topic Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does! in Talk

Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

s+cornwell — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:37:49 GMT

I've just moved to Sky and I have Sky talk. I've had a BT cordless set (4 phones) for years and they have happily been plugged into the main BT box.

When I plugged my cordless phone in I get no tone, but I do with a standard plug in phone?

What do I do next?

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

Mark39 — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:44:32 GMT

Are you plugging your cordless phone (base station) into your broadband Hub?

(Edited for clarity).

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

s+cornwell — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:45:58 GMT

Yes I am - at first I tried with a new extension lead and thought that was the issue, but I get a tone with both that and the tiny cable that comes with the standard plug in phone

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

Mark39 — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:54:04 GMT

Most cordless phones should be ok with Sky internet calls (Sky VOIP) but not BT phones designed to work exclusively with BT's Digital Voice service. I'm wondering if that's the issue?

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

s+cornwell — Sun, 21 May 2023 13:55:09 GMT

I was hoping that wasn't going to be the answer, but it wouldnt surprise me

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

s+cornwell — Sun, 21 May 2023 14:04:38 GMT

Do i need DECT phones?

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

Mark39 — Sun, 21 May 2023 14:09:11 GMT

Yes, a standard DECT phone should be fine.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

TimmyBGood — Sun, 21 May 2023 14:47:16 GMT

@s+cornwell wrote:

I've just moved to Sky and I have Sky talk. I've had a BT cordless set (4 phones) for years and they have happily been plugged into the main BT box.

Just to be clear, the BT 'Digital Voice' family of WiFi phones is proprietary technology which only functions where BT Broadband is the ISP and a BT Smart Hub 2 is the router, because it's the BT Hub which acts as base station. Unfortunately there appears to be no way to convert the telephone hardware to be usable with other ISP broadband or as conventional handsets.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

s+cornwell — Sun, 21 May 2023 16:18:28 GMT

Can anyone recommend cordless DECT phones? looking for triple pack

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

cymru123 — Sun, 21 May 2023 17:30:11 GMT

@s+cornwell

Just to be clear what model are your BT Handset?

It's only the BT Digital Voice specific handsets, such as BT essential digital voice or BT Advanced digital voice with Alexa handsets that are only only compatible with BT's own digital voice service (as they only connect to the BT Smart Hub 2 via the Hub's built in DECT transmitter (not WiFi))

Other BT handset should work.

If you changed to Sky recently then you will be on Sky Talk with Internet Calls I assume? Where you need to plug the handsets into the phone port on the back of Sky's router (sky router should have a voice light that is green if you are indeed on Sky Talk with Internet Calls)

In some cases such as with Virgin 's own internet based calls service you it requires the bell wire connection for the ringer to work, using a micro filter between the routers ATA phone port and the phones base unit usually resolves this.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

TimmyBGood — Mon, 22 May 2023 09:27:41 GMT

@cymru123 wrote:

(as they only connect to the BT Smart Hub 2 via the Hub's built in DECT transmitter (not WiFi))

I think they are WiFi, because they make the handshake with the Hub using WPS. If they were DECT then they could be compatible with other systems.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--how-do-i-set-up-my-service-

(although the declaration on the product spec sheet also lists a DECT requency. Interesting.)

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

cymru123 — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:32:36 GMT

@TimmyBGood wrote:
@cymru123 wrote:

(as they only connect to the BT Smart Hub 2 via the Hub's built in DECT transmitter (not WiFi))

I think they are WiFi, because they make the handshake with the Hub using WPS. If they were DECT then they could be compatible with other systems.

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--how-do-i-set-up-my-service-

(although the declaration on the product spec sheet also lists a DECT requency. Interesting.)

@TimmyBGood

They are DECT based and can indeed be paried to a DECT GAP compatible base unit but it will render it to just making phone calls and receiving them - I know as I've done it.

See spec at back of manual where you'll find The Radio transmission information

Frequency range (MHz) Max power

1881.792–1897.344 250mW

This is DECT frequency range

The WPS button on smart hub 2 acts as dual functionality

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

cymru123 — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:43:34 GMT

@TimmyBGood

They are indeed DECT based and not WiFi

See specs at back https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/digital-voice/advanced-phone/BT-Advanced-Digital-Home-Phone-User-Guide.pdf

As you can see the Radio transmission information

Frequency range (MHz) Max power

1881.792–1897.344 250mW

This is DECT frequency https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_enhanced_cordless_telecommunications

And yea they can be paired to a GAP DECT compatible base unit but will render the handset to very basic functionality - i.e only able to make and receive calls. I have indeed tried this.

Also please refer to the BT community FAQs where it has been confirmed they are indeed DECT based and not using WiFI

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

cymru123 — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:53:30 GMT

@TimmyBGood

Why are you marking as spam, it's factual information about how the handsets

I repeat the BT Digital Voice Handsets are indeed DECT based and not WiFi. They can be paired to a GAP DECT compatible unit but will render them to basic functionality of only being able to make and receive calls.

The BT Smart Hub 2 's WPS button has dual functionality.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

Mark39 — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:06:13 GMT

@cymru123 wrote:

Why are you marking as spam, it's factual information about how the handsets

That's not possible on the forum.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

TimmyBGood — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:16:52 GMT

@cymru123 wrote:

Why are you marking as spam

The forum software may do so automatically: we don't.

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

cymru123 — Mon, 22 May 2023 16:29:19 GMT

@TimmyBGood @Mark39 ok thanks both, well now you have all my 3 posts hahahha

I admit BT have made it very confusing using the WPS button for multiple functions hence why people think it's using WiFI rather than DECT and that if you have good WiFi signal with multi mesh discs they will connect to that but in fact they only connect to the BT Hubs built in DECT transmitter

But yeah if you have the BT Digital Voice handsets in addition to another GAP compatible DECT phone unit then yes you can pair those up with that and use with Sky router by plugging the DECT base unit into phone port on back of Sky router.

Otherwise if you don't have any DECT cordless GAP compatible base unit then you'll need to buy one to then plug into back of Sky router

Re: Cordless phones not working - plug in does!

Mark39 — Mon, 22 May 2023 16:31:33 GMT

@cymru123 wrote:

@TimmyBGood @Mark39 ok thanks both, well now you have all my 3 posts hahahha

Posts caught by the spam filter do get released from the queue sooner or later, once they've been reviewed and OKd by a human!