adsl and PBX

I have 2 mates who have business phone lines and 'dedicated' fax lines and when they enquired about getting broadband I suggested that the dedicated fax line would probably be the best bet for them to use. They both have ordered broadband on these lines but on closer inspection the fax line is connected to their PBX and they need to dial 9 to get an outside line from the fax connection. I am not certain but I think that they therefore need BT to modify the incoming line to provide a socket outlet before the pbx, the line can then be filtered before the pbx and broadband connection made at this point. Have I understood this correctly? Both phone numbers checked out with Prodigy showed no ISDN etc and one has been activated, the other will be in 2 days.

Yes, that should work fine.

Hi and thanks for guidance. I just need to convince bt to come and make an alteration to provide me with a socket before the PBX now. They seem convinced that I will have to filter every phone connected to the pbx but if i understand correctly, we can filt a socket on the line before the pbx and plug the fiter in here then plug the filtered signal back to the pbx leaving our phone & fax arrangements exactly as they are now but with a broadband connection available at this filter. I have read a suggestion that plugging a broadband modem in after the pbx may damage the unit. Is this correct? If I had not heard this I would by now have plugged in and been trying to work out how to autodial 9 before connecting to broadband plus how to ensure that the modem connected to the correct (broadband enabled) line. It is a bt rented pbx but I have an idea that they would make a charge if i broke it. I wonder how much business is coming in where people have done just that

Would do not damage to the PABX if you connected the modem to it. However ADSL and exchanges do not mix, you need to get a socket installed on the line prior to the exchange.

The ADSL signal will not pass through the exchange, hence why it needs intercepting prior to the exchange.

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Hi and thanks for guidance.

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No problem.

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I just need to convince bt to come and make an alteration to provide me with a socket before the PBX now. They seem convinced that I will have to filter every phone connected to the pbx but if i understand correctly, we can filt a socket on the line before the pbx and plug the fiter in here then plug the filtered signal back to the pbx leaving our phone & fax arrangements exactly as they are now but with a broadband connection available at this filter.

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Quite correct. Of course I'm assuming that the PBX is some sort of small key system such as a Panasonic or the like, that takes one or two standard analogue phone lines and allows around (up to) eight extensions to share those lines, transfer calls etc.? (often referred to as a 2+8).

The line/lines may be terminated on the PBX already; you need to get BT to terminate the line(s) on BT Master sockets, after which you have two choices:

1. Fit a standard microfilter in-line between the BT Master and the PBX line connection;
or
2. Replace the BT Master faceplate with a filtered socket/faceplate such as this.

The latter may be an easier option depending on how the line terminates on the PBX at the moment; you could then wire the PBX off of the filtered side of this socket in the same way as you would a phone extension in your house (not to be confused with PBX extension).

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I have read a suggestion that plugging a broadband modem in after the pbx may damage the unit. Is this correct?

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Not sure. I wouldn't have thought it would do any harm, but it wouldn't do any good either. Unless of course it uses digital handsets (special feature sets that display the name of the extension calling etc.), in which case there is a possibility.

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It is a bt rented pbx but I have an idea that they would make a charge if i broke it.

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Ah, a BT PBX. Not a Norstar/Meridian by any chance is it?

Thanks, you have undone much of my confusion and I can now be more positive with my request to BT to come and sort us out.
Does anyone have a short concise job description which BT will recognise, Fit auxilliary socket to XXXXX phone line or something?
It is a 2 lines in with 5 or 6 extensions type of pbx but not sure what make as I have avoided all contact with it, I know I will end up wanting to look inside.
The lines appear to come straight in to the back of the pbx as all the lines leaving the unit can be traced to extension points.
We dont have any complicated equipment , straightforward phones and 1 fax, but one of the phones is a dect type.
The location of the incoming lines/pbx is not where I would want the modem about 10 feet away)so if a master socket was put there i could plug a splitter in with filter to go to pbx and extension line to go to new socket by modem (marked as broadband only) or perhaps I can convince bt to do this for me in a more hard wired form.