Connecting T-DSL with an answer phone

HI all,

I now have a new WLAN connection with T-com, the deal where you have unlimited surfing and free phone calls within Germany.
The thing is, I cannot now answer my phone if the answering machine has kicked in.
I have a separate answering machine and phone (i.e. not a combined unit) so I have two cables to deal with. I must have the phone connected to the back of the Wlan unit, and I have tried having the Answering machine cable plugged into the back of the WLan unit as well as to the splitter, but it seems to make no difference.
It's incredibly frustrating to just miss the phone, it also means I can't screen calls becuause I can't answer no matter what, and someone might be saying "pick up if you are there!" and I just can't! Pressing 'stop' on the answering machine only cuts them off.
In case it makes any difference, my answering machine is a tiptel 221 clip, my phone an AEG Fame 300
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jos

Presumably you are using the new Speedport V700W modem/router from Telekom. Unless you are using VoIP or ISDN services there is no need to plug your phone into it. Simply plug phone and answering machine into the splitter TAE socket (as before?). If you are using VoIP/ISDN then you need a little adapter to allow both phone and answering machine to be connected to the same Speedport outlet - something like this:

Thanks for replying Yorkshire Lad, but could you please spoon feed me for a bit, becuase I think I'm very confused, although there is light at the end of the tunnel for sure.

It's a DSL not ISDN connection, so there's that bit I do understand, but I could have sworn the diagram supplied with the splitter and modem said there had to be a cable from the middle socket of the splitter to the Tnet/ISDN outlet on the Speedport (yes, W700v), which then meant there was no socket available in the splitter to put a phone connection (both the other sockets have a diagram of a phone crossed out, and the phone doesn't fit), so therefore the phone had to go in one of the two outlets at the back of the speedport - the diagram showed this.

I have unplugged this set up and 're-wired' it as you suggested, and yes, thrilled to report that does work and I can answer my phone when the answering machine is on, but now the lights for 'Festnetz' and 'Status' are quickly blinking, and the Wlan light is doing a slow blink on my Speedport - what does this mean?

Also, perhaps a very ignorant question, but now that my phone line isn't directly connected to the modem, will I still be a DSL phone customer?
Truly, I'd be fine if the manual was in English, but it's just too technical for me in German.

DSL is the data side of the line, not Telephone.. You either have Analog Telephone service and DSL or ISDN/DSL..

Like I said:
If you are only using an analogue line and no other external phone services then you don't NEED the phone link to the splitter
The Speedport V701W is one of the new generation of modem/routers which also integrates phone services into your system. IF you are using VoIP phone services then it integrates your domestic phone service with the VoIP service so that connected telephones can share both. If you have ISDN then the Speedport also acts as an ISDN to analogue converter so not only can VoIP services be used on the connected analogue phones, but incoming ISDN calls to different MSNs (numbers) can too. If you have neither VoIP nor ISDN then the Speedport adds little or nothing and there is no need to route your analogue line through it if you don't want to.
The Splitter divides the incoming service into phone and DSL elements - you simply now have only the DSL (and therefore internet) element going into the modem. The Festnetz light is blinking because it's not seeing a connected phoneline (to the modem) but it doesn't care if you don't. The WLAN light is blinking because it's Tuesday.

Thank you guys, I appreciate the help and explainations, and yes, it seems the WLan was blinking becuase it was Tuesday. :-) It's a temperamental little thing.