SnevlCID Package Discussions

[stevea]

Post comments / bugs / questions / requests associated with the SnevlCID package (posted here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread...395#post855395) in this thread. I will make every effort to respond.

Steve

[jasv]

Is this a ren-name of NetCallerID? Can I just install it over it without losing my settings?

[stevea]

Is this a ren-name of NetCallerID? Can I just install it over it without losing my settings?

James,

Good question. I probably should have covered that in the original post. It's not exactly a rename (give me credit for all this work, will ya?! ), but for the most part, the answer is YES: there are some instructions on how to migrate from NetCallerID, but you do NOT lose any of your current settings. Since the new package supports multiple devices, you will need to go in one time into the config page and define your source device as NetCallerID. You also will need to change the startup and shutdown lines in the startup.txt and shutdown.txt files, but it is very easy (and explained).

Knowing you, my guess is by the time you read this response you will have already figured all this out. I think you will be satisfied, but let me know.

EDIT: I should probably also point out (and maybe I will over in the NCID discussion thread and the WhozzCID thread), that I don't plan on doing any more with those previous packages. I am committed to providing support, but I want everyone to eventually migrate to this new package, which is the one I will carry forward. As problems or enhancements come up (I don't anticipate many - my fingers are crossed), I will implement the changes in this package.

Steve

[stevea]

For anyone trying to use SnevlCID with 3 or 4 lines, there is a couple of minor bugs in v1.27. One will not announce the "line phrase" at the end of the call announcement. The other is a bug in the config web page that causes a 3-line setup to load back into the config editor the next time as a 4-line setting.

I think I've fixed both problems, but I'm waiting to here back from one of the testers. Then I'll post the two files that changed.

Steve

EDIT: The fixes are posted here: http://board.homeseer.com/showthread...832#post855832. It is only two replacement files, and they don't actually affect most users, so you can decide if you really need it.

[ESSCHENK]

Hello Steve,<o></o>
<o>
</o><o></o>I installed your plugin and i noticed that when I installed my modem on com17<o></o>
He cant open the comport.<o></o>
I think he is not able to open comports above com9<o></o>
Here are my lines in the logfile.<o></o>
And I cannot place my modem on another comport the are all used <o></o>
25-01-09 14:16:13 - Error opening COM1 - Error: Unable to obtain a handle to the COM port<o></o>
25-01-09 14:16:13 - Error - In OpenComPort, error opening port: Unable to obtain a handle to the COM port<o></o><o></o>
Here are also my ini file and the debug log<o></o>
Maybe you will have a look at it<o></o>
<o></o>Thanks in advanced<o></o>
<o></o>
ed<o></o>

[stevea]

Hello Steve,<O></O>
<O>
</O><O></O>I installed your plugin and i noticed that when I installed my modem on com17<O></O>
He cant open the comport.<O></O>
I think he is not able to open comports above com9<O></O>
Here are my lines in the logfile.<O></O>
And I cannot place my modem on another comport the are all used <O></O>
25-01-09 14:16:13 - Error opening COM1 - Error: Unable to obtain a handle to the COM port<O></O>
25-01-09 14:16:13 - Error - In OpenComPort, error opening port: Unable to obtain a handle to the COM port<O></O><O></O>
Here are also my ini file and the debug log<O></O>
Maybe you will have a look at it<O></O>
<O></O>Thanks in advanced<O></O>
<O></O>
ed<O></O>

Ed,

The INI file indicates it is storing 17 as the COM port, and the debug file you attached indicates that it is successfully opening the port as COM17. The debug file doesn't have the error you posted. When did that error come up? Was it when you received a call?

EDIT: The error doesn't look like it is coming from my script. If the hs.OpenComPort fails, I write something to the debug log. I don't know what is going on here.

EDIT 2: Can you PM me you email address, and maybe email me your startup.txt file. My email is snevl @ msn.com

Steve

[stevea]

I shutdown SnevlCID, moved my NetCallerID to COM17, reconfigured to use that port, and restarted. I just tested it with a call, and it works fine.

I'm pretty sure whatever you are seeing is from something else that is also in your startup. Anyway, it does NOT appear to be a problem in SnevlCID.

Steve

[ESSCHENK]

Hello Steve,
i found that the error is not your plugin its something else
to do with my display.
thats opening a comport on com1.

everything seems to be working now
only i have a comport error in the log
i ignore this for now,maybe i found out what wrong with that later

ed

[stevea]

I have corrected a couple of problems that have been reported, but I suspect the affect a VERY small number of users. As a result, I'm going to hold off posting them for a while. I'll accumulate other requests for fixes / enhancements and roll it into the next release.

