NR5101 IAD Phone Port

gillygo
gillygo Posts: 4
edited January 4 in Mobile Broadband
Hi, I am based in the UK, and have just purchased this router via Amazon UK.

How do I configure the phone port? There are options for SIP and VoLTE. I understand I can just put in the required logins to get a VoIP service. However, I am interested in just plugging a "dumb" landline, and using the phone number, and minutes from my SIM card. When I plug in my phone, I just get an "engaged" tone.

I already have a ZTE MF286D which has phone ports and I just plug in my wired phone, and it automatically uses the SIM minutes, and able to receive calls. No configuration required. I want to be able to do this on the Zyxel 5G router.

Also, how do I configure WAN failover to 5G? Is there a manual available somewhere? I only have a quick start guide included in the box, and it does not have enough information to utilise all the functions of the router.

Many thanks for your help people!

All Replies

  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
    First Anniversary 10 Comments Friend Collector First Answer
    edited April 2022
    Hello @gillygo

    There is the user guide for the NR5101 available for download at https://support.zyxel.eu/hc/en-us/articles/4403365084818-Advanced-Downloads-for-5G-devices

    I don't work for Zyxel, but looking at the manual, I think that any phone port on the NR5101 will be an FXS style, so that you can only connect phones to it.

    As you say that you are in the UK, then I assume that you want to connect a phone with a BT style white plug on it to the NR5101, and that the NR5101 has an RJ11 socket on it.
             - in which case you will need an adapter cable such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhinocables%C2%AE-Socket-Telephone-Adaptor-White/dp/B00EVS5UZ2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1UPMA03OITOWJ&keywords=bt+to+rj11+adapter&qid=1649088229&sprefix=rhino+bt+to+rj11+%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzVFhPRDBQOEpHWUMwJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzkxNjQxWUZaSjdWU1VXSlomZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDE2OTU5NTJIRDZQVE1XOFA0WVAmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl which will provide the correct connectors and ring capacitor for UK BT plug telephones.

    Then you will need a SIP telephony provider, such as Sipgate Basic to provide you with VoIP telephony.

    Section 4.12 of the NR5101 user guide talks about how to set-up SIP telephony.

    Alternatively, it seems that you can set the NR5101 to make all your voice calls using your mobile network's VoLTE service, if you change the Voice Mode of the NR5101, see section 4.12.6 of the NR5101 user guide.
          - I think that you will still need the adapter cable.
                 - it seems like the NR5101 would only use 4G or 3G network for VoLTE, as Circuit Switched Fallback (CSFB) is mentioned in section 17 of the user guide.

    So maybe you have to use a VoIP SIP provider like Sipgate Basic to truly get your voice calls over 5G...

    I hope that this is helpful.

    Kind regards,
         Tony
  • gillygo
    gillygo Posts: 4
    Thanks for responding Tony, and for your helpful comments, including link to the manual. Much appreciated.

    I can connect my phone via RJ11 no problem. I don’t actually want to use VoIP via this phone port. I want to use the included talk minutes via my SIM card.

    What you described in your post is to access a VoIP service via SIP or VoLTE, which is not what I was trying to achieve. Any idea how I can use the carrier minutes on my SIM card via the RJ11 port? I am able to do this no problem using my ZTE MF286D 4G router. I was hoping to do the same on this Zyxel.
  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
    First Anniversary 10 Comments Friend Collector First Answer
    Hello @gillygo

    You're welcome. 

    I think that VoLTE is how you can use your voice minutes on your SIM, so setting the Voice Mode to VoLTE should/could allow you do what you would like to do.

    Kind regards,
        Tony
  • gillygo
    gillygo Posts: 4
    Unfortunately when I select VoLTE, nothing happens. I get the same “engaged” tone. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. 
  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
    First Anniversary 10 Comments Friend Collector First Answer
    Hello @gillygo

    It might be worth you trying the Rhino BT Socket to RJ11 adapter I mentioned earlier, so that BT white plug can be connected to RJ11.
         - because that might help you get dial tone (rather than engaged tone) by sorting out the wiring correctly.
                   - The NR5101 might also emit non-UK tones.

    Otherwise I cannot help further.

    Kind regards,
         Tony
  • gillygo
    gillygo Posts: 4
    edited April 2022
    Thanks Tony. But I am not trying to change a BT plug to RJ11. I have a separate RJ11 to RJ11 cable connecting my phone to the router. Same cable I use to connect my phone to the ZTE router to use the SIM minutes.
    Looks like I will be returning the router since it does not appear to do what I need it to do.
    Appreciate the time and effort you have taken to respond to my query though. Thanks.

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