I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
the internet. To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.

Has anyone else had this and dealt with it? If so, can you tell me
please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?

On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
> the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>
> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?

I'd like to know too.

Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use
the BT Hub.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

On 11/10/2021 03:58, Brian Gregory wrote:
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
>> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
>> the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
>> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
> I'd like to know too.
>
> Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use
> the BT Hub.

It might be better to ask the questions in uk.telecom.voip

--

Jeff

On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
> the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>
> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?

I had exactly this when I switched to Vodafone Gigafast fibre.

I had fibre right up to my house followed by an ONT and then a router.

On the back of the router are some telephone sockets typically moared as
TEL or POTS.

You will need a RJ11 to RJ11 patch cord to go between the router and
your telephone as the BT style plug does not fit.

As for extension phones, that will involve some physical wiring work
where you cut off one of the RJ11 connectors,

change your BT master socket to a secondary socket,

disconnect the old BT wiring,

and connect in the end of the cable missing its RJ11 connector to the
new secondary socket using a Krone punch down tool or screwdriver
(depending on your new socket)

On 11/10/2021 08:15, SH wrote:
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to
>> Digital Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only
>> work over the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone
>> and plug it into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
>
> I had exactly this when I switched to Vodafone Gigafast fibre.
>
> I had fibre right up to my house followed by an ONT and then a router.
>
> On the back of the router are some telephone sockets typically moared as
> TEL or POTS.
>

P.S. see example picture:
https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/15066iA92CFD227FD096C2/image-size/large?v=1.0&px=999

>
> You will need a RJ11 to RJ11 patch cord to go between the router and
> your telephone as the BT style plug does not fit.
>
> As for extension phones, that will involve some physical wiring work
> where you cut off one of the RJ11 connectors,
>
> change your BT master socket to a secondary socket,
>
> disconnect the old BT wiring,
>
> and connect in the end of the cable missing its RJ11 connector to the
> new secondary socket using a Krone punch down tool or screwdriver
> (depending on your new socket)

On 11/10/2021 08:15, SH wrote:
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to
>> Digital Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only
>> work over the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone
>> and plug it into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
>
> I had exactly this when I switched to Vodafone Gigafast fibre.
>
> I had fibre right up to my house followed by an ONT and then a router.
>
> On the back of the router are some telephone sockets typically moared as
> TEL or POTS.

No, on the BT Hub 2 I've got, it just has one telephone socket coloured
bright green lying under the sticker BT says I have to peel off in order
to plug my phone into it instead of into the current wall socket. That
wall socket is actually an extension, not the BT master socket.

> You will need a RJ11 to RJ11 patch cord to go between the router and
> your telephone as the BT style plug does not fit.
>
> As for extension phones, that will involve some physical wiring work
> where you cut off one of the RJ11 connectors,
>
> change your BT master socket to a secondary socket,
>
> disconnect the old BT wiring,
>
> and connect in the end of the cable missing its RJ11 connector to the
> new secondary socket using a Krone punch down tool or screwdriver
> (depending on your new socket)

'Don't worry', BT has told me, 'we've made it as simple as possible'!

But I wonder if what you're suggesting is necessary or right. I won't
be having fibre up to the house, just still the old copper wires to the
roadside junction box.

On 11/10/2021 03:58, Brian Gregory wrote:
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to
>> Digital Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only
>> work over the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the
>> phone and plug it into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub
>> router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
> I'd like to know too.
>
> Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use
> the BT Hub.
>
This is exactly why Ofcom need to get their arse in gear, and make
porting your landline number away to a VoIP supplier possible without
(as at present) it killing your broadband account.

Can the BT Hub be put into DMZ mode ?  If so, use it as purely a modem
and phone port, and feed the Ethernet onward into a 'proper' router ?

