BT Essential phone with easy call blocking and answer machine

[HeidiP2]

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?

[Andy_65]

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?

[Mustrum]

@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.

[HeidiP2]

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. 

[HeidiP2]

@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..!

[Andy_65]

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.

[Andy_65]

@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.

[HeidiP2]

@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.

[XRaySpeX]

@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?

[Andy_65]

@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.