Which dial tone should I choose for my telephone when I have Broadband?

Question

The three options are: Tone/Timed, Tone/Earth and Pulse/Earth. The default setting is TB (Tone/Timed). Why should I want to change this? Any help you can give will be much appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

For any phone on a modern British telephone line (or connected  via a VoIP/Broadband adapter) you want the Tone/Timed option.

The first part of each of your options refers to the method of dialing.

"Tone" means that numbers are dialed by sending a pair of tones for each digit.   This is the quickest method and is accepted by all modern telephone exchanges.

"Pulse" means that numbers are dialed by opening and closing the electrical connection across the line, sending a series of pulses for each digit (1 pulse for the digit 1, 2 pulses for the digit 2, and so on).   That's the way old rotary dial phones worked, and many push-button phones of the 1970s onward also provided a pulse-dial option for those who were served by old telephone offices which didn't accept tone dialing.   You would only need it today if trying to interface with something like a very old office PBX system.

The second part of the options listed refers to the recall method.  That's a method of signaling the equipment during a call that you require some other type of service.  In a PBX environment, for example, you would use it to start a transfer of a call to another extension.  On a regular line, you use it when you want to put your current call on hold to make a 3-way call, or to take an incoming call if you have call-waiting, for example.

"Timed" means that when you press the "R" or "Recall" button the telephone line is disconnected for a short period of time (a fraction of a second) then reconnected.  That signals the equipment to answer the second call, give you another dialtone, etc.

"Earth" means that pressing the "Recall" button connects a local earth (ground) to one side of your telephone line to provide the signal.  It was the most common system on old British PBX systems in the past, and there are still some in service which use it.   So you would only need to select this option if hooking up your phone to some types of PBX.

Answer 2

just keep it the normal tone

dont put it to pulse

Answer 3

why would you need to change. one doesnt effert other

Answer 4

Use whichever tone setting works. Here in the US, the telephones usually only have two settings, tone or pulse, and I don't think anyone really needs to use pulse anymore.