Modem Noise & No Inbound CID

[MacGregor]

I've been usng magicJack since June '08. I had no problems whatsoever until several months ago (upgrade perhaps?). My PC is running XP SP3 and I'm using a Uniden CID cordless phone. I can make and receive calls as normal, but on every incoming call I hear a brief modem (beep, hiss, scratch) noise a few seconds before the phone rings. At the same time the noise started, the phone ceased to display inbound CID info (although it still appears on the pc screen).

I have spent countless hours on "chat" with tech support. At their recommendation I've tried different phones, different USB ports, USB hub, set exceptions in Windows Firewall...all to no avail.

I did a search through Technical Support here, but couldn't find anything. Anybody experienced anything like this? Any ideas? I'd like to renew my service next month, but not if it isn't working correctly.

[crackerjack]

I've been usng magicJack since June '08. I had no problems whatsoever until several months ago (upgrade perhaps?). My PC is running XP SP3 and I'm using a Uniden CID cordless phone. I can make and receive calls as normal, but on every incoming call I hear a brief modem (beep, hiss, scratch) noise a few seconds before the phone rings. At the same time the noise started, the phone ceased to display inbound CID info (although it still appears on the pc screen).

I have spent countless hours on "chat" with tech support. At their recommendation I've tried different phones, different USB ports, USB hub, set exceptions in Windows Firewall...all to no avail.

I did a search through Technical Support here, but couldn't find anything. Anybody experienced anything like this? Any ideas? I'd like to renew my service next month, but not if it isn't working correctly.

Are you using a wireless 2.4Ghz router and corresponding frequencies on your cell? Is there a microwave or other device which may be disseminating signal in the same frequency band? Are the aliens shooting microwaves off your windows to eavesdrop on you? The answer probably lies within these circumstances or maybe NOT.
Try a different WIRED phone and stop being led down the garden path by your newfound Filipino friends.

[MacGregor]

Yes and no (no cell phone), no, and probably not.

I did try a different wired phone - no change, and I came here because the Filipinos can't get it done.

[Nobody beats the Whiz!]

The CID data is sent in a modem format. The two symptoms may be directly related.

However, I don't understand how you are hearing sounds from your phone before it starts ringing. That is strange. You're hearing them from the phone earpiece, or the computer speakers?

[MacGregor]

The modem sound comes through the pc speakers a second or two before the phone rings. The CID displays on the popup/softphone, but the phone just displays "Incoming Call".

[MacGregor]

There's no difference when I use a corded phone, new phone cord or change the setting to headset - so it's nothing to do with the phone. I've tried running the recover utility, but it says no device found. I've also tried running the downgrade, but I think it's just automatically upgrading afterwards (I keep getting the "Lucky You" message).

Any ideas?

[redpepper]

To send the caller id, the magicJack dialer looks for an audio device named "USB Audio Device" or "USB Internet Phone by Tigerjet". If it cannot find either of those successfully it will look for something that just starts with "USB".

Either Windows has somehow mismatched the audio device names (versus the corresponding internal device numbers) or only some of the drivers for your magicJack USB device are properly initialized or have somehow been corrupted.

You can initially try the following:

1. For the purposes of troubleshooting, disconnect ALL the USB devices from your computer in case one of them is causing some sort of conflict for the magicJack USB dongle.

2. Unplug your magicJack USB dongle and plug it into a USB port you have not used it in before so the drivers can freshly load themselves.

3. After the magicJack USB dongle has finished initializing in the new USB port, RESTART YOUR COMPUTER.

4. Go to Start/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio/Audio and make sure your computer sound card is set as the default record and default playback device. While you are there ALSO confirm that "USB Audio Device" or "USB Internet Phone by Tigerjet" is indeed in the list of available audio devices.

5. Try your incoming calls again and see if that sorts the issue (or at least keeps the caller id transmission from coming out of your computer speakers).

6. If you are still stuck after following all the above steps, try installing the Magicfeatures Plugin for comparison. It has its own caller id transmission implementation that gets around most magicJack related caller id transmission issues (with the exception of an underpowered USB port) BUT no promises in this particular instance as you have some very unique external issues going on with your setup at the moment.

