BT Digital Voice
Hardware

This page is just to make you aware that a BT Digital Install can be obtrusive in the wrong setting - i.e. the living room or where children play.

In many instances the equipment may be situated where your original telephone is presented to the premises - like an entrance hall.

The Smart Hub 2  is quite a large size at 42.7cm x 19.3cm x 4.4cm and it is freestanding.  It cannot be fixed to a wall, so it should be kept in a safe place with the cables fixed to ensure no tripping hazards.  It should also be out of reach to children.  It is really a badly thought out device for installing in customers premises as all the cables are connected at the rear and not the sides.  If the device used side sockets then it could have been wall mounted.

Click here for a pictorial overview of FTTC and FTTP installations
 

Fibre to the Cabinet install (FTTC)
This installation uses the existing copper cabling feeding the premises.  The master socket may be replaced with the latest model or the old one utilised.

Your telephone is removed from the master socket and plugged into the rear of the new Smart Hub 2.  The smart nub 2 is connected into the original master socket.

If your premises has extra sockets within it then the internal wiring MUST be removed from the master socket and diverted to the socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2.  Click here on how to utilise the existing house sockets.

The Smart Hub 2 requires one power socket.
 

Fibre to the premises install (FTTP)
A fibre optic cable is presented at the premises.  This is a hard plastic cable about 3/8" in diameter.  Not a fat cable and not very bendable.  Make sure you discuss where the equipment is to be fitted with the engineer to ensure that the fibre cable is not obtrusive.  The fibre cable is not really designed to be fixed inside a customers decorated property.

You will require two power sockets close by - one for the ONT and one for the Smart Hub 2.

The fibre cable feeds into a unit called an ONT.  Today, there are numerous ONT's that BT install.  Click on the links below for the different types and their dimensions.

ONT 1+0 - later smaller variants.
ONT 1+1 - older variant (the telephone port is not used).

The ONT is connected to the Smart Hub 2 with a special CAT 5 cable which is 2 metres long and is supplied with the Smart Hub.

Whilst the fibre units have been reduced in size, the install many still look messy due to the numerous power and connection cables used.

The original master socket is now redundant.

If your premises has extra sockets within it then the internal wiring MUST be removed from the master socket and diverted to the socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2.  Click here on how to utilise the existing house sockets.

Last revised: December 18, 2023