On 11/10/2021 09:06, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 03:58, Brian Gregory wrote:
>> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to
>>> Digital Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only
>>> work over the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the
>>> phone and plug it into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub
>>> router.
>>>
>>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>>
>> I'd like to know too.
>>
>> Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use
>> the BT Hub.
>>
> This is exactly why Ofcom need to get their arse in gear, and make
> porting your landline number away to a VoIP supplier possible without
> (as at present) it killing your broadband account.
>
> Can the BT Hub be put into DMZ mode ?  If so, use it as purely a modem
> and phone port, and feed the Ethernet onward into a 'proper' router ?

Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
(bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.

Well, some years ago I got something called a fritz box that did this, and
appeared on the surface to work and was very cheap, however it had its
problems. Firstly my tone dialer that can dial numbers via holding it to the
mouthpice of a normal phone was inaccurate and dialled silly numbers. There
was also glitching at busy times on the web, making it either delay a lot or
sound terrible and muffled with little glitches.
One might hope that they have perfected it by now, but feedback I hear
would suggest that the bandwidth issues still persist. My doctors surgery
uses it and its pretty awful.
Of course the one big drawback is the all eggs in one basket problem. If
you get a power cut in your area your internet and phone go off. The land
line tends not to being powered from an exchange or has a short term battery
back up somewhere local.

Unfortunately, you will, eventually have no choice. Virgin told me they will
not physically pull out the copper yet, but when the system goes completely
digital then the old system will be shut down. I can stay on it till then
with no extra cost but some extra services available on the digital offering
will not be migrated to the old copper system. I suspect the same will be
true of BT as the cost of fixing old copper based systems is increasing as
they age.
Brian

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"Norman Wells" <hex@unseen.ac.am> wrote in message
news:ish2ocFg5rpU1@mid.individual.net...
> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
> the internet. To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>
> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it? If so, can you tell me please
> how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?

As far as the hub is concerned unless the telephone interface was part of
it, then from what I can tell it plugs into a network port so should work in
a router. Obviously only the company can tell you whether this is the case.
You might at that point decide to use some other companies voip over the
system and move your number over and get cheaper calls,but the same provisos
exist about how good it is and whether you might in fact be better off with
a mobile instead.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Brian Gregory" <void-invalid-dead-dontuse@email.invalid> wrote in message
news:ishnj3FjqacU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
>> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
>> the internet. To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
>> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it? If so, can you tell me please
>> how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
> I'd like to know too.
>
> Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use the
> BT Hub.
>
> --
> Brian Gregory (in England).

Are you saying then that if you wanted to discontinue a land line altogether
then but won't? That would seem to be a bit mean, considering that voip via
them then becomes just another item on the internet and anot a separate
service.
Brian

--

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The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Mark Carver" <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:isi9k7Fn2hjU1@mid.individual.net...
> On 11/10/2021 03:58, Brian Gregory wrote:
>> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
>>> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
>>> the internet. To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
>>> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>>
>>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it? If so, can you tell me
>>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>>
>> I'd like to know too.
>>
>> Also I'd like to know what I would have to do if I didn't want to use the
>> BT Hub.
>>
> This is exactly why Ofcom need to get their arse in gear, and make porting
> your landline number away to a VoIP supplier possible without (as at
> present) it killing your broadband account.
>
> Can the BT Hub be put into DMZ mode ? If so, use it as purely a modem and
> phone port, and feed the Ethernet onward into a 'proper' router ?

That has been well thought out then, not..
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
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"SH" <i.love.spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:sk0ob0$1s4j$1@gioia.aioe.org...
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to Digital
>> Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only work over
>> the internet. To make this work, I have to unplug the phone and plug it
>> into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it? If so, can you tell me please
>> how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
>
> I had exactly this when I switched to Vodafone Gigafast fibre.
>
> I had fibre right up to my house followed by an ONT and then a router.
>
> On the back of the router are some telephone sockets typically moared as
> TEL or POTS.
>
>
> You will need a RJ11 to RJ11 patch cord to go between the router and your
> telephone as the BT style plug does not fit.
>
> As for extension phones, that will involve some physical wiring work where
> you cut off one of the RJ11 connectors,
>
> change your BT master socket to a secondary socket,
>
> disconnect the old BT wiring,
>
> and connect in the end of the cable missing its RJ11 connector to the new
> secondary socket using a Krone punch down tool or screwdriver (depending
> on your new socket)

Norman Wells wrote:

> I just want a phone and an extension both to work after I've been ported.   But
> the BT HUb2 has only one (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a
> potential problem.

