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

Currently for new BT FTTP customers what I stated is correct, you have had FTTP for a long time and although it may say Digital Voice on the bill it is actually the old Openreach FVA (Fibre Voice Access) service which is now longer available and is being withdrawn. The currently supplied ONTts don't have phone ports so as you say the Digital Voice comes via the Smart Hub

In reply to a post by Realalemadrid:

Currently for new BT FTTP customers what I stated is correct, you have had FTTP for a long time and although it may say Digital Voice on the bill it is actually the old Openreach FVA (Fibre Voice Access) service which is now longer available and is being withdrawn. The currently supplied ONTts don't have phone ports so as you say the Digital Voice comes via the Smart Hub

Oh I know, I was just stating that BT still call the FVA Phone Service as their Digital Voice, which its is still digital, just not a VoIP Digital Voice Service.

As far as I am aware, we will be on FVA for a while yet and that BT will be leaving us on that for as long as possible to a point that they have asked for the Smart Hub 2 to be returned to them when I phoned up to cancel the Fibre 900 service, which is fine by me LOL

Paul

Just upgraded to two BT digital voice phones - FOC - connected via the smart hub.
Happy with the performance/facilities.
Using info on TBB, I recently got my BB & phone reduced to £20.00 pcm

Nice, I refuse to us BT's hubs, I have had nothing but issues with them, but that is just me.

Paul

They work a lot better with FTTP, very rarely restart, etc.

Edited by Grimers (Fri 06-May-22 10:01:21)

In reply to a post by Grimers:

They work a lot better with FTTP, very rarely restart, etc.

No they don't, maybe they have gotten better over the last few years, or maybe I was just unlucky and the several I had were all faulty, but I have had nothing but issues with all my Smart Hubs including their Smart Hub 2 which I have been given over the years I have been with BT on FTTP.

I was getting loads of reboots all the time (especially when we were using our connection fully), especially when we were on BT's top tier package, so lower tier packages might be fine.

Also the Web UI of all the smart hubs that I have had have all been sluggish when we we were using our connection.
Loads of UI issues and no place to report them, I used to report them over the phone and via Twitter DM's, was told it would be passed on, but was never fixed.

Moved over from BT's hardware to my own 3rd party router MikroTik RB4011iGS+RM and all those issues were gone and I only lost connection for a few seconds when the Public IP changed.

Paul

I have no sue with the SH2 as a router apart from its wireless performance which is dire and inflexible . Therefore if Wi-Fi is an issue I would add a wireless point (s).

In reply to a post by spile:

I have no sue with the SH2 as a router apart from its wireless performance which is dire and inflexible . Therefore if Wi-Fi is an issue I would add a wireless point (s).

I never really used Wi-Fi, all Consoles and PC's are wired, the Smart Hub 2 had issues with handling the throughput of our connection, that was they main issue and cause for the constant rebooting.

But doesn't matter now due to we are no longer with BT for the broadband and since the move, we have better faster up and down more stable and it was a lot cheaper.

Paul

Maybe in your experience, but for a lot of people, including myself, they work fine.

In reply to a post by Grimers:

Maybe in your experience, but for a lot of people, including myself, they work fine.

Same here, since day one of having it.

Currently on BTs top package and never notice the hub rebooting. It just sits in the corner and works.