08-10-2021 10:32 - edited 08-10-2021 11:00
Hello all, When we moved home about 6 months ago our phone line was converted to 21CV which connects to the Tel 1 socket on the back of the Hub 3. Virgin provide a single adaptor for converting the J11 socket on the hub to a standard UK BT Socket. Phone works fine as do all our cordless extension. However, we recently reactivated the previously working alarm system which used to be able to send out SMS texts to specified mobile numbers if set off. As the alarm is connected to one of the telephone extension sockets internally it can no longer do this. The only thing the engineer from Virgin mentioned at the time, and only because I asked, is that the Master phone socket is now redundant. From numerous call to Virgin asking about reconnecting the extensions back to the Hub I've had various responsed from needing to consult my alarm company, get another phone line and we don't supply splitters. All completely unhelpfull. I know there have been a number of posts on here about alarms and wired extension but I can't seem to find a definitive answer as to whether it is possible to simply reconnect the Master socket to a splitter to the Tel 1 socket on the Hub 3. Another comments from Virgin 2nd line support, and again only when pushed is that it is not possible to split the connection with 21CV (as it is not possible to split an ethernet connection into two. Now the Hub has several ethernet sockets (RJ45s) to connect more than one device. It also has 2 Telephone sockets but I was told this was "if one doesen't work then you can use the other one" then from the same person, "it's for a second phone line" ie you can't simply use the other socket to connect to the same phone line with the extensions.
What I have tried, is to connect our main phone into the extension socket to which the alarm is wired and then take a cable (BT plug to RJ11 plug to the Hub 3 and this seems to work with the phone as well as re-enabling the sending of SMS texts from the alarm. The only problem is that there is now no longer caller ID showing up on the telephone and only displaying as "Incoming call"
What I can't seem to fathom is how the phone works OK but fails to display a caller ID when it works if connected directly to the Hub. Any copper wire phone engineers out there who know the answer to this or whether it is or is not possible to split the Tel socket on the hub into two, similar to how it was done on a BT master socket when we used to connect a phone and an ADSL modem. to the same socket.
Grateful for any replies or suggestions.
Answered! Go to Answer
08-10-2021 11:11 - edited 08-10-2021 11:17
@Vike wrote:Hello all, When we moved home about 6 months ago our phone line was converted to 21CV which connects to the Tel 1 socket on the back of the Hub 3. <snip>
Grateful for any replies or suggestions.
Is this something you are aiming to do yourself?
This topic was posted by @iamSteve including helpful photos
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/Connecting-Hub-3-to-Extensions/m-p/4797693
(just note the minor quibble about pin numbering if you are looking to order parts).
VM's method (a bit of a clunky one IMO) is to disconnect the old incoming cable behind the master socket and then plug this adapter lead into a telephone socket next to the hub
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/HUB3-to-Master-socket-adaptor/m-p/4507007#M143805
this is basically 'back-feeding' a connection from the hub into the wiring for the phone sockets within the home. It is important to make sure the old incoming connection is disconnected though to avoid cross-linking the phone connection from the hub into any old VM phone wiring beyond the home.
Both methods are the same approach, just different means of connecting hub to sockets.
Alternatively pay VM £25 to do it for you (probably via the adapter lead method) or pay a local independent telecoms installer or electrician to connect the extensions.
In regard to the caller ID disappearing when plugging into the extension sockets, this could be do to your internal phone wiring or interference affecting the caller ID data such as cable length, electrical noise etc. As already mentioned, worth making sure your old incoming phoneline connection is not linked into the master socket.
on 08-10-2021 11:01
Hi Vike,
Welcome to our community forums and thank you for your first post.
Sorry to hear you have been unable to connect both your alarm system and your landline. I can understand the frustration caused by this and want to best help.
I am unable to locate your current account using forums details to further look into this. Just to clarify, since using an extension is it only caller ID that has been affected on the landline? Have you checked the phone handset to see if any changes have been made that affected this feature? Have you also been in contact with our team on 0345 454 1111 who can best help regarding this?
Thanks,
08-10-2021 11:11 - edited 08-10-2021 11:17
@Vike wrote:Hello all, When we moved home about 6 months ago our phone line was converted to 21CV which connects to the Tel 1 socket on the back of the Hub 3. <snip>
Grateful for any replies or suggestions.
Is this something you are aiming to do yourself?
This topic was posted by @iamSteve including helpful photos
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/Connecting-Hub-3-to-Extensions/m-p/4797693
(just note the minor quibble about pin numbering if you are looking to order parts).
VM's method (a bit of a clunky one IMO) is to disconnect the old incoming cable behind the master socket and then plug this adapter lead into a telephone socket next to the hub
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/HUB3-to-Master-socket-adaptor/m-p/4507007#M143805
this is basically 'back-feeding' a connection from the hub into the wiring for the phone sockets within the home. It is important to make sure the old incoming connection is disconnected though to avoid cross-linking the phone connection from the hub into any old VM phone wiring beyond the home.
Both methods are the same approach, just different means of connecting hub to sockets.
Alternatively pay VM £25 to do it for you (probably via the adapter lead method) or pay a local independent telecoms installer or electrician to connect the extensions.
In regard to the caller ID disappearing when plugging into the extension sockets, this could be do to your internal phone wiring or interference affecting the caller ID data such as cable length, electrical noise etc. As already mentioned, worth making sure your old incoming phoneline connection is not linked into the master socket.
19-10-2021 12:21 - edited 19-10-2021 12:28
Thank you for your reply, Akua_A. As I mentiond in my OP Virgin left us with a single adaptor to connect our phone to the Hub 3 telephone socket. I have called 0345 454 1111 at least three times and was told it's nothing to do with Virgin as they don't support our alarm and suggested I get in touch with our alarm company! In a nutshell it is not they who can best help at all. In fact Virgin are the epitome of unhelpfulness. I was told that 21CV only supports one single telephone and I should use cordless extensions which I do. It was me who connected the existing telephone Master socket to the Hub three so that the alarm which previously runs trough the phone line can send out SMS texts when set off. I had to then connect my phone to one of the extension sockets so that can also work. which it does except for the fact that caller ID no longer works.
on 19-10-2021 13:02
Thanks for your reply, goslow. Yes, unfortunately it is something I am aiming to do myself as Virgin appear to have washed their hands of it once they converted me to 21CV. They haven't even given me the option of paying them £25 to connct the socket. I don't even think that the three people I spoke to about it even have a clue what I'm talking about, as they seem to think it's my alarm company's issue. That's what happens when your support staff are located abroad and work from scripts. But I do see from other posts on here that this is not an isolated problem.
As I was typing this at work, my wife called me to say that there's something wrong with our landline. I tried calling it twice after asking her to check there was a dialtone (receiver obviously replaced first) and it goes straight into voicemail. When I tested it a few days ago it was receiving calls but without the caller's ID being displayed.
I will take a good look at the links you very helpfully provided and see what my best option is. Thank you for your help.
on 19-10-2021 13:12
Hi @Vike,
Sorry to hear you are experiencing issues with your landline - I shall send you a private message now to obtain the details required to look into this further for you.
Please look out for the purple envelope in the top right corner and get back to me when you can.
Kind regards,
Serena
on 19-10-2021 14:08