With luck BT will supply you with a voice re-injection frontplate, so you plug
the green phone socket of the router to the green extensions socket of the
faceplate, and your extensions will work, if you want a phone near the router
then you'd need one of the old socket-doublers.

Andy Burns wrote:

> With luck BT will supply you with a voice re-injection frontplate, so you plug
> the green phone socket of the router to the green extensions socket of the
> faceplate, and your extensions will work, if you want a phone near the router
> then you'd need one of the old socket-doublers.

<https://draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt2>

On 11/10/2021 08:15, SH wrote:
> On 10/10/2021 22:03, Norman Wells wrote:
>> I've been told that BT are going to switch me over very soon to
>> Digital Voice, which means that my landline phone will in future only
>> work over the internet.  To make this work, I have to unplug the phone
>> and plug it into a special socket on the back of the BT Hub router.
>>
>> Has anyone else had this and dealt with it?  If so, can you tell me
>> please how it works (or doesn't) with extension phones?
>
>
> I had exactly this when I switched to Vodafone Gigafast fibre.
>
> I had fibre right up to my house followed by an ONT and then a router.
>
> On the back of the router are some telephone sockets typically moared as
> TEL or POTS.
>
>
> You will need a RJ11 to RJ11 patch cord to go between the router and
> your telephone as the BT style plug does not fit.
>
> As for extension phones, that will involve some physical wiring work
> where you cut off one of the RJ11 connectors,
>
> change your BT master socket to a secondary socket,
>
> disconnect the old BT wiring,
>
> and connect in the end of the cable missing its RJ11 connector to the
> new secondary socket using a Krone punch down tool or screwdriver
> (depending on your new socket)

It is almost the same with BT connection, except the router has a BT
socket (BT431?) for the phone.

My original setup was the Openreach copper terminating on a master
socket, with my extensions connected to the back of the faceplate
attached to the master socket. When I had fttp installed, the phone
line was transferred to Digital Voice and available on the router. I
plugged in a two-way phone socket adapter in the router to give me two
sockets. I then disconnected the BT line into the master socket (no
longer live, but just to be certain) and connected a 431 phone to phone
cable (plug each end) from the router to the master socket faceplate socket.

All works with no issues

On 11/10/2021 09:16, Norman Wells wrote:
> Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
> both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
> (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.

My HUB6 has not telephone socket so they will presumably to replace it?

I think there is going a massive reaction against this change because
most people have a phone that was installed many years ago, they do not
want to have start messing around with it. If BT want to transfer them
to digital then it is up to BT to do any work necessary though I would
prefer to stay on a land line connection because I don't want to start
running mains extension leads around the house or having to an extra
mains socket fitted.

It's even worse than the letters I keep getting telling me that I can
have a "smart" electricity meter as if it would be of some benefit to me.

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 09:16, Norman Wells wrote:
>> Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
>> both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
>> (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.
>
> My HUB6 has not telephone socket so they will presumably to replace it?
>
> I think there is going a massive reaction against this change because
> most people have a phone that was installed many years ago, they do not
> want to have start messing around with it. If BT want to transfer them
> to digital then it is up to BT to do any work necessary though I would
> prefer to stay on a land line connection because I don't want to start
> running mains extension leads around the house or having to an extra
> mains socket fitted.
>
> It's even worse than the letters I keep getting telling me that I can
> have a "smart" electricity meter as if it would be of some benefit to me.
>
>

People can react all they like, but with nowhere else to take their
business (ie to get a wire analogue phone service) it’s going to be
basically adapt or silence.

