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    Anybody using NetCallerID with Verizon Home Phone?

    Greetings All !

    I'm afraid that when it comes to my Homeseer setup, I only really seem to maintain it during the winter months. So, it occurred to me lately that my WAFNetcallerID system must not be working, as I hadn't heard the house "announce" incoming calls in quite some time. And restoring it has become something of minor importance, as my wife's hearing is getting worse... very often now, she doesn't hear the phone ring, if she happens to be in a room in the house that is without a phone.

    So, in checking the last update on my phone.txt file, I'm thinking this thing stopped working in April of last year, which I think is when I shut down our land-line... and switched over to using Verizon's Home Phone system to replace it. (Yes, we each have our own cell phones, but we kind of liked the idea of keeping our multiple phone units at various points inside the house... and it was only $19.99 per month, when we had been paying roughly $65 per month.)

    Anyways, the NetCallerID box says "No Calls". I checked the line coming into it and I do have a dial tone. Now, you have to realize that the internal house wiring of the phone jacks is linked up to the Verizon Home Phone unit... but that unit is on the first floor and the NetCallerID box (and PC) is in the basement. So, there's a good 40 feet or so of phone cable between the Verizon box and the NetCallerID box.

    With that in mind, I'm not sure if:
    a) The NetCallerID box has gone "bad". I had one of these go bad after a few years, years ago.
    or
    b) Perhaps the "ring signal" isn't strong enough, by the time it gets to the NetCallerID box?

    Not sure. Was about to go shell out for yet another NetCallerID box. (But of course, if I can only count on these units to last 3-4 years, then maybe I need some other solution here?) But I thought I'd check with the crowd here first.

    Thanks!

    -= Dave =-

    #2
    The NetCallerID box is nothing more than a CID unit like any other if you disregard the serial port. It doesn't sound like it's even getting the CID signal. Do other phones you have in the house have CID readouts on them, do they work and show the CID information? If they do there is a better than average chance the NetCallerID box has died on you. As a quick check, if other units are receiving CID you could temporarily plug in the NetCallerID box in at that jack and test it.

    I do not use the verizon phone service but I did install a NetCallerID box with the BLNetCallerID plug-in for my brother in law who does use Verizon and it works fine for him.
    Marty
    ------
    XPpro SP3 /w HS Standard 2.5.0.80, HSTouch Server - 1.0.0.70, HSTouch Client 1.0.0.73 HSTouch Android - 1.0.0.2, HSTouch iPhone - 1.0.0.2
    Playing with HS3 a bit but it's just play at this point.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by nightwalker View Post
      The NetCallerID box is nothing more than a CID unit like any other if you disregard the serial port. It doesn't sound like it's even getting the CID signal. Do other phones you have in the house have CID readouts on them, do they work and show the CID information? If they do there is a better than average chance the NetCallerID box has died on you. As a quick check, if other units are receiving CID you could temporarily plug in the NetCallerID box in at that jack and test it.

      I do not use the verizon phone service but I did install a NetCallerID box with the BLNetCallerID plug-in for my brother in law who does use Verizon and it works fine for him.

      Marty, with Verizon Home Phone, caller id seems to be somewhat hit-or-miss. But even if I take into account power-outages over the past year, the NetCallerID box should be reporting SOME calls as having come in.

      I guess yeah, I can unplug the unit, plug it into another jack, perhaps one closer to the Verizon base, dial from my cell phone and see what happens. That's a good next test. Ill have to give that a try when I get home tonight after work. Thanks!

      But since I posted this, I did an Ebay and Google search for a possible new Netcallerid box... and I didn't even find any USED ones. So I guess I may need to find some alternate solution. Not sure.


      Thanks!

      -= Dave =-

      Comment


        #4
        Looks like maybe the UltraCID plug-in ($29) and any Conexant PCI or USB modem may be a good inexpensive alternative.

        Found that info here:
        http://board.homeseer.com/showpost.p...99&postcount=8

        Comment


          #5
          yeah I'm afraid you're going to have trouble finding a new NetCallerID box, since they're no longer being made they have gotten rare. I keep my fingers crossed that my NetCallerID will keep going and I did manage to get a spare a few years ago, just in case.

          You are probably right that a modem coupled with Ultra's CID plug-in is probably your best way forward. I don't think Blade's plug-in works with anything but the NetCallerID box.
          Marty
          ------
          XPpro SP3 /w HS Standard 2.5.0.80, HSTouch Server - 1.0.0.70, HSTouch Client 1.0.0.73 HSTouch Android - 1.0.0.2, HSTouch iPhone - 1.0.0.2
          Playing with HS3 a bit but it's just play at this point.

