My parents recently switched their landline to VOIP and got a new BT Homehub with some changes in how everything is plugged in. The only connections to the Homehub are a power cable and a phone line. There's also an old cordless phone linked to a power socket that uses two plugs—one for power and the other is a BT-branded box connecting to the mains.
The current phone isn't charged anymore, so they want to buy a new one. However, they're confused about whether they need a 'VOIP Compatible' phone or if standard phones would work. Additionally, it seems like there's a BT socket on the Back of the Homehub that might accept a standard phone connection. Would any landline phone work with it? And is the BT Homehub somehow functioning like an Ethernet over Power system?
1 Answer
It sounds like the BT Homehub is utilizing your house's legacy phone lines. Those lines can provide power, which is likely what you’re seeing with that mystery box plugged into the mains. As for the phone, any old landline-style cordless phone should still work, provided they’re compatible with VOIP. They just need to connect to the right port.
But doesn't that mean the power goes the other way? Like powering the phone from the phone line?