Question about VoIP & PSTN Switch (VoIP over Orange Livebox)

[JaXxIn]

Hi, in a little bit of a situation!

I'll try to explain the situation, and then what i would like the situation to be like!

I have just got Orange Broadband Unlimited with a livebox. Now i shall very shortly have my VoIP number set up, and want to ask a few questions .

I want to be able to use the VoIP line to make calls from my cordless phone, but i also want to be able to receive calls from my BT landline and VoIP on the same phone. I don't want to have to use one phone for VoIP and one phone for PSTN.

Now what im after basically is an intelligent switch, that will ring for all incoming calls (From VoIP & PSTN) and that will only ring out on VoIP unless a number/code is pressed before the number to enable the switch over to the BT landline.

I have been looking at a VoIP/PSTN 2-Line Intelligent Switch, but i have read on a few forums that this switch doesn't work in the UK properly (For some reason).

I have also been looking at the Combine-A-Line solution.

The Combine-A-Line solution will do everything i want, but from what i read it will make outgoing calls decided on which line it took the last incoming call from.

I want it to always dial out on VoIP unless i type a certain code before hand!

Does anybody know of any good and cheap switches in the UK that will do what i need?

Thanks in advance!

[garth2000]

Hi JaXxin

I am probably a bit late on this one, but I had exactly the same problem with my Orange Livebox and I was miffed when I had to use a separate phone. We currently have Dec phones around the house with the base station in the study. I purchased an AX520 intelligent switch about 4 months ago and it works perfectly. I have the VoIP in LN1 and the BT line in LN2 and the Dec base station connected to the AX520 Phone jack. This allows me to make outgoing calls using the VoIP and incoming calls on BT. If I want to switch to BT I simply enter #0 on the phone. Also if there is a power cut, the switch box will automatically switch to the BT line.

For the price £25.00 + pp this has proved an ideal solution. I should point out that the unit uses RJ-11 jacks, so you will need a RJ-11 to BT modem cable and a BT to RJ-11 adaptor for the phone. These items can be purchased verry cheap from most electronics / computer stores.

You can purchase the box in the UK from
AX520 2 line Intelligent PSTN / VoIP Line Switch Artec AX520 2 line Intelligent PSTN / VoIP Line Switch [AX520] - £25.98 : Cooltronics, Cool Gadgets For Cool People

They also do some very cool gadgets

Regards


Garth

[bosshogg]

hi garth,

i have one of these switches and it works great BUT i cannot get it to work on my dect cordless or my non dect cordless. It works fine with my normal corded phones i have. Any ideas

[garth2000]

Hi there Bosshog

Strange, I am using a BT Freestyle 350 DEC phone and it works fine.

The AX520 unit utilises RJ-11 jacks for all connections. One problem that is common is that you are using a standard modem cable to connect your DEC phone to the AX520 Phone in jack. If this is the problem then it is easily sorted by using a BT to RJ-11 cross over adaptor or cable. This is basically either an adaptor or cable that has a BT socket on one end for your phone line to go into and an RJ-11 plug on the other that goes onto the AX520 Phone in jack. The problem exists as the RJ-11 standard expects the ring signal to be transmitted on the middle two wires. In contrast, the BT sockets used in the UK perform the signaling on the outside 2 wires and have a ring capacitor on a third wire which is phisically used to ring the phone. The adaptor is correctly cross wired and has the ring capacitor built into it.
These adaptors are available in most computer/electronics stores.

Give it a go and let me know if it sorts out the problem.

Regards


Garth

[bosshogg]

Hi , thanks for the speedy reply.

I am not sure if that is my problem as im not using a bt style end on the cable going into my phone. On the phone end it doesnt have one like that it is rj11 straight in. So on line 1 i have rj11-rj11 to the livebox , on line 2 i have rj11-bt style into the phone line and on the phone out i have rj11-rj11 into the base of my base:)

if i swap the cable out of the dect phone and into corded one it works.

do i still have a problem with the cable type. And could i have a wrong type of rj11.

apart from the rj11-bt that is going into my phone line i am using the cables that came with the switch. ( i presume these are rj11 )

[garth2000]

I believe your problem lies with your base connection to the AX520 phone in jack.

Using the standard RJ-11 cable that came with the AX520 to connect your base unit to the Phone In jack on the AX520 will not work due to the difference in the wiring standard between the RJ-11 and BT Standard.

You need to purchase a BT socket to RJ-11 adaptor, these are very in-expensive and can be purchased from any electronics retailer.

Give iot a go and let me know if it resolves the problem.

Also you can download the latest installation instructions using the link below.

2 line Intelligent PSTN / VoIP Line Switch : Cooltronics, Cool Gadgets For Cool People

[bosshogg]

Garth ,

thanks again for the reply. I will get an adaptor over the weekend and give it a bash. Thanks for the instructions. I will let you know how i get on.

( i presume i also need to get another rj11-bt modem cable to be able to use a bt-rj11 adaptor ? as atm i have nothing to adapt :)

[bosshogg]

Hi again ,

Ok , so i was passing maplin and picked up a rj11-bt adaptor.

I must be missing something as i still cannot get either of my dect base stations working on the phone out on the switch.

My corded phones work just fine.

all my phones i have are rj11 type connector in.

so atm i have rj11-rj11 from the livebox to line 1 on the switch.

rj11-bt modem cable into the microfilter on line 2

and if i use rj11-rj11 on the phone out into one of my corded phones it works fine.

put that rj11 into one of my base stations and nothing.

on the phone out if i use a rj11-bt modem cable with the adaptor on it i just get noise.

still confused as to why i would need an adaptor when none of my phones have a bt cable in?

any help appreciated.

if i use