I've just brought a new BT paragon 500 phone, and am trying to get it set up for SMS correctly.

Virgin line didnt recognise the 17094009 number
so after a bit of research i found out the old number:

o911o0235029 - this works and I can send a message
( it costs 12p )

the difficult part is getting the phone to display texts correctly.

at the moment they are all coming through on the old - conerted to voice system.

Ive tried texting register to 00000 as it says in instructions - but no cigar.

any ideas?

Well I think you need to let Virgin Media know which lines you want to use the text facility.

The text messaging service is provided by BT,so BT cannot set up services automatically on lines provided by other companies. So call 151 from your Virgin phone and select option 4 for phone faults, they will be able to advise you further.

Note: Texts delivered as voice messages which orginated from T-mobile or virgin mobiles are delivered by T-Mobile and not BT. So to check to see if you have any unheard voice-texts from T-Mobile call 07953-966-066 from your Virgin phone.

You need to have Caller Display switched on the line.

The send number should be:

1470P17094009

Though you can try: 1470P1709400

The receive number should be:

08005875290

Though you could try: 080058752

I recently had a Virgin Media line installed (free install, free line rental and free evening and weekend calls - so was crazy not to). I have no problem using the BT Text service over the Virgin Media landline.

Texts from T-Mobile / Virgin / Fresh / M&S will come through as voice as these use the T-Mobile system.

the ntl/virgin line dosent seem to recognise the 17909009 number?

i do have caller ID activated.

incoming texts from all networks are recieved in spoken word from an 0845 number.

maybe i do need to give virgin a call. although its not that important to be honest i probably wont use it.

Strange I have the 1470P17094009 and it works fine on my Virgin Media line - The P is important on cable lines as their system is slow and requires the wait for the 2nd dial tone. Though the 1470 is just to release the caller ID if you have it withheld.

Yeah, your incoming texts will be spoken until you can either send a text using the 1470P17094009 service centre or send register to the 00000 number via the 1470P17094009 service centre.

are you an ex-ntl customer?

If i pick up the handset and try to dial... i can only go as far as 170.... and then I just get that continuous tone u get.

No, I'm xTelewest.

Googling just, brings up that some NTL areas aren't programmed for the 1470P17094009 number.

I have just bought a BT Relate SMS texting phone off Ebay and tried both the 1470P17094009 and 1470P09110235029 as the service centre number with no joy. Huddersfield is definitely activated for Caller Line Display on Virgin (ex NTL area) but no SMS texting it appears. Unless anyone knows different?

Anyone have any ideas about this? I have just got a phone with SMS, and seem to be suffering from this Virgin issue. Like others the 1470P170... numbers just return an unavailable tone.

Does the ex-NTL side of VM support SMS?

No, it appears xNTL doesn't support SMS on the xTelewest side.