Landline handset issue after full fibre installation

[MelT]

Since full fibre,  I am unable to respond with hash key to allow a voice access code on our 2nd landline handset

[Mark39]

@MelT that's odd. Does it work ok using the other handset?

[MelT]

Yes it does 

[MelT]

Yes it does. )Think I hit wrong arrow.)

[Mark39]

@MelT no worries. The fact that it works ok on one handset suggests that the cause isn't Sky's Talk (landline) service, but some sort of conflict or interference between the second handset and your broadband Hub. Are you using a DECT cordless phone with a base station plugged into the Hub? Or two handsets hardwired via a splitter to the Hub? 

[MelT]

Handset one is on a base and direct into hub but handset two is upstairs and  plugged into a socket.  I'm not sure how they set it up. 

[Mark39]

@MelT that sounds a little odd.

With full fibre broadband the only connection to Sky's landline service is via the broadband Hub. The cabling to all the old telephone wall sockets is disconnected- unless someone has been creative with re-establishing the upstairs socket.

I suspect that's the cause of the problem you're having. My suggestion would be to invest in a cordless DECT phone with two handsets (or if your current downstairs phone is a cordless phone,  investigate whether you can buy an additional handset). You wouldn't then need to plug either phone into a wall socket.

[MelT]

Thank you very much I will  look into it.

[TimmyBGood]

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@MelT wrote:

handset two is upstairs and  plugged into a socket.  I'm not sure how they set it up. 

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As @Mark39 indicates, it almost certainly wasn't set up at all: enabling internal extension sockets isn't part of an FTTP (or SoGEA FTTC) installation and phones attached to them simply become obsolete.

Unfortunately ISPs typically don't draw customer attention to this and it comes as a nasty surprise.

[MelT]

Thank you.  All this technology is getting too much for me now😟.  I'll just use the main handset. 

[MelT]

I am still having issues with the phone  (BT Z Advanced) as the answerphone won't turn off when a message is left and makes a horrible noise until it's unplugged.  The hash key is also still an issue now on both phones.  A long call to BT this morning and she talked me through various settings solutions but none have worked and they feel it could be an issue with the internet provider.  If anyone has a phone number for the correct Sky dept to sort this issue I'd be grateful.

[Mark39]

@MelT if you haven't already, the first thing I'd suggest would be to unplug the upstairs phone. And check that only your downstairs phone base station is plugged into the UK phone socket at the back of your Hub.

If theres any other connection, apart from your phone base station, to either the UK or ROI phone sockets at the back of the Hub (they're next to each other), unplug it.

[MelT]

Unplugged upstairs phone but no change.  Although a BT phone, we pay Sky for the line rental so surely it would be reasonable to ask them to have an engineer visit, especially as there were no problems before they installed the full fibre🤷‍♀️.  

Thank you for trying to help me but I'm not a young person and struggle somewhat with technology.  

[Mark39]

@MelT I'm not a young person either 🙂

You can call Sky on 150 from your landline. They'll be able to run some line checks to see if there's a fault between your broadband Hub and the telephone exchange. If they find a fault, then yes, they'll arrange an engineer. Depending on where the fault is, the engineer may not need to visit your home.

[MelT]

That's brilliant, thank you for your help  I'll call 150 👍