          Comment


            #6
            I used to have a spare NetCallerID but a friend here on the board made a pretty good plea so I gave it to him. It really is too bad they can't be found. I still think they were one of the best at reporting CID.

            My caller ID script package (SnevlCID) was actually built for the NetCallerID (initially as my own enhancement to WAF NetCallerID), but it now supports most kinds of modems and several multi-line devices. It's free, but I'm sure it doesn't do as much as Ultra's plug-in.

            Steve

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by stevea View Post
              I used to have a spare NetCallerID but a friend here on the board made a pretty good plea so I gave it to him. It really is too bad they can't be found. I still think they were one of the best at reporting CID.

              My caller ID script package (SnevlCID) was actually built for the NetCallerID (initially as my own enhancement to WAF NetCallerID), but it now supports most kinds of modems and several multi-line devices. It's free, but I'm sure it doesn't do as much as Ultra's plug-in.

              Steve

              Well, I only need a script and modem (or whatever hardware) to do one basic thing: Allow me to fire an event when a call is coming in. My wife just can't hear the phone, if she's in some other room. And if whatever solution also happens to allow some customization of the incoming message....and writing down the incoming callers in a log file... like the WAFNetcallerID script used to do for me, then that's even better!

              Free, eh? That's something of a relief to me! I've already had to pay about $190 this month to get HSTouch... and I hadn't really planned that purchase (little post-Christmas money to play with). So free is good!

              Thanks, I'll check it out (probably tomorrow). I'm sure I've got a PCI modem in a drawer somewhere in the basement. Maybe it will work with your script.

              Thanks!

              -= Dave =-

              Comment


                #8
                I've been using the NetCID boxes and SnevlCID for years now with two phone lines combining its use with a Way 2 Call box.

                The HS PCI HSPhone modem sold by HS works with the HSPhone plugin which in turn should work with the SnevlCID plugin.

                Works for me.
                - Pete

                Auto mator
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                Comment


                  #9
                  Well, I got the SnevlCID script installed, after shoving in an old PCI modem I had lying around. Although it responds with an "OK" to one of the init commands that are supposed to put a modem into "callerID mode", it's not reporting the incoming name and number.

                  Still, I did adjust use the included "custom" script to get it to turn on the whole-house speakers, speak an announcement, and then shut down the speakers, when a call is coming in.

                  Think I'll buy one of those modern USB Conexant modems, install that, and pull the PCI one next week.

                  Thanks for the help, all !

                  -= Dave =-

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Dave,

                    We probably should move this discussion over to the SnevlCID discussion thread, mostly in case others have had similar problems and can help.

                    In the meantime: Before you buy a new modem, we an try and see why you are not getting anything from the current one. In the config page you can turn on debug with a checkbox. That writes all sorts of info to a debug file in your base Homeseer directory (something like "SnevlCID_debug.txt"). If you turn on debug and let it run for a couple of incoming calls, you can then zip up that file and send it to me at snevl at msn dot com. It should let me see what is going on.

                    You could also do a trial on UltraCID. I'm pretty sure he lets you have a trial period (probably 30 days) and you can see if his plug-in works on the modem where SnevlCID doesn't.

                    Steve

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Well, Steve, I already sent off for a new USB modem. It's only $13 (including shipping). I'd prefer USB right now, as that old modem I put in the other day took up the last available PCI slot in my little machine down in the basement... and that puts the card really, really close to the video card fan.

                      On the other hand, it will be a bit of a waste of money, because I just discovered:

                      "Verizon Home Connect does not display names of callers, only phone numbers."

                      Lovely.

                      But the debug log seems to show we're not even getting the phone number, even though it appears to be listening for CallerID. Will ship you the debug log file here in a few minutes, just in case there's anything that can be learned from it.

                      Thanks!

                      -= Dave =-

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Just a final update on this thread: My new USB modem appears to work just fine. But it too does not receive callerid info.

                        If I shut down Homeseer and attach Hyperterminal to the port, all I get is [RING].

                        So, I'm 95% sure that root cause is this: Verizon Home Connect, because it is essentially a cell phone connection... will not work with regards to capturing traditional caller id information. There must be some key technical difference between the way cell phones receive the phone number of the incoming caller... and the way a land-line receives caller id information.

                        Thanks!

                        -= Dave =-

                        Comment

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