Digital voice

Is there anyway of getting digital voice to stay on the phone port of the ONT? Or if you don’t use a BT router can’t you have digital voice?

No and no .

Could be some double negative confusion here.

No BT Digital Voice from the ONT

BT Digital Voice only available with BT Hub

All is not lost. Alternative VOIP providers are available to you 😀

In reply to a post by nicholab82:

Is there anyway of getting digital voice to stay on the phone port of the ONT? Or if you don’t use a BT router can’t you have digital voice?

Do you already have a voice service via the phone port on the ONT?

Such a service hasn't been available since April 2020, however those who already had it continued to be able to use it.

BT will eventually move them off this. I'm curious if you already receive this with you asking if it can "stay" on the ONT.

In reply to a post by Realalemadrid:

Could be some double negative confusion here.

No BT Digital Voice from the ONT

BT Digital Voice only available with BT Hub

Would it be possible to use the BT hub just as a modem and connect a different router to it if they want a different router? The DCHP would need to be disabled on the second router, and then the IP address may need to be changed. I think that is right, not done that for years, or is it the first router that needs the DHCP disabled?


The problem is then that is another box with more cables and plugs., but if they go fro another VoIP, then they still have the same problem I have an old Linksys PAP and use Sipgate,, it works fine and i am surprised it is still working. Not that I use the home phone that often.

The BT Hub can't just be a modem. But you wouldn't need 1 when you have an ONT.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Sat 12-Feb-22 01:48:21)

Yes - as long as you don’t want/need actual BT Digital Voice - there is no need to keep the Smart Hub 2 in a double-NAT scenario with another router behind it. You can reasonably use any third-party router you like* directly attached to the ONT.

If you don’t want separate base etc for third party VoIP, use a router with VoIP functionality built-in, optionally with DECT base functionality etc. Or go for soft-phones and take the landline with you.

* With BT (as for other other ISPs using BT Wholesale with PPPoE authentication) then that router needs a PPPoE client. On the other hand Sky or TalkTalk (resi) just use plain IPoE (DHCP) so you could get away with any router that’s decently capable of NAT/routing up to gigabit.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

The BT Hub can't just be a modem. But you wouldn't need 1 when you have an ONT.

Are they locked down that much? But if you need the BT hub to use BT digital voice, then replacing it is not an option.

i think this digital voice thing is going to cause more problems for people, certainly to those who don't have broadband.

i have been using VoIP for over 7 years, so I am used to it, but it will confuse some people, like it did to my next door neighbour when they went over to sky.

In reply to a post by Realalemadrid:

Could be some double negative confusion here.

No BT Digital Voice from the ONT

BT Digital Voice only available with BT Hub

Not 100% correct, we have Digital Voice with BT (says that on our account page) and ours is via the ONT on port TEL1.

Sure it might just be a text thing on the account page, but when I phoned BT the other day to cancel our Fibre 900 service with them they asked if we wanted to keep out "Digital Voice" Service, which we are via our ONT on port TEL1.

But saying that, if you ordered Digital Voice now, its almost a sure thing it will probably be via the Smart Hub.

Paul