If either of these two problems DO affect you, let me know. I can send out the replacement files, or (if there are several affected) go ahead and post in interim build:

1. For some Modems, the first two digits of the CID number were being cut off.
2. For European users, the "# of Calls" column (reporting how many times that each caller had previously called) would always report 0. Not everyone uses this feature (disabled in the config by default), so some probably don't know about the problem, and others probably don't care!

As I said, these problems have both been fixed, and will be in the next release.

Steve

[bdhall]

Supported Modems?

Is there a list of modems that work with this package anywhere?

I saw some Zoom models I was wondering about:

Model 3025 which is a PCI modem. It stated on the box that it supports caller-id (Bell 202 or V.23) and works with Vista.

Model 3048 which is an external RS-232 serial modem. It stated on the box that it supports caller-id (Bell 202 or V.23) and works with Windows and other systems with a serial port.

Model 3095 which is a USB modem. It mentioned voicemail on the box but did not see a mention of caller-id.

Thanks!
Brian

[stevea]

Hey Brian, thanks for jumping in. Fact is, I have no idea what modems will work with the package or not. I guess I'd turn it around on you: If you find a modem that *DOES* support CallerID, I *WILL* make the package work with it. I may be sorry I made such a promise, but my guess is it won't be hard.

Since I don't charge anything, I obviously am not going to be able to buy and test out lots of modems. From what I read on online, most report the CallerID very similarly. I've now accounted for two different formats, and if you are willing to work with me (provide me some debug log, and patience!), I'm certain I'll get it to work. If the ad for the modem says that it does report CID, I'd go for it.

Specifically about Zoom modems: When Rien du Pre first asked me to support modems, he sent me a script that mentioned Zoom, and just gave a different INIT string. My config editor lets you specify the INIT string to send the modem, so we can certainly twiddle with that.

If you decide to give it a go, I'd say just try it out-of-the-box, and if it doesn't work right away, all you need to do is send me the debug file that captures what is coming out of the modem, and I'll probably get something turned around quickly (and rolled into the next release).

Steve

PS: It seems that lots of modems don't mention CallerID as something they support, and yet most do. Not very helpful when you are looking specifically for a CID-capable modem, but... Therefore, I don't know what to say on the 3095 model.

[bdhall]

Steve,

That was fast.

PCI, RS-232, USB - which type or types are you supporting?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Brian

[stevea]

Brian,

As long as the driver creates a COM port interface (which would be any modem, I believe), it doesn't matter. My script only uses the COM port.

Seems like most of the inexpensive modems any more are USB, but there are still some PCI and PCI-E modems. You don't see as many RS232 externals, and I would guess you pay more than you need to for those.

Unfortunately, the biggest thing that matters is something you won't know until you try it: How well it picks up CallerID. Remember the old Homeseer PCI modem is CallerID-capable, but the reason so many Homeseer CallerID alternatives have come up over time is because it was / is so unrelaible at reporting CID.

I didn't look at the Zoom web page. There might be some stuff there about how they report CallerID. I have to go to work pretty soon, but if you give me some time I can see what they have. If they have some explicit detail on any of the models in how they report CID, we might find one that will for-sure work right-out-of-the-box.

Steve

[stevea]

A question came up that seems worth answering here on the board. Although I'd like to get people who were using my NetCallerID package to move over to this one, there really isn't any hurry to do so. If someone just has a single NetCallerID box on one line, there really is no reason to change over until something in a new release is compelling.

The sample scripts that I posted over in the script thread (custom action and last 10 callers) actually will work just fine with the NCID package as well. In fact, the instructions are even unchanged.

Steve

[stevea]

Guest Access to Call Log

In response to a user request, I've added a feature that will be in the next release, and wanted to see if anyone had any tweak to the feature they would like to see.

The request was to provide a way to give guests access to the call log, but hide the last three digits of the caller phone numbers. What I've done is add a drop-down to the config page so you can choose from four options:

1. Block all guest access (the way it has been in previous releases)
2. Allow guest access, but hide the last three digits of each number
3. Allow guest access, and completely hide the caller phone number
4. Allow full guest access, not hiding anything

The phonebook page, the config page, and the blocked name pages are all still blocked from guest access.

If anyone has some variation to the above choices that they would like to see, either post here or send me a PM.

Steve