with people regularly standing outside its wall using its wifi.    I could also, if necessary, connect to its wifi network

I'll update if a solution is found when they visit.

Thanks for your input.

[Silver29]

Sorry should add, the telephone answer phone has flashing red light when message is received but no sound.  Nor does it send warning message to extension handset.   I only notice the red light if I happen to be in the bedroom.

[rbz5416]

You've only said what you have & not what you want. Reading between the lines you want the Hub located in the same room as the TV? If that's the case then you just move it, connect the TV directly to the hub & use the mini-connector to connect to the PC.

I have no idea what you mean by strengthening WiFi security as no-one who doesn't know your WiFi password can connect to your network. But if you use the mini-connectors you can keep WiFi out of the equation.

Again reading between the lines, if you plug the phone into a different socket to the Hub then you will need a second filter for that. If you don't have that it probably accounts for the noise you refer to.