[MacGregor]

Thanks redpepper! The problem has been fixed. I never thought about the noise being the caller ID info being sent through the speakers. I unplugged ALL USB devices, plugged in the magicJack dongle into a different USB port and let it initialize. I checked the settings, and decided to update the driver, which it did. It is now listed as USB Internet Phone by TigerJet as opposed to the USB Audio Device it used to say.

I guess it make sense that somehow the drivers got crossed. My PC is a laptop, which is connected to a docking station via USB. The speakers are connected to the docking station and are listed in the hardware profile as...you guessed it - USB Audio Device.

I'm not sure what exactly fixed the problem - unplugging all USB devices and letting MJ re-initialize on a different USB port or updating the driver for the device.

[redpepper]

Awesome - that's great news !!!

[MacGregor]

I guess I spoke too soon. It's doing it again. I guess I'll have to figure out if it is an issue with the drivers and how/why it's happening. Windows can't find a better driver than the one being used, so I don't think the driver update had [too] much effect. *sigh*, back to square one.

[redpepper]

The drivers were just part of your problem. Based on your previous message, that part is now sorted. There was also the device name conflict with your computer speakers that is the secondary root of your problem.

According to your feedback, your computer speakers register on your computer as "USB Audio Device". If this is correct, the problem will come back up again if you plug back in your computer speakers.

The magicJack dialer is going to see "USB Audio Device" and think it is the magicJack USB dongle when it is trying to select the correct audio device to use. There is no workaround that I am aware of except to get some different computer speakers that don't register on your computer as "USB Audio Device".

[MacGregor]

Disabling the USB Audo Device has enabled the magicJack to work normally with everything else still connected, so it is an issue with the Caller ID info being sent to "USB Audio Device" as opposed to "USB Internet Phone by Tigerjet".

So what's the appropriate solution? It's not the speakers that are being listed as USB Audio Device, it is the docking station (with audio input). It worked for 9 months or so before this started, and I made no changes to my configuration, so there has to be a solution.

[redpepper]

The 1st generation magicJack USB dongles registered as "USB Audio Device" and that is why the magicJack dialer gets confused. It still supported that original vintage of hardware in the software.

There is absolutely no basic workaround that I am aware of except to get some different computer speakers (or docking station) that don't register on your computer as "USB Audio Device". Yes - it may have worked before if the audio devices by coincidence registered in a different order on your computer. The names for reference are usually searched in the same order they appear in the combo box in Start/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio/Audio . The first one found with the "right" name is selected by the magicJack dialer.

I just double checked the code in the Magicfeatures Plugin and it gives priority to "USB Internet Phone by Tigerjet" when selecting devices for transmitting the caller id so that would be another way to get around it. It does not just look for the first one with the "right" name.

[MacGregor]

I see your point, however that will not solve the problem if the new speakers are plugged into the docking station (which is the device being recognized as USB Audio Device). The easiest workaround I can think of is to disable the USB Audio Device (i.e. the docking station's audio) and plug the speakers directly into the laptop (part of the reason why I have the docking station is so I don't have to disconnect a bunch of cables everytime I want to move the laptop). As easy as that is, though, it doesn't tell me how this problem started and why magicJack wants to send the caller ID data to "USB Audio Device" rather than "Internet Phone by Tigerjet". It obviously used to be configured that way, but somehow that configuration got changed.

[redpepper]

Yes - it may have worked before if the audio devices by coincidence registered in a different order on your computer. The names for reference are usually searched in the same order they appear in the combo box in Start/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio/Audio . The first one found with the "right" name is selected by the magicJack dialer.

I just double checked the code in the Magicfeatures Plugin and it gives priority to "USB Internet Phone by Tigerjet" when selecting devices for transmitting the caller id so that would be another way to get around it. It does not just look for the first one with the "right" name.

[MacGregor]

I guess my only work around for right now will have to be to plug the speakers directly into the laptop and disable the "USB Audio Device" - i.e. the docking station audio. Being unemployed, the magicfeatures plugin isn't a viable option at this time. I appreciate the help.