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restyler's avatar
restyler
On our wavelength
10 months ago
Solved

Does Ebul V3 need to be connected to the Router?

Ive just switched across from Sky Broadband & Landline to Virgin & had requested an emergency back up line.

The engineer connected the Hub- v3 last week & told me the Ebul V3must be charged for around 8 hours before use.

So Ive now attached the Ebul to the wall next to the router & it gives me a dialtone when I lift the handset, but as no instructions was left with any of the kit I'm not sure if the phone cable from the Ebul needs to be connected direct to the router or to my regular phone socket or does it not need to be connected to anything if it uses its own built in sim to make calls?

Any advice - or even a wiring diagram would be welcome

Thanks

  • Thanks for your very informative comments & links Goslow.

    Using those, together with the testing Ive just done today, I think I can now write the definitive version of how the Motorola FW500 Emergency Back Up Line  (EBUL V3) works and how it can be connected to the Router if you so wish, although it works just fine if you leave it unconnected, (but still powered from its mains adaptor).

    So, the VM EBUL v3 is a Motorola FW 500 unit that contains a sim card supplied by VM that can operate on a multitude of mobile networks. The Sim card number is usually on a sticker supplied in its box - (handy to stick this to the phone somewhere)

    You have it permanently connected via its mains adaptor to keep it charged up, & in the event of a power loss youve got at least 8hrs of call time - or far more if just left in standby.

    It has a single phone cable connected to it which is terminated with a regular BT 431A phone plug. If you want to connect it to the RJ11 'Tel1' socket of your VM router you'll need an RJ11 to BT plug adaptor like this. And if this RJ11 socket is already occupied by a cable to your landline phones, then you'll also need a line splitter adaptor like this so that both RJ11 cables can be connected to theTel1 socket.

    If the EBULv3 is used UNCONNECTED to the router, then it can be used at ANY time to ring ANY UK number  whether it be Mobile (starting 07), Landline (starting 01 / 02 / 03), Freephone, or Emergency numbers. It uses its built in SIM card to connect to the network and the person receiving the call will see the SIM number of the EBUL (starting 07).  Anybody can call the EBUL phone if they have its SIM number and ONLY the EBUL phone will ring. When used unconnected to the router you may not hear a regular dial tone from its handset when picked up. All calls made via the EBUL, ( to the above UK numbers), will be FREE of charge as long as those types of call are normally part of your VM call plan.

    If the EBULv3 is used CONNECTED to the router (whilst the router is working normally), then it assumes your regular landline phone number & becomes part of your landline array - and so will ring & can be answered if anyone calls your landline. If you make calls from it then anyone receiving those calls will see your regular landline number displayed. All calls from it will be charged the same as any other landline phone in your house according to your VM phone plan.  As soon the internet goes down or you have a power outage, the EBUL will detect the lack of signal on the Tel1 connection & automatically switch to SIM card mode as described above, reverting back to landline mode when the internet signal is restored.

    I just wish the info that VM tells its engineers & moderators on here about the Ebul v3 was brought up to date, as most of the info they were telling me including the VM links at the start of this thread was just wrong & very unhelpful.

    • Ashleigh_C's avatar
      Ashleigh_C
      Forum Team

      Hi there restyler 

      Thank you so much for your post and welcome to the community forums, it's great to have you here. 

      I am so sorry for any confusion regarding your phone line, and a big thank you to carl_pearce for their help and link to our online guide. Has this helped with your set up at all?

    • restyler's avatar
      restyler
      On our wavelength

      Thanks, but I'd already seen that page & unless I'm missing something its not all that helpfull as it just shows a dotted line between the ebul & the router without actually saying which connector on the router it should be plugged into.

      I'm guessing its either Tel1 or Tel2 due to the plug shape, so its a 50/50, but it would be very helpful if the cables were labelled - but theyre not.

      Any further clues?

      • carl_pearce's avatar
        carl_pearce
        Community elder

        The device must be plugged into Tel1, else it will continue to use the backup SIM to make calls.

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta

    VM provides an RJ11 to BT adapter so that analogue handsets can connect to the TEL 1 port.

