No dialtone on cordless phone. Is it me or is it it?

[Pofadda]

My second-hand BT Esprit 1250 twin DECT phones fail to elicit a dial tone or answer an incoming call. They are registered and can page each other. They make the right called-number beeps when I call out, but no call tone. The Dial Mode is 'Tone/Timed break', if that helps.

The phone line is fine when connected to a normal landline phone and if connected to another DECT cordless.

Is this a duff hardware issue or have missed something obvious?

If this is an inappropriate forum, please suggest a better one!

[Wild Oscar]

I had a similar problem a couple of months ago!.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/59/33641310-dead-cordless-phones.html

Both my cordless answerphones (which used to work fine!) no now longer connect to Virgin cable .. a cord-ed phone however works without issue!!

[Pofadda]

Thanks for that gloomy message! I've emailed BT's (outsourced) helpdesk with this and a related handset problem. I have no expectations of a worthwhile outcome. Oh well...

[weesteev]

Pofadda, did the phones ever work on your line or are they new phones?

I recently purchased the BT 1500 dual phones and they would not work through the old phone cable with my Siemens DECT phone, I had to use the BT provided phone cable.

[Pofadda]

Ta, weesteev, I have just tried the cable that came with the phones but no joy...

[malc001]

Pofadda, did you ever get past this problem?

I have some the BT Graphite 1500, about 6 months old and worked perfectly until I moved and had Virgin installed, now I get no dial tone and can't recieve calls.
The engineer seemed to think it was a phone issue as his 'engineer' phone worked but there were fine a week ago.

I've seen other posts that talk about the voltage of the line.... any ideas?

thanks

[Peter_]

Pofadda, did you ever get past this problem?

I have some the BT Graphite 1500, about 6 months old and worked perfectly until I moved and had Virgin installed, now I get no dial tone and can't recieve calls.
The engineer seemed to think it was a phone issue as his 'engineer' phone worked but there were fine a week ago.

I've seen other posts that talk about the voltage of the line.... any ideas?

thanks
I would hope 18 months down the line that he is sorted.

Any phone should work on either system and you can test the line by buying a cheap hand set for a few pounds from anywhere.

[malc001]

Thanks :), I realise its an old post, I was hoping Pofadda might have some insight that would help me get my issue resolved.

I would expect the phone to work also, the engineer was terrible, I told him I wasn't happy and he just walked out of my house telling me I need to buy another phone, I actually though he was coming back until he drove past.

[Peter_]

Thanks :), I realise its an old post, I was hoping Pofadda might have some insight that would help me get my issue resolved.

I would expect the phone to work also, the engineer was terrible, I told him I wasn't happy and he just walked out of my house telling me I need to buy another phone, I actually though he was coming back until he drove past.
We only support the connection and they usually check it with their handset and if working then it can only be your equipment.

But BT equipment should work as it has the RJ11 plug and is powered, have you tried googling for the model to see if the are any issues.

Any make of phone from any supplier should work.

[malc001]

No specific issues on this make of phone but a lot of people report cordless issues with Virgin phone lines due to low voltage issues (??)

I'll buy a cheap phone tomorrow and try and test mine elsewhere but its an expensive phone and if it can't be made to work on a vigin line then I'll probably invoke my right to cancel.

thanks

[Peter_]

No specific issues on this make of phone but a lot of people report cordless issues with Virgin phone lines due to low voltage issues (??)

I'll buy a cheap phone tomorrow and try and test mine elsewhere but its an expensive phone and if it can't be made to work on a vigin line then I'll probably invoke my right to cancel.

thanks
I have not come across an issue like this and I have bought various phones over the years and all have worked from the start, and I have had a Virginmedia phone line for 15 years in all the various guises.

Unlike broadband the is not 2 completely different types of telco and they do not need different equipment.

[Pofadda]

Malc001, I slung the phone! Actually, I Freecycled it and the taker was happy with it on her BT phone... I've had this happen once before but, fortunately, both were not new phones so my only real losses were only of my temper and some time.

Get a new one/set and preferably one that you have heard ring and talked on - there is some rather unsatisfactory stuff at the bottom end of the market, where I usually feed. For starters, I don't recommend the Binatone 'Style 1200' as it has v. weedy ring-tones and no loudspeaker. Someone could start a thread here for users to rate phones they know...

[malc001]

I think I've diagnosed my own problem...

I found this thread on here

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/11/14376-ntl-and-panasonic-dect-phones.html

The post by SMHarman suggests that DECT phones wont work if only 2 wires are hooked up - interestingly the engineer checked the cord I was using to connect to the phone and said " this cord should be fine as its using all 4 pins"....... So I popped the face plate of my NTE5 and there is only 2 wires..... Strangely I actually have 3 boxes and 2 cables. One it marked BT and has its own cable, the second is split between a Cable & Wireless box and a NTL box yet the engineer has plugged me into the C&W (yes, I've tried the NTL and that doesn't work)



Does this make sense as the cause of the problem?

[Pofadda]

Not a reply, just thanks.

Thanks for the sites your link led to:
http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html
and
http://www.britishtelephones.com/

Both are old and un-updated but filled with info I would have loved to have found!

[malc001]

I bought a very cheap phone from Argos and it works at home. I have also tested my cordless on a friends BT line and it works.

Any ideas? Could it be related to the wiring I mentioned above?

[katysarahlee]

Brilliant thank you for those links. I had the same issue, saw your links & then looked at my telephone cord. It only had 2 connectors, so I swapped it for one with 4 & it now works :D