topic Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine in Digital Home Phone

BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:51:36 GMT

I have a Digital cordless BT phone (Model K5-F91 TAM) which I bought in July 2023. In spring this year we switched the broadband from Sky to EE. Now it does not accept the inbuilt answer phone anymore (I only get messages by dialing 1571) and I can also not use the keypad to select choices which are given to me by service providers. Both features are absolutely necessary as my husband does not have a mobile phone and therefore cannot connect to any service which requires "select 1, select 2" etc.

An EE technician came to look at the problem but couldn't solve it. What do I do?

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Andy_65 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:14:33 GMT

Hi @HeidiP2

When you moved to EE was your telephone transferred to digital voice?

What you've got now are essentially two voicemail systems, the EE one (1571) is kicking in before your BT phone because it is set to fewer rings before going to voicemail. You need to change this one to the maximum number of rings, if you have the EE app select 'Manage' and then 'Home Phone'. You should then be able to select Voicemail and change the number of rings.

On your BT handset the number of rings before voicemail starts needs to be less than what you've just changed the EE voicemail to. I'm not sure why you can't navigate options with your BT handset, is it plugged into your normal phone socket or the back of your router?

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Mustrum — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:43:14 GMT

@HeidiP2 is your phone plugged into the router or into an adapter? It seems there are issues you mention when using the adapter.

As has been already said, changing the EE voicemail to its maximum, via the app or by calling CS, and reducing the rings on the adapter should sort you out.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:48:36 GMT

Thank you, @Andy_65 for your helpful and quick reply

I've just tried repeatedly to change the ring duration on the app on iPhone and iPad. That's not possible at the moment because "Something's wrong. Not your fault, it's ours. Give it another go later"...! I've had that before and I begin to wonder if that's the standard reply. Anyway, I shall try again.

With regards to the navigate options - the main handset is not plugged into any phone socket. The phone line goes into a Home Phone Adaptor V2 (mode no X16-G90) which goes into a normal electricity socket. The router is in another room, near the TV.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:00:54 GMT

@Mustrum So, it seems the easier problem to solve is the voicemail. I'm working on that and hope to solve it as soon as EE has fixed what "is wrong at their end".

Our home phone is in the kitchen where it is most convenient for us. The broadband router is in another room, approx 10 meters away. Therefore the home phone is connected to a Home Phone Adaptor V2 (mode no X16-G90) which goes into a normal electricity socket. I don't think we've been transferred to Digital Voice, as @Andy_65 asked, although I don't actually know what that means..!

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Andy_65 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:03:07 GMT

I'd try plugging your BT phone into the back of the router, it's the green socket. If then you're able to navigate options then it's the adapter that's causing the problem.

The EE app can be a bit flakey and the error you're getting is common in my experience. If you can log into your account in a browser, select Plans and Subscriptions, then Manage Home Phone. You should be able to change the number of rings under Voicemail. I can set mine to 10 rings, you'll need to make sure that your BT phone is set to less than what the EE voicemail is set to, or what you change it to.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Andy_65 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:21:22 GMT

@HeidiP2 Everyone will be on Digital Voice (voip) within the next year or so. Landline calls will go over the internet rather than through the telephone exchanges. The fact that you've got an adapter that plugs into the mains suggests that you have already been transferred onto digital voice.

In your browser address bar, type 192.168.1.254 and press enter. You should see your home telephone number in the second box down on the left. If you click on that and under 'Status' it says 'Service ready' then you've already been transferred to digital voice.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:24:38 GMT

@Andy_65 Somehow I can't get into my earlier conversation anymore. But I hope I can reach you this way.

Just found out, with your instructions, that we are on Digital Voice. Thank you.

The service to manage the home phone via the EE website is not working at the moment either. I'll try again tomorrow as I'm getting rather cross now with EE.

And I plugged the telephone line into the router, and voila that works. So as you say, the adapter is the problem. Anything I can do about get; ie get another one?

Thank you so much for spending all this time helping me. I really appreciate it.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

XRaySpeX — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:35:13 GMT

@HeidiP2 : You don't appear to have any other posts on here nor any convos with @Andy_65

Would you care to restate your issues?