    • restyler's avatar
      restyler
      On our wavelength

      Just googled these plug numbers so I know what we're talking about:-

      So Ive already got one of these RJ11 Plugs connected into Router socket Tel1 that travels around 4metres under a carpet terminating to another RJ11 plug that plugs into a VM adaptor next to the old VM telephone line wallbox that distributes the phone line to other sockets around the house. Worth noting that the old phone number has just been ported over today and all landline phones appear to be working via the Hub3 system (although I had to unplug a few phone extensions to keep the REN # down)

      So my original question still remains - If the Ebul cable, which also terminates in a small RJ11 plug, also needs to be plugged into the Tel1 socket on the router, do I need to contact VM to supply some kind of adaptor so that both RJ11 plugs can be connected?

      Maybe something like this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sourcingmap-Female-Converter-Telephone-Adapter/dp/B00OK8FPB2/ref=sr_1_3?

      • David_Bn's avatar
        David_Bn
        Forum Team

        Thanks for coming back to the thread restyler.

        The phoneline should plug directly into the EBul, with the EBul having a cord that runs to the Hub that would then plug into the RJ11 adapter via the TEL1 port on the back of the Hub 3.

        Hope this helps,

        David_Bn

  • restyler's avatar
    restyler
    On our wavelength

    There are NO other sockets on the Ebul V3 in which to plug another phone line.

    The Ebul V3 is a Motorola FW500 - I found a user manual for it (BT) link below where they say just to plug its RJ11 plug into the hub. https://manuals.plus/motorola/fw500-emergency-back-up-telephone-manual

    So the question is still - How do I plug both the two RJ11 sockets from both the Ebul & my telephone line into the Tel1 socket on the router?

     

    • Matthew_ML's avatar
      Matthew_ML
      Forum Team

      If you would like we can get a tech down to come and take a look at the set up for you?

      Let us know if this would be easier. 

      • restyler's avatar
        restyler
        On our wavelength

        Thanks for the offer, but surely it would be simpler just to ask the tech guy the question posed above & then just print the answer - in order to be of benefit to the countless others who will also inevitably come across this same issue.

        I'm guessing the answer would probably involve some kind of '2 into 1 RJ11' adaptor like the one I linked to above.

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta

    Doesn't VM provide a free wiring of the hub into an existing phone extension?

  • restyler's avatar
    restyler
    On our wavelength

    Ive now bought a couple of adaptors to try & couple the Ebul connector into the router TEL1 socket together with the other RJ11 connector from the regular 'landline' house phones. I'll give it a go at the weekend.

    I do wonder though why the Ebul needs to be connected to the router at all, as if we did indeed suffer a power failure then the router wouldnt be providing it with a signal anyway, and as it currently stands I assume we can make calls at anytime via the Ebuls sim card connection without anything else being connected (other than psu)?

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta

    The EBUL is a phone, so it needs connecting to the hub to work. The SIM card provides a strictly limited range of numbers which can be called, so not useful in normal circumstances.

    • restyler's avatar
      restyler
      On our wavelength

      My point is that because its an Emergency Back Up Phone & so by definition will ONLY be used in an emergency when the 'landline' phone connection is knocked out because of power outage etc, why therefore would you need it connected to the router if its only going to be used when the router is Not Working?

      • Ilyas_Y's avatar
        Ilyas_Y
        Forum Team

        Thanks for reaching out to us restyler ๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿผ

        Although the main line is connected via the broadband hub.
        The emergency back up line kicks in after it detects that the main line is out / not working, that is when the SIM goes active to allow calls to emergency services.

        It's not that it runs off the main line but is activated by an outage on the main line. ๐Ÿงพ

        I hope this clarifies.

        Kind regards,
        Ilyas.

  • Roger_Gooner's avatar
    Roger_Gooner
    Alessandro Volta

    Also I expect most people to use the EBUL as their replacement phone, so it needs to be connected to the hub. I think you can retain your existing phone for daily usage but do keep the EBUL connected to a power supply so that the battery is charged should it be needed in an emergency.