One for the future

[#1]

I have just had some head scratching to try to help an elderly neighbour. She has had a new Sky connection and asked me to get her extension working. This is only used to support her smart TV so there is no other broadband services used.

I popped along with a spare filtered faceplate to be confronted with a conundrum. A relative had got it working for her and the instructions were missing. I eventually worked out that although we are only on an FTTC enabled service that Sky are now using VOIP. In addition the hub has a built in ATA. Consequently analogue phones and extensions have to be connected to the hub ATA output, which was not initially obvious. Due to mechanical constraints it is impossible to simply plug a 'two into one' adapter into the hub and a degree of bodging has had to be used to at least get an upstairs phone working. I have failed to get any information relating to the REN capacity of the ATA from t'Internet, but it works. Interestingly the extension phone currently works when plugged in to the BT master socket until the hub is plugged in. It then dies and the VOIP phone works.

I thought that I would post the experience here in the hope that when Plusnet move over to VOIP that they can be prepared with documentation to help the none telecoms savvy customer manage the change.

[#2]

Interestingly the extension phone currently works when plugged in to the BT master socket until the hub is plugged in.

@Baldrick1  Interesting , when you say works, to what extent ? just a dial tone or make/receive calls

[#3]

@MisterW 

To be honest I did not go further than checking that there was a dial tone. This disappeared when I plugged either the DSL  or phone in, I can’t remember which it was.

[#4]

@Baldrick1 

Are you/they re-injecting the analogue telephone output from the hubs ATA into the existing house telephone wiring?

If so, I presume you know that the existing copper drop-wire should be isolated/disconnected the from the internal wiring.

Just trying to be helpful (just in case) ...  

[#5]

@RobPN 

No, the extension was just that, an isolated extension lead. The lash up was a right bodge which I have now resolved by replacing both the old wired phones with a wireless two handset with answering machine and spam call blocker product.