topic Non digital phone on digital voice in Digital Home Phone

Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:04:05 GMT

I never use my landline except for taking calls from an intercom to which I respond with the hash key. I've just had my service transferred to digital.

My old (digital) phone doesn't seem to work for the intercom any longer - although the hash key does work for other services - and engineer advised getting a different handset, an also suggested corded.

As don't use the phone, I was looking at cheap options - and BT Duet 210 came up. Although this is not digital, I saw something saying it was OK as long as it was attached through router. But then I saw something else saying that star and hash keys wouldn't work. That seems a bit bonkers as I can't see why it would have the keys if they don't work.

Does anybody know definitely one way or the other?

Thanks.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 19:23:28 GMT

@58BM Where is the phone connected, the DVA has issues with key press functions but not on everything so that is a try and see, the phone connected to the back off the router is/was reported rock solid for everything key press wise.!

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:21:06 GMT

Thanks @JimM11 - I've not got the phone yet (I'm checking before I buy - and had just seen something suggesting a problem so thought I'd check). I can connect to the router, so that's what I'll do. (I'll still be crossing my fingers because technology hates me at the moment...)

Thanks again.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:30:02 GMT

@58BM You may be going about this all wrong with regards to what you have in situate and the way that the whole system is wired and installed, you really should hold fast before ordering anything at all. The Digital Voice has NOTHING to do with what you have to what you need!

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:40:18 GMT

Oooh - that's interesting.

The engineer (not BT/EE) reckons an issue I have may be with my handset being temperamental - and suggested getting a cheap replacement. So I'm just planning to swap one handset for another (cheaper) one - and the Duet 210 came up cheapest. Everything else seems OK, so a cheap replacement seems a reasonable move. Even if it doesn't solve the issue, it gives the engineer something else to factor in if there's another visit.

Thanks.👍

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:41:52 GMT

@58BM Are you able to answer a series off questions just now.!

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:44:05 GMT

I've got 15 minutes. 😁

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:46:33 GMT

@58BM Your intercom system, was it tied into the landline phone system that you had previous, was not a seperate phone only for the Intercom system.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:47:33 GMT

Yes - just rang my normal landline and I pressed hash to open.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:49:52 GMT

@58BM Your phone that no longer works because you have now unplugged it, was that phone the one you use for the hash key press, connected to a OR Master Phone socket.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:52:17 GMT

I've not unplugged it - it still lets me know when people are there. Before I got the digital line, it was in the master socket, yes.

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:56:31 GMT

@58BM You need to leave that phone connected then for the Intercom system to work, it has got some extra additional wiring and is it working perfect even now with the hash key, or is it just the hash key that is playing up!

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 21:00:33 GMT

This is the weird bit - I've used the hash key for non-intercom related things and it's OK. It's only the intercom where it doesn't work. The phone is fine - except for when it tries to link to the intercom. And it only affects me not the neighbours.

It's a cordless phone - and engineer suggested trying a corded one. (Yes, we were getting desperate.)

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

JimM11 — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 21:04:02 GMT

@58BM Will let you get on as you were time limited, will think about it over night, post back when you get time tomorrow!

I have enough information i think now about what you are trying to do and the DV move!

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 21:05:39 GMT

@JimM11 Thanks - I may be able to get my hands on a phone tomorrow morning, so I'll report back. (With success, I hope!)

Re: Non digital phone on digital voice

58BM — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:29:47 GMT

Whoops! I thought I'd responded to that - sorry!

I did borrow another phone and that didn't work either.

I eventually got cheesed off with the faff and contacted EE. The first response wasn't helpful (it was sort of 'that can't happen' - well, it an and it did), the second was more customer-friendly and sent me another phone to try. Sadly, that phone won't work either, which makes me pretty certain that the problem is the line (it's the only variable that doesn't work).

As a workaround, I think I'll try to get a cheap burner phone and use that for the gate. I could have it sent to my normal mobile - but experience suggests it would tend to go off at the wrong time.

As I only got the BT line for this purpose, I am a bit cheesed off - I'm paying £5 a month for a line that doesn't work for what I need, and I only get calls from scammers (Insulation? Oven cleaners? They clearly don't know me). It could be worse I suppose.

Oh, well, thanks to everybody - and apologies for late response.