Multiple analogue handsets with Fritzbox 7530 VOIP

[Mandy Shaw]

I am a Zen Internet customer and currently have full fibre broadband, a Draytek router, and a landline. I also have a Fritzbox 7530 supplied by Zen which is currently unused.

I use multiple analogue handsets, in different rooms/on different floors, on my landline via ancient RTX ‘phone jacks, a solution which works OK-ish but which is by no means optimal (it is certainly not sustainable, given that the RTX units are no longer manufactured).

In order to support the Digital Voice switchover I am going to have to start using the Fritzbox, as the Draytek box has no VOIP support.

My question is: will I be able (presumably via some sort of adapter for each handset) to connect my analogue handsets via wifi (or power socket Ethernet connections) to the Fritzbox’s VOIP support, and thus to ditch the RTX setup?

I know I could go down the DECT route, but I don’t want to stop using my analogue handsets.

Thanks.

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[UK Sentinel]

Welcome, hopefully @Grisu maybe able to advise as he is our resident AVM expert

 

@Grisu – Apologies for the new label

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[Grisu]

Take the chance to change to DECT.
What you want to realize wont be sustainable too and even will cost the same.
Even you will see you dont need a phone in each room with a wireless phone.
A voip-adapter like HT-802 will cost about the same as a DECT-phone (>50€).

7530 got only one analog phone output and depending on your old devices only one or two will be supported on the line.
A 7590 got 2 seperate phone outputs which could be configured the same or with different numbers).
And I dont know how many voip-phone numbers shall be supported, one for each phone (how many do you have) or will they ring all together on one line?

I would use one old analog phone directly on the 7530 (in a manner of emergency phone) and take DECT for further phones (with same or other numbers which will be set in the Frizbox).
An Fritz!Fon M2 (or C4/C5) you get below 50€.

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[UK Sentinel]

As @Grisu suggests, going full DECT will save a lot of issues going forward but there is an initial cost involved in new DECT handsets.

FYI: the Fritz!Box 7530 does not have dedicated WAN port so you need to configure its LAN 1 Port to act as a WAN port to enable connection to the Fibre ONT unit installed by ISP.

The Fritz!Box 7530 does allow simultaneous use of FON & DECT handsets so maybe an option to mix it up a little.

When you do eventually remove your Landline and use Full Fibre and VoIP, the Fritz!box does have a single FON socket and as long as your existing (if you have) analogue hardwired telephone wiring already installed in your house and is in reasonable condition, you should (I believe) be able to use your current analogue phones as normal.

The only aspect I am unsure off is how many hardwired traditional telephones the Fritz!Box FON port will support, I have seen online examples of 3 supported hardwired Analogue phones.

 

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[Mandy Shaw]

Many thanks to you both.

We have 3 analogue ‘phones, one plugged into the BT master socket, the others supported via a RTX base unit (also plugged into the BT master socket, via a splitter) and individual RTX ‘phone jacks allowing them to act as extensions. We have a single ‘phone number, and all three ‘phones ring.

We have no working analogue wiring beyond the BT master socket.

We really do not wish to change to DECT if we can help it, as the existing handsets were quite expensive and continue to serve us well. (I can’t believe I am the only one. DECT handsets seem pretty much one-size-fits-all. My late mother had DECT but I had to install an analogue handset for her (also via RTX) when her failing sight obliged her to have a big button ‘phone – I tried very hard to find a suitable DECT handset or adapter, posting all over the place for advice, but I failed.)

I was already intending to move the ‘master socket’ handset to the Fritzbox analogue ‘phone socket. (This is what Zen are telling us to do once Digital Voice cuts in.)

Just to be clear, is it possible (if not ideal) for me to purchase an adapter of some sort for each of the 2 remaining analogue handsets and to configure these to work via the Fritzbox to make external calls and to answer incoming ones, all on the same ‘phone number, and with all three handsets ringing? If so, what sort of adapter would I need to source?

I am really struggling here as despite a reasonable understanding of networking I do not have VOIP knowledge/skills, and the discussions I can find on the web all seem to assume the presence of a local exchange of some sort. I don’t need that at all, I just want to take advantage of the Fritzbox to permit the continued use of my two analogue extensions while losing the flaky RTX element. Maybe this isn’t possible, I accept that.

Thanks a lot, anyway, your prompt responses were much appreciated.

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[UK Sentinel]

Shame about the fact that there is no working analogue wiring beyond the BT master socket, would have made life easier.

I believe what you are looking for is an ATA (Analogue Telephone Adapter) to add to your setup and most current VoIP providers will port your existing landline number over when you decide to switch.

Brief:

An analog telephone adapter (ATA) or FXS gateway, is a device for connecting traditional analog telephones, fax machines, and similar customer-premises devices to a digital telephone system or a voice over IP telephone network.

Then you can implement for simplicity a number of power-line adapter to provide connectivity between main router and each individual adapter / analogue telephone.

Ideal ATA adaptor for each analogue phone is something like the Grandstream HT801 ATA Adapter for around £40 each .

Unsure if there is a wireless ATA adaptor alternative but maybe worth looking if this is your preference.

 

Hope this helps as this a a tad more complicated than either I would ideally use

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_telephone_adapter#:~:text=An%20analog%20telephone%20adapter%20(ATA,voice%20over%20IP%20telephone%20network.

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[Grisu]

I assumed that with fiber (FTTH) of course you will get VoIP too without a telefone (copper)-line in use anymore.

What I still dont understand is how these 3 phones are connected together and how they work.
One is connected to the telefone-line (POTS). But how do the others get a phone signal without wiring?
They seem to be quite new, so wont need much power and may be supported with the only phone-output of a 7530.
Or do they even have own power supply (possibly only on base and the other 2 phones supplied via base station)?

I see you got only one phone number, that makes things easier and hopefully need nothing more than a 7530.

You already have this 7530!
So you can test it with your 3 phones before changeing anything.

Run the 7530 as router connected to your fiber router via LAN1 port.
Then you can take a free VoIP phone number for testing (dont know who offers such in GB) and register it on the 7530.
Now you can change your base-phone to be plugged directly to phone on 7530 instead of your wall-phone plug.
You may need an adapter or make it on your own.

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[UK Sentinel]

Thinking about you given scenario a little more, I think you could plug the RTX base unit (currently plugged into the BT master socket, via a splitter) straight into the FON port on the back of the Fritz!box and then using the same splitter plug the other analogue phone into the splitter also.

This would enable you to re use all your existing hardware / phones with minimal changes etc.

Alas I am not aware of any attachments you can add to your existing analogue phones that will support DECT connectivity directly to the Fritz!Box.

would be a interesting exercise

 

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