BT Digital Voice

[gizard]

So looks like BT is forcing me over to Digital Voice but claim I don't need to do anything other then plug my phone into the voice port on the router when the time comes.

Two problems with this

- 1 I don't have a BT router with VOIP Ports - they demanded it back ~ 2 years ago at the last contract renewal (I use a Draytek Router, not a model that has VOIP ports)
- 2 my Alarm system has a PSTN module that calls me / and various other numbers if it is set off etc. I assume this is probably not going to work come the 'upgrade' so either I will need to get a GSM module for the Alarm and use that instead or have the whole system upgraded (It's not currently looked after by anyone as the last lot that took over the original installers / company messed up it's configuration during annual maintenance so badly (even after after about 5 visits the engineers had no clue sadly) I actually learnt how to program it and set it up correctly and told them where to go when they tried to extract the annual fee. Just wish I new the contact details of the original engineers - as he really new his stuff.

All this due to BT and the Digital voice revolution!

[Mr Pointy]

This is going to be a recurring theme over the next couple of years.

Are you with BT? It sounds odd that they wanted their router back if you renewed your contract. You can either buy a new Draytek or use an external VOIP adapter although I don't know if BT specify a particular adapter for Digital Voice. Is the alarm on a separate phone line or is it an extension? For £36 you can get a 2 port adapter of slightly dubious origin:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VoIP-Port-Internet-Phone-...

[gizard]

Haha - that generates more questions - yes with BT although Box Broadband (FTTP) has appeared in our area (and looks like they have installed stuff on my local pole ready to use the copper link to suspend the fibre from to save digging up the garden / drive looks like my neighbour (same postcode) can apply for it but I can't and the call centre said no as well as the website which is odd - I was going to get FTTP along side what I have (FTTC) to have one backup the other and therefore I was going to get a Vigor 2866 but as I have external Wifi APs I don't want a Router with Wifi inbuilt but they don't do a 2866 with Voip and no wifi......

that linked adaptor looks like a an old Linksys design!

I guess I need to find out what VOIP adaptors are compatible with BT AND my alarm modem - what are the chances of that? the rather useless leaflet advises I will not be able to use my existing answerphone which suggests that the alarm modem will probably not work either.

[Mr Pointy]

A&A seem to do a VOIP service which might be worth looking into:
https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-inform...

[Bikerjon]

Last time I looked into this it was the case that you must use the BT router because no other decent options were available. It's not like a standard SIP VOIP service. Then there's the DV handsets that don't even work over Wi-Fi...

[markiii]

isn;t Digital voice using QOS? if so how does using an adaptor help if the router isn't configured for it?

[gizard]

My current Router has the ability to configure QOS - not sure how to do it mind, better RTFM!

[phil-sti]

I have BT fibre to the property and they installed a small white powered box the the Fibre goes into, an Eternet cable is plugged into it and then to the hub. there is a phone plug on the little white box.

[gizard]

phil-sti said:

I have BT fibre to the property and they installed a small white powered box the the Fibre goes into, an Eternet cable is plugged into it and then to the hub. there is a phone plug on the little white box.

Ahh I guess there must be two different 'BT Solutions' as I don't have FTTP only FTTC from BT so the VOIP will be provided by the BT Router as opposed to the Fibre Termination box in your FTTP case.

BT have not given a date when they will provide FTTP in our area but BOX Broadband have started - although way behind atm as mentioned above...

[Mr Pointy]

Bikerjon said:

Last time I looked into this it was the case that you must use the BT router because no other decent options were available. It's not like a standard SIP VOIP service. Then there's the DV handsets that don't even work over Wi-Fi...

I think other routers must be suitable as Zen are selling Digital Voice & they supply a Fritzbox router. There's a thread on the Think Broadband (ADSLGuide) forum which discusses how to get connection but there's often confusion about using Zen's DV setup & an ATA & an external SIP provider:

https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/zen/4731028-own-...

There's quite a lot of useful information on that forum:
https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/threads.php

[Bikerjon]

phil-sti said:

I have BT fibre to the property and they installed a small white powered box the the Fibre goes into, an Eternet cable is plugged into it and then to the hub. there is a phone plug on the little white box.

Yes I notice other FTTP providers are using a port on the ONT for the landline, although I don't think I've seen this active on a BT one yet. This surely must be the best way forward though as it doesn't restrict router choice and keeps landline phone connectivity largely the same as before.

[gizard]

I guess my real question is will my RISCO alarm voice module work with VOIP - basically it calls me if the alarm goes off and I can also call in and set / unset it with codes / key presses etc.

[Mr Pointy]

gizard said:

I guess my real question is will my RISCO alarm voice module work with VOIP - basically it calls me if the alarm goes off and I can also call in and set / unset it with codes / key presses etc.

Is it a separate line or just an extension from the voice phone line?

[gizard]

It's just an extension, I only have one line.

Edited by gizard on Tuesday 14th November 15:10

[markiii]

arguably not, many of these lines use teh same frequencies as ADSL which are unlikely to be carried over VOIP

[Mr Pointy]

markiii said:

arguably not, many of these lines use teh same frequencies as ADSL which are unlikely to be carried over VOIP

If you mean the alarm reset/control codes surely they would just be DTMF tones otherwise they wouldn't pass through the analogue system. I wonder if DTMF tones travel over a VOIP connection?

[markiii]

anything audible maybe. but it depends what cuttoff frequency they have decided you need for the human voice.

certainly I remember customers struggling to get analogue faxes working over certain VOIP solutions


ADT used to say their alarms wouldn't work on a line that had ADSL because the frequencies overlapped.

They did something to fix that a few years ago, but since it didn't require any changes at my end I'm not sure what

[AlexC1981]

gizard said:

- 2 my Alarm system has a PSTN module that calls me / and various other numbers if it is set off etc. I assume this is probably not going to work come the 'upgrade' so either I will need to get a GSM module for the Alarm and use that instead or have the whole system upgraded

Make sure it's a 4G/5G system due to the switch off of 3G. 2G is supposed to be going on until 2033, but I would imagine the signal is only going to get worse as masts switch to 4G/5G.

[gizard]

Mr Pointy said:

If you mean the alarm reset/control codes surely they would just be DTMF tones otherwise they wouldn't pass through the analogue system. I wonder if DTMF tones travel over a VOIP connection?

Yes I think they are just DTMF tones - it also plays voice messages etc. so think it will work. I need get a an adaptor something like a Cisco ATA 192 to try out - but also a VOIP service of some sort - my current Draytek supports QOS configuring will just have to experiment I guess.

Thanks for all the advice so far

And good point about the GSM services being turned off - there is a lot of stuff being turned off and kit being made redundant soon - rather wasteful!

[clumsen]

With the digital upgrade happening to the UK telecoms system, anything that uses DTMF for communications could fail. The conversion from analogue to digital signal may lose small parts of the tone, so would not be picked up.

Basically anything using a PSTN line (telecare, fire alarms, alarms and lift alarms) will need upgrading to a digital solution to be 100% reliable.

Come 2025 there are going to be a lot of connected devices that stop working, I say 2025 the switch over has started 3 years ago.