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Andy_65 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:48:17 GMT

@XRaySpeX EE voicemail was cutting in before her BT handset answer phone was activating, so the advice was to set the EE DV to voicemail to maximum rings and set the BT handset voicemail to a lower number of rings. She cannot currently change the number of rings for EE voicemail because both the app and online account options return the familiar 'There's a problem, it's not you it's us' error.

Also using their BT handset they cannot use the keypad to navigate automated menus, as they're using an adapter I suggested plugging the the BT unit into the router as I suspect that they're on DV.

The original thread has indeed disappeared.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:51:44 GMT

I had several conversation with @Andy_65 but can't find them anymore. So here goes: In 2023 I bought a BT Essential Phone with easy call blocking and answer machine (model K55-F91-TAM) which worked fine until I switched from Sky to EE broadband. Apparently I now have Digital Voice.

@Andy_65 explained that I had to change the ring duration of the EE answer phone to be longer than the BT ring duration in order to use my BT answer phone as opposed to 1571. I'm still trying to do that, but EE says "they're working on solving some sort of problem" which does not let me change that. The website was out of action for this as well...! I'll try again tomorrow.

The second problem I have is that the phone line is connected to a Home Phone Adapter VA (model X16-G90). So when I call a service which gives me several options to select, the handset will not accept the numbers I type in. I just found out, that this is not a problem when the phone line is plugged in directly into the router. So the adapter causes the problem and I was wondering if I can get a different adapter, as obviously it is important to be able to chose services for eg hospital departments.

I hope that all makes sense.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Andy_65 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:52:40 GMT

@HeidiP2 I'd suggest calling Customer Services for another adapter if you need one, I'd also make the point that your online account and the app has issues with being able to set the number of rings for voicemail.

With the BT unit plugged into your router, test the range of the handset. It it's acceptable I'd suggest going without the adapter.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Mustrum — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:53:55 GMT

@XRaySpeX I also was part of the thread originated by @HeidiP2 - even have emails to prove it, however the thread has disappeared.

Originally it was in the Devices/Other phones & Devices section.

@HeidiP2 if you remember it was me who mentioned the adapter issues 😀

Also the App can also give issues, if it keeps giving that message the calling CS should get it sorted.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 17:04:35 GMT

@Mustrum Yes, I do remember that you gave tips. Thank you all @Andy_65 @Mustrum @XRaySpeX I give up for now but will contact EE CS tomorrow. I'm so looking forward to it - nothing better to do on a sunny Saturday afternoon ...!

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

XRaySpeX — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 17:53:41 GMT

Yes, @Andy_65 , I recollect seeing that as recently as earlier today but when @HeidiP2 started this new thread I could no longer find it even going from your posting history..

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Mustrum — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 17:52:21 GMT

The original thread has been tracked down and reinstated after I raised a query. Seems someone moved it to a private board!

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

JimM11 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:58:33 GMT

@HeidiP2 @Andy_65 Would forget about trying to get another adapter, earlier OP posting done, completed, and still the same results, SOME key function will just not work over the adapter, was even posted will link the post below. And @HeidiP2 see the final Peter-w response, if you wish to go head to head, then he's the one to help.

Edit: Solved: Landline keypad response does not registe - The EE Community

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:29:39 GMT

I’m very grateful for that input and will get in touch with the technical team.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

HeidiP2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:59:30 GMT

@JBB55 it affects me and I have a BT digital Essential Phone model K55-F91 TAM. Plugged into the router it’s fine, with the adapter the key pad for service choices doesn’t work. My router is not where I want my telephone to be, and I can’t believe that they can’t find a solution to the problem.

Re: BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

Mustrum — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:23:46 GMT

@HeidiP2 there are ways to get around it, but it seems the adapter does not do what people expect it to do.

Were it me, as I already have it, I would plug my cordless dect phone base station into the router and use the cordless phones where I want. Some Dect phones can also be paired to the router which may also work for some. Or even a cheap £10 corded phone plugged into the router for times when I need to be able to respond to systems.

Do these adapters cost anything - can you get your money back?