1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Accepted Solutions
When your phone is switched to a connection from the back of the VM hub, all of your phone sockets will stop working. The only phone connection point will be the TEL1 socket on the back of your hub. To connect to the VM hub, VM provides an adapter which takes a standard BT phone plug.
In order to keep your phone sockets working you will need some phone wiring modifications.
A VM tech would need to fit a new telephone socket next to your VM hub. From this new telephone socket a new piece of telephone cable would need to run to an existing telephone socket nearby. That might be in an upstairs room or maybe elsewhere via an outside route if that is less disruptive.
VM often uses an adapter lead from the phone socket/adapter on the VM hub to connect into the new phone socket next to the VM hub. Example below
This 'backfeeds' the new phone line from the hub into the new bit of telephone cable to your existing phone wiring, so re-enabling the phone sockets. There are other possible ways to make the connection but the above is likely from what you have described.
You would have to agree any/all of the above with any VM tech who visited. There have been very wide-ranging reports of the abilities of VM tech's sent to do this work. Some have received glowing praise for a job well done. Other reports describe the person sent as being totally clueless about how to do the work and multiple visits being required before the task was completed by someone competent. Having an idea of what is involved will certainly help you if you get a less-capable tech turn up to do the task.
If you don't fancy any of the rewiring disruption, follow the advice of Client62 and invest in some cordless phones if that is feasible/affordable for you. A cordless phone system allows you to use phones around the home with no wiring modifications or disruption. Plug the cordless base station into the VM hub and use the cordless satellite phones around your home as required. If you needed to buy a cordless phone system, to avoid any rewiring work, this would be at a cost to you.
Any switchover might be put off for the time being though as VM seems to have suspended the programme, following government intervention, after some past failures with vulnerable customers involving various suppliers.
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/Phone-adapter-delivery/m-p/5459483#M202107
