Confusion with using third party router

[dbr]

There has been quite a lot of discussion about using a third party router when switching over to full fibre / digital voice which generally centers about having to use BT's phone hardware or finding another provider.

I'm not sure what the limiting factor is - whether it is the BT phones are only compatible with a SH2 router or whether the SH2 router is only compatible with the fibre connection? 

The consensus seems to be that once a third party router is installed, all previous phone lines won't work when using digital voice.

I stumbled across this https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--how-do-i-set-up-my-service- where is describes using your own handset which implies, along with the socket on the rear of SH2 that you can plug your phone in to it.

Obviously when the fibre is installed the old copper line will cease to exist so does the SH2 provide voip connection?  If so, can a third party router be installed with voip capability to replace the SH2 after all? Or, it is just that the handsets which BT provide are only compatible with a SH2 and when you use a third party router you need to get another voip capable phone?

[imjolly]

This has been covered more times than ( can count. If you have digital voice you must use the SH2 AS FIRST CONNECTION TO GET DIGITAL VOICE. you can connect your own phone to the phone socket on back of hub   the SH2 act as a dect base station for BT DV phones

[licquorice]

There is no confusion, as @imjolly says the subject has been covered countless times, not least in the faq https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

[dbr]

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@licquoricewrote:

There is no confusion, as @imjolly says the subject has been covered countless times, not least in the faq https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

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I would point out that the first statement in this link:

First and foremost, Digital Voice does not use WiFi to connect to the DV handsets. The Smart Hub2 has a built in DECT base station, the WPS button is dual purpose and is used to pair the handsets to the hub as well as its traditional WPS role

Is incorrect, at least with the phone I was supplied by BT.  There are no cables and the phone is entirely wireless.

Apart from that, the entire BT forums are awash with confusion as to whether existing phones can be used with a suitable voip router.  There is much misinformation out there and subjectively answered.

It would appear fromt he Draytek website that I'll still be able to use my existing phone with one of their voip routers.

One thing very much lacking on BT's side are the router settings required to make any phones work with third party routers.

[imjolly]

If you want to use your own router then you cannot get BT digital voice.  You can get VOIP from an independent VOIIP provider and just get broadband only from BT 

BT digital voice will only work using a SH2 as the first connection to the ONT

[licquorice]

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@dbr wrote:

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@licquoricewrote:

There is no confusion, as @imjolly says the subject has been covered countless times, not least in the faq https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-phone-including-Digital/Digital-Voice-FAQs/td-p/2207485

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I would point out that the first statement in this link:

First and foremost, Digital Voice does not use WiFi to connect to the DV handsets. The Smart Hub2 has a built in DECT base station, the WPS button is dual purpose and is used to pair the handsets to the hub as well as its traditional WPS role

Is incorrect, at least with the phone I was supplied by BT.  There are no cables and the phone is entirely wireless.

The statement is not incorrect. The phones do not use WiFi, they are DECT which is what standard cordless phones use. It is wireless but not WiFi in the accepted meaning of the term.

Apart from that, the entire BT forums are awash with confusion as to whether existing phones can be used with a suitable voip router.  There is much misinformation out there and subjectively answered.

It would appear fromt he Draytek website that I'll still be able to use my existing phone with one of their voip routers.

One thing very much lacking on BT's side are the router settings required to make any phones work with third party routers.

Its  lacking because it isn't possible to use a third party router with BT Digital Voice.

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All the questions are answered in the FAQ if you read it.

Just realised I had already answered your questions on your other thread