Digital; Voice Adaptors and EE Range extender

[Crisp1]

Hi, I've lost count of the hours discussing how to get my Digital Voice Adaptors (DVA) to connect to the EE Smart Hub Plus.

Issue: Telephones all work with the DVAs, Thenget an intermittent fault - they loose contact with the hub and need to be turned off and on again to reconnect;. You don't know whether they are working or not till you lift receiver and get dial tone. EEs answer install another EE range extender. I now have three range extenders and good  RSSI signal around -65db around the house and -90db. on 2.4GHz and 5.0 GHz. But EE now tells me that the DVAs use a different frequency and that the DVAs only link to the Router directly and that the Range Extenders don't assist in boosting the DEC signal to the Router. Am I correct?  EE has suggested I purchase a DEC range extender?  

[JimM11]

@Crisp1 You are correct, the wifi range extenders do absolutely nothing with the DVA side to the router, the DVA only work in the DECT frequency range, rather than waste money incase it is more than a range issue, as the DVA can be intermittent in operation, would try the adapter closer to the router, if you still get the fault then adapter issue, what is the light state on the adapter. I posted up earlier what the do so will find and copy. Did not even know there was a dect extender so will look at this also. 

Edit: -90db is not good, the lower the better... Take a look at led on the DVA before/when you get the no connection to see if good before, lift no dial tone, what is the led before/after. If you still have extension socket's dotted about the house then there may be another solution for you, so heads up for that...

What your Digital Voice
Adapter light means
1 On initial plug in – flashes 0.5 seconds on,
2 seconds off
2 During registration – flashes quickly
0.5 seconds on, 0.5 seconds off
3 Once registered – stays solid green
4 During a call – flashes slowly 1 second on,
1 second off
5 Once registered, if there’s a connection
problem with your broadband – flashes
0.5 seconds on and 2 seconds off.
Maximum Digital
Voice devices
You can register a maximum of 5 Digital Voice
devices (that includes Digital Voice Handsets
or Digital Voice Adapters) to your new Hub at
one time 

[Crisp1]

Thanks JimM11 for confirming that EE Smart Hub + range extenders do not extend the DEC frequency from the router. FYI as per your response, the DVAs stay steady green even when connection to hub fails to generate a dial tone - just open circuit noise. 

The DVA issue explains why BT/EE is so keen that customers use DEC phones that connect direct to the router. Positioned correctly the DEC base station can then act as the base station for other DEC slave phones. As far as BT/EE is concerned - problem solved.  Of course now you have to buy new digital DEC phones as one is no longer supplied by BT/EE on conversion,.

So the moral of this post is: If your router is in your attic where your FTTP line box is located and your dwelling has solid interior walls - as a conversion some of mine are 20 cms wide, even with the extended range of a WiFi 6 router there will be connection issues.  

p.s. my wife, who has dementia, cannot distinguish between a cordless phone and a TV remote, so Dec phones end up in cupboards or drawers.  Hence the need for corded phones.

[JimM11]

@Crisp1 You may wish to let us know point of wither you are still wired for any extension sockets/cables for your old phones, there is a work around that may be a better solution for you, but need to know a little detail.

With your router position even DECT booster could have an issue, and EE/BT would be best to advise regarding that, quick look saw a few, but never had to use one, so cannot advise how good or functional they are.

[Crisp1]

Thanks JimM11 for your response. Yes I know the work around, line disconnection, master socket removal, bell wire connection for older phones (don't have any) etc.  Only issue will be impedance value of existing wiring to furthest socket from router telephone socket. Maybe trial and error.