Fritz!box Telephone & Answering Machine query

My new Zen service goes live in a week and I am awaiting my Fritz!box delivery. So that I can be prpeared I have 2 questions. The telephone connection can be either DECT or cable to an existing analogue phone system.

1. If I set up the Fritzbox to be a DECT hub and answer machine, but it is located somehere where I cannot easily see it, then how do I know that I have messages?

2. I understand that the Fritz!box has an RJ11 telephone socket and is supplied with an adaptor to a standard BT 4 pin plug socket. I would need to connect this to my wall socket with a 4 pin BT plug at both ends lead. Can I miss out the connector if I have an RJ11 to BT 4 pin lead? Does it need to be a crossover lead like this?

https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/home-cctv/telephone-cab...

I am aware that I will need to disconnect my internal telephone wired system from the BT master socket.

You can see the call list and messages from the Fritz!box web interface but you'd have to login to notice that.

If you have a smartphone or tablet you might consider the Android apps or IOS apps.

My preference would be that it is able to notify the handsets to show a symbol in their status bar for VoiceMail messages waiting or missed calls but I haven't noticed that show up on my DECT handset like I have with other DECT-based answering machines.

I suspect features are very handset dependent. I have a very basic Panasonic model, though I wish I paid a little more for an illuminated keypad.
However re-registration to the Fritz!box integrated base was easy enough (the UI walks you through including whether you want to use the default PIN or a custom one) and the supplied Panasonic base has become merely the charging cradle.

There was no manual service setup required to add the SIP line to the router as Zen's settings were sent to it once the DV migration order completed (I was already with Zen for PSTN with broadband) and no change in monthly cost (I did not take an inclusive calls package so line-rental-only was replaced with DV line-only like-for-like).

Edited by prlzx (Thu 18-Apr-24 18:46:43)

In reply to a post by chris52:

1. If I set up the Fritzbox to be a DECT hub and answer machine, but it is located somehere where I cannot easily see it, then how do I know that I have messages?

Mine sends me an email.
Actually, that's for a missed call on my VoIP line. I did away with my landline which went direct to voicemail with no option to leave message. But I'm fairly sure the FB can send an email when you get message.

Not only does it send you an email but it also attaches a sound clip of the actual message left. It can also send the message to multiple email addresses. I find it extremely uselful.

Thank you all. One problem solved.

Any thoughts on the appropriate cable?

I’ve paired three DECT phones to my Fritz!Box, and they show a message waiting light when there’s a voicemail waiting. I can listen to it from any handset, and delete when done.

I’ve also configured the Fritz to sync my contacts from Apple iCloud, meaning the same address book on my iPhone shows up the DECT handsets.

It works great, but the actual truth is that I rarely use it. Everything is usually through my mobile with its unlimited free calls and texts. I even have a VoIP app on the phone so if someone calls the house number, it comes through on my mobile anyway.

To answer my own query.

We joined Zen and had a 7530 AX delivered. We linked all our DECT phones and it worked perfectly except it didn't suit us.

The 7530 is very advanced and can have multiple incoming telephone lines. This means that it treats each handset as individual. They can all be linked to one telephone number and they all ring when a call is received and any one of them can answer the call. The problem arises when you want to transfer calls between handsets. To transfer a call you must dial the number of the handset you want to transfer to. This of course means that you need to know it. In our house we have a fairy that comes in at night and moves the handsets around so we never know which handset is where. This makes transferring calls inconvenient.

Our Panasonic DECT base station works on an all active basis which means that any handset can be used at any point in the call just by switching it on. This works much better for us.

As a result of th4 above I plugged our Pansonc handset into the router where it works exactly as it did before except that the voice is much clearer than it has ever been before. This suits us very well.

Whilst the Fritz!Box doesn't have that functionality you can call all other connected phones with **9