Fibre installed 4 days ago. Internet working but no phone and HP printer will not connect

[cahowes]

Hi, I have moved from EE (copper wire connection) to Vodafone (Fibre broadband with landline). I had fibre installed at my house four days ago. Openreach engineers were totally lovely and have done a really neat job. Internet is working fine and my computer (MacBook Pro) and mobile phone (iphone SE) have joined wifi easily. My landline phone (BT Synergy 4500), connected using the cable provided, is not working at all. My printer (HP envy 5330) recognises the network name but will not connect to wifi. I'm surrently waiting for a promised call from Vodafone (between 2 and 4 on Friday . . .  please be in . . . we will ring . . . ) but nothing so far. Having read posts here I have little hope that anyone from Vodafone will be able to help me. Thank you, in advance for any advice that anyone here can give me. Charlotte

[Jayach]

For the phone problem, if you have used the DSL cable, you will probably need a "VoIP adapter" as Vodafone call it (and refit the original cable to the phone) See this recent thread:

New full fibre but landline not working. - Community home (vodafone.co.uk)

For the printer problem, that will not be so easy to solve, but factory resetting the printer and starting again usually works.

[cahowes]

Hi Jayach, I solved the printer problem by logging in to the router and enabling compatability mode. Vodafone never phoned me (waited in between 2 and 4 as they'd requested) so I might try them myself now. Had a look at the DSL cable (provided by Vodafone) and my old phone cable and the the connectors at the ends of both cables are all the same (middle two copper connections) so wondering now if the adaptor is the answer or not. Thanks for your reply.

[cahowes]

Hi Jayach, I borrowed my partner's, fairly ancient, Panasonic phone and it worked straight away: incoming calls/outgoing calls/ringtone/nice clear sound! Apparently some BT phones are not compatible with this hub so maybe that's the problem. Fed up with messing around/spending hours on the phone, and on online chat, to Vodafone so, my phone being v old and scruffy, I'm off tomorrow to get a new phone. It does seem fairly easy, with Vodafone, to talk to a real person, so that's good. Thank you for your replies to my questions! Charlotte

[Jayach]

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@cahowes wrote:
Apparently some BT phones are not compatible with this hub so maybe that's the problem. 

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That's really not possible, if a phone can work on the PSTN (standard BT phone line) it should work on the TEL output of the router. (as long as the VoIP adapter is fitted)

You may be thinking of some phones designed for BT's digital voice service that lose functionality if used without their router, but that shouldn't be a problem for the older devices.

Still, a nice new DECT phone will be much more convenient.

[cahowes]

Hi Jayach, What, exactly does a Voip adaptor do? It looks as though it just converts from  a standard UK telephone socket and RJ45, but does it do something cleverer than this? 

[Jayach]

No, you are correct, it's just an adapter. (which is why I always put Vodafone's name "VoIP adapter" in quotes)

However it should include a ring capacitor, but not all do. Here's one I opened earlier:

[cahowes]

Hi Jayach, Thank you for clarifying that for me. I'm even more confused now. How on earth does my partner's  Panasonic phone (KX-TCD430EB) work using the DSL cable (no adaptor), when my BT phone (BT Synergy 4500), with exactly the same set up (DSL cable and no adaptor) doesn't work at all (no dialling tone and no connection)? I've had a look at the old cable for my phone and the old cable for his phone (in case there was some difference showing there) and both are exactly the same. The RJ11 plugs on the DSL cable each have two copper wires showing. My original phone cable, and my partners original phone cable, each have 4 copper wires showing in the BT and RJ11 plugs. Thank you for helping me with this. 

[Jayach]

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@cahowes wrote:
My original phone cable, and my partners original phone cable, each have 4 copper wires showing in the BT and RJ11 plugs. Thank you for helping me with this. 

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At the BT end of the cables, the centre pins are used. (they have to be as that is how the BT sockets are wired)

At the phone the Panasonic is probably using the centre pair, but the BT cable probably uses the outer pair. How many connectors show in the socket of the BT base?

I feel sure if the original cable was refitted to the BT phone and an adapter was used, it would work. (unless the connectors in the BT base station were damaged in some way when the cable was removed)

Have you tried getting a "VoIP adapter" from Vodafone?

It's worth using live chat and asking for one. https://vodafone.uk/4cSq9ty 

[Jayach]

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@Jayach wrote:
At the BT end of the cables, the centre pins are used. (they have to be as that is how the BT sockets are wired)

Actually that is wrong, it uses pins 2 & 5, so that will be the outer pair of the 4 Pins

However at the phone end it will probably still be that the BT phone uses a different pair to the Panasonic.