Using extension phones after switch to fibre

[ConstantReader]

A Virgin engineer recently visited us to connect our landline phone to our hub. That was OK. Our main phone is working normally.

But our various extension phones no longer work. I phoned Virgin, but I was told that extension phones cannot be used after the landline is plugged into the hub. I find this hard to believe.Was this advice correct? And, if not, is there anything we can do about it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

CR

[ConstantReader]

I had almost exactly the same experience as Normherm1. When the engineer connected the landline to my hub, he told me that the extensions would work OK. I later discovered that they weren't working at all. When I phoned the support line, the agent swore blind that it would be impossible for extensions to work with the new system. I refused to believe that, and after a lot of hassle, I spoke to a supervisor who arranged for another engineer to visit. That engineer discovered that the first engineer had actually cut the wires that connected the extensions to the rest of the system. Fortunately, he was able to reinstate them without much difficulty.

So now everything is working fine. But what a hassle. Long hours on the phone; contradictory stories from different people; and worst of all, having to hang around at home for several hours waiting for the engineer. And all for no benefit whatsoever to myself.

In summary: a most unhappy experience.

CR

[Kain_W]

Hi ConstantReader,

Thanks for the response and welcome back to the community.

Sincere apologies for the issues faced with this however I'm glad everything is working fine for you now.

Do let us know if you require any further assistance.

Thanks,

[Dr_Gas]

Thanks for your answer Goslow. 

I am totally impractical, so would be very grateful if you are able to confirm if you think that my extension should work after the switch, please. 

I have a BT2200 telephone, which has one extension. The handsets sit in cradles that plug into the mains electricity and which charge them when they are not being used. Does this sound like the type of phone that will not need a a technician to visit for rewiring, to you?

I appreciate that you may not be able to answer definitively but would appreciate your thoughts, if possible.

Thanks.

[Sabrina_B]

Hi @Dr_Gas 👋.

Thanks for reaching out to us and welcome to the Community Forums. Apologies for the issues you are having with your phone switchover. We can certainly assist you, we would need to bring you in for a private message to discuss this and resolve. 

Please look out for the envelope on the top right of your web browser or if you are using a mobile device, it will be located under your profile icon.
 

Thanks.
 

Sabrina

[goslow]

When VM switches your phone line you have several choices.

1) If you don't mind the phone being next to the hub, you use the VM adapter provided and you plug the cordless base station into the adapter/hub instead of the telephone wall socket.

2) If your phone base is in a different location to the hub, VM can modify your existing home wiring (free as part of the switchover) so that you telephone wall socket(s) becomes linked to the phone socket on the hub and will still work after switchover.

3) Since you already have a cordless system, you could see if you can source another BT2200 satellite charger/handset (possibly from eBay etc.). Connect your original cordless base station as per 1) above and then register the other satellite handset so it joins to your existing cordless base. Locate the extra satellite handset where you want it.

4) Buy a new cordless system with a greater total number of handsets. Plug the new base station as per 1) above and place satellite handsets around you home as required. Retire your existing single cordless phone.

5) VM might offer to move the hub for you to a new location but that is not usually advised as it can mess up the existing wireless signal in the home. Might work for some if the hub is not in a good location to start with but moving the hub just to plug in a phone usually only causes problems with the wireless signal in the home or plugging other equipment into the hub.

[Dr_Gas]

Thank you for your very quick and comprehensive response. Your answer actually explains the set up of the new fibre system far more clearly than Virgin Media's lame attempts.

Following your explanation and suggestions, I was able to picture how I could set  things up with the least amount of effort and no upheaval, even being as impractical as I am.

I went for option 3) and have already sourced and paid for an extra phone (on eBay as you mentioned), for £12.99. In fact, the little bit of expense could be worthwhile anyway because I am hard of hearing and do not always hear the phone when it does infrequently ring, if I am not close by. The new set up will therefore expand the area it can be heard in.

Thanks again for your time and assistance. I really appreciate it.

Regards.

Vyv

[Gareth_L]

Hello Dr_Gas.

Thank you very much for your reply.

We are really happy that you have a solution.

Please pop back on here if you need anything else? 

Gareth_L 

[WalkerBoh]

The benefit is to Virgin Media and all the Service Providers in that it saves money due to decreased infrastructure (But no decrease in cost passed onto us)

As it costs a fair bit of money to maintain separate equipment and keep it powered in the event of power cuts for example so safe in the event of an a personal or national emergency (Hence why they ask if have medical problems and have other means of contact such as a Mobile as the new solution will die when your power fails so they legally have to supply a UPS). The old Telephone system was pretty reliable just rubbish for carrying internet anything except basic audio really the modern'ish has been going since around 1912 in the UK

The one benefit I can think of is it should be better quality not that anyone but an audio expert would possibly notice

I had a bit of difficulty explaining to the CS person who called me I needed the right extension cable as had extensions off that so not just a simple move phone to the Hub. I think they will end up sending me the wrong cable so luckily an experienced Engineer just easier to do myself no doubt in the end feel sorry such nightmare for people should be part of their standard upgrade pack options

[Ianpb]

I'm due for this change on February 2023, but resent having VM engineers having to invade my home when I've already paid for a working phone service that connects to my extensions. For the sake of us who are a bit more technically savvy, why does VM not publish instruction on how to adapt domestic extension wiring networks for the 'upgrade'? Can this be done merely by fitting a two-way adaptor at one of the phone sockets and then connecting this into the hub? Who knows? Virgin Media needs to stop treating all its customers as if they are technophobic dimwits.

[goslow]

At the moment it seems VM (and other suppliers) have paused the switchover following government intervention. Your Feb 2024 switchover might possibly be delayed a bit.

Search around on the forum and you'll find topics where phone wiring mod's haver been discussed many times in the past.

The outline of what you have suggested is correct ('backfeeding' a connection from the hub's phone socket into the extension wiring)

Here is an outline explanation of what VM might do when rewiring phones to the hub

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Virgin-Phone-Switchover/I-am-Confused-Unsure-what-I-need-Hub-an...

exact details might vary depending on the existing setup

Here is an explanation from another customer, @iamSteve, with some pic's

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Forum-Archive/Connecting-Hub-3-to-Extensions/m-p/4797693

For anyone wanting to try to use old phones via extension wiring (ones which require a ringing capacitor in the circuit) a modified arrangement is required.