This page has some troubleshooting information that may be helpful if things are not working properly. This information can also be found in the program help.

Caller ID Problems

If all calls are logged as "No Caller ID", then the Caller ID feature on your modem is not working. For the Caller ID to work properly, your modem must have Caller ID capability, it must be compatible with the Caller ID service in your area, and you must subscribe to Caller ID service with your phone company. Also, your modem must be installed with a TAPI compliant .inf file (driver). If not, your modem's Caller ID feature may not be enabled, or Unimodem may be unable to interpret the Caller ID information. This is the most common cause of Caller ID problems.

If you're not sure whether your modem is Caller ID capable, or you think there may be a problem with the modem, try viewing your modem log file after receiving a call with the Impulse Technology software running. The modem log will show if your modem is reporting any Caller ID information or not. You should first make sure that the command to enable the Caller ID is being sent to the modem. This command should appear in the log around where the modem is being initialized, and will look something like this:

Send: at+vcid=1

This is the most common command, although some modems may use at#cid=1. If you don't see this command anywhere, then either your modem driver is not TAPI compliant or the modem simply does not have Caller ID support. If the enable command is being sent to the modem but no Caller ID is shown in the log, then your modem doesn't support Caller ID or it isn't working properly.

If your modem is reporting the Caller ID information, you should see the caller's name and phone number right after the modem reports the first ring. The most common problem is where the Caller ID is being reported by the modem and can be seen in the log, but it is not being recognized by Unimodem so it does not get passed on to the Impulse Technology software. You can tell if this is the case because the Caller ID will typically be broken up over several lines, and you will see "Unknown Response". This problem is due to a modem driver that is not TAPI compliant. Be aware that default Windows drivers do not have Caller ID support. If you are using drivers that were automatically installed by Windows, try downloading and installing drivers from the modem manufacturer.

Intermittent Problems

Some modems simply are not 100% reliable at reporting the caller's name and number. If the Caller ID works most of the time but you sometimes see "No Caller ID", that means that your modem failed to detect and report any Caller ID information on that call. This is a common problem when connecting a modem to a VoIP telephone adapter, but it can happen even on a real telephone line. When this happens, about the only solution is to try a different modem, or to switch to a different phone service.

Answering System Problems

Here are some common problems users may run into when first using the CallStation answering system.

When CallStation answers a call, I see "Error loading wave file" on the pop-up window, and then CallStation hangs up without taking a message.

CallStation can only use standard PCM format wave files for the greeting. Click Voice | Greetings | Standard to display the Standard Greetings dialog. Make sure your greeting plays OK here. You may need to select another wave file, or record a greeting from a microphone.

When CallStation answers a call, I see "Error playing wave file" on the pop-up window, and then CallStation hangs up without taking a message.

This error can occur if CallStation has a problem playing the greeting or the beep. Go to the Control Panel and double-click the Multimedia icon. On the Audio tab, make sure the "Use only preferred devices" option is NOT checked.

Also, your greeting must be in 8,000 Hz, 16-Bit mono format. If it is in any other format, you will get this error. Greetings recorded by CallStation will always be in this format.

When CallStation answers a call, the caller cannot hear the greeting or the beep, but they can still leave a message if they speak at the right time.

This problem is caused by a bug in the Vista operating system, and mainly affects Conexant based modems. The only solution is to use a different modem that is not affected by the Vista bug. Check the Modem Review page for recommendations.

When CallStation answers a call, the caller hears the greeting but no beep, and then CallStation hangs up without taking a message.

Click Voice | Greetings | Standard to display the Standard Greetings dialog. Make sure the "Greeting only" option is NOT checked. When this option is checked, CallStation simply plays the greeting and then hangs up. This also applies to the Personal and Group greetings.

CallStation hangs up on callers while they are leaving a message.

Standard modems do not have a good way of telling when a caller has hung up. CallStation has two ways of detecting when a caller has finished their message and hung up the phone. Problems occur when one of these methods malfunctions. You can usually fix the problem by changing the settings under the "Advanced" button on the Voice configuration tab.

The first method involves detecting silence. CallStation analyzes the message as it is being recorded looking for periods of silence. If CallStation detects continuous silence for more than the period set in the "Hang up after X seconds of silence" option, it will decide that the caller has finished leaving a message, stop recording and hang up. When working properly, this keeps the program from recording a long period of silence after the message. On some modems, the recorded sound level may be too low for CallStation to detect so it thinks there is silence when the caller is actually talking. This problem can be easily fixed by changing the silence detection sensitivity to "High". The problem may also be solved by setting the "Record Boost" option to +6dB or +10dB to amplify the recorded sound. Doing this will also make the messages sound louder when you play them back.

The second method involves detecting a "pulse" on the line. When a caller hangs up the phone, a pulse occurs on the line. CallStation can try to detect this pulse. This allows it to hang up quicker than having to wait for the silence detector. A pulse may be falsely detected if you have the "Record Boost" option set too high for your modem causing the audio to "clip" excessively. If this option is set to +6dB or +10dB try setting it down a notch. If you still have a problem you can always disable the pulse detection by unchecking the "Auto Detect remote hang up" option.

CallStation keeps recording even after the caller hangs up.

If the recorded sound level on your modem is unusually high, you may have a problem where CallStation sees noise on the line making it think the caller is still talking. The silence detection then fails to hang up the modem. If this happens, you may need to change the silence detection sensitivity to "Low".

When I try to enable the answering system, I get an "Error getting device ID" message.

This error occurs when CallStation can't get a "device ID" to play wave files through your modem, so this means that there is a problem with your system. You may not have a modem wave driver installed.

Here is something to check. Go to the Windows Device Manager. Expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" branch. Make sure that you have a "Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device" (it may say "Full-Duplex"). View the Properties for this device and make sure it is working properly.

If you find a problem, you may be able to correct this by downloading and installing the latest drivers for your modem. Check your modem manufacturer's web site.

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