In article <sk15an$nm0$1@dont-email.me>,
MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 09:16, Norman Wells wrote:
> > Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
> > both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
> > (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.

> My HUB6 has not telephone socket so they will presumably to replace it?

> I think there is going a massive reaction against this change because
> most people have a phone that was installed many years ago, they do not
> want to have start messing around with it. If BT want to transfer them
> to digital then it is up to BT to do any work necessary though I would
> prefer to stay on a land line connection because I don't want to start
> running mains extension leads around the house or having to an extra
> mains socket fitted.

> It's even worse than the letters I keep getting telling me that I can
> have a "smart" electricity meter as if it would be of some benefit to me.

BT have said they are not keeping their POTS (copper wire) service beyond
2025. They won't make exceptions for 'luddites'.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
> MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
>> On 11/10/2021 09:16, Norman Wells wrote:
>>> Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
>>> both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
>>> (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.
>>
>> My HUB6 has not telephone socket so they will presumably to replace it?
>>
>> I think there is going a massive reaction against this change because
>> most people have a phone that was installed many years ago, they do not
>> want to have start messing around with it. If BT want to transfer them
>> to digital then it is up to BT to do any work necessary though I would
>> prefer to stay on a land line connection because I don't want to start
>> running mains extension leads around the house or having to an extra
>> mains socket fitted.
>>
>> It's even worse than the letters I keep getting telling me that I can
>> have a "smart" electricity meter as if it would be of some benefit to me.
>>
>>
>
> People can react all they like, but with nowhere else to take their
> business (ie to get a wire analogue phone service) it’s going to be
> basically adapt or silence.
>
>

Or just ditch the wire/cable/fibre connection and use mobile 4/5G.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 09:16, Norman Wells wrote:
>> Oh, Lordy, I'm not that technical! I just want a phone and an extension
>> both to work after I've been ported. But the BT HUb2 has only one
>> (bright green) telephone socket which seems to be a potential problem.
>
> My HUB6 has not telephone socket so they will presumably to replace it?
>
> I think there is going a massive reaction against this change because
> most people have a phone that was installed many years ago, they do not
> want to have start messing around with it.

Homeowners have been responsible for everything after the master socket for
many years. All that’s really happening (effectively) is that the master
socket is moving to your router.

As before, it’ll be up to you how you want to add extensions.

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On 11/10/2021 12:35, charles wrote:
> BT have said they are not keeping their POTS (copper wire) service beyond
> 2025. They won't make exceptions for 'luddites'.

That is their decision but it should be up to them to provide an
equivalent without the customer having to do anything,

On 11/10/2021 12:58, Tim+ wrote:
> Homeowners have been responsible for everything after the master socket for
> many years. All that’s really happening (effectively) is that the master
> socket is moving to your router.

But not all routers appear to have a master socket, mine doed not have
one that I can see.

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 12:35, charles wrote:
>> BT have said they are not keeping their POTS (copper wire) service beyond
>> 2025. They won't make exceptions for 'luddites'.
>
> That is their decision but it should be up to them to provide an
> equivalent without the customer having to do anything,
>

Why?

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/10/2021 12:58, Tim+ wrote:
>> Homeowners have been responsible for everything after the master socket for
>> many years. All that’s really happening (effectively) is that the master
>> socket is moving to your router.
>
> But not all routers appear to have a master socket, mine doed not have
> one that I can see.
>

If you have your current voice service via the same outfit as your ISP
you’ll probably be given the option of a new router.

On 11/10/2021 13:30, Tweed wrote:
> MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
>> On 11/10/2021 12:58, Tim+ wrote:
>>> Homeowners have been responsible for everything after the master socket for
>>> many years. All that’s really happening (effectively) is that the master
>>> socket is moving to your router.
>>
>> But not all routers appear to have a master socket, mine doed not have
>> one that I can see.
>>
>
> If you have your current voice service via the same outfit as your ISP
> you’ll probably be given the option of a new router.

What if your ISP is different from your landline provider? They'll each
say contact the other outfit.

--
Max Demian