Will Vista ever fully support voice modem based on conexant chip s

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Problem: My Rosewill RC-403 PCI Voice/Data/Fax modem isn't working fully with
a number of TAPI based answering machine programs (e.g. IVM Answering
Attendant, Impulse Technology's CallStation). These programs can pick up and
record calls but they cannot play a greeting message over the phone line.
All a caller hears is silence while the greeting is playing. Craig Duncan at
Impulse Technology has indicated to me in a personal communication (as well
as on his web site http://www.imptec.com/modems.htm - see Windows Vista
section) that the problem is caused by a "bug" in Vista's Unimodem Transform
Module that affects all Conexant based voice modems. Since most modems on
the market today are based on the Conexant chip set, and since most answering
machine software on the market is TAPI based, the implication is that many
people are affected by this. In other words, it's very likely that if
someone wants to use their Vista machine to work as an answering machine,
they'll run into this.

Questions: Is Craig Duncan right about the Unimodem driver and if so, does
Microsoft intend to fix this soon? If not, can someone recommend a
Voice/Data/Fax modem that will support full TAPI answering machine
functionality running on Vista?

Note: Here's a link to another reference to this problem in the Windows
Community Forums:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/co...ices&mid=cfa8570c-17d2-4020-9d77-5f02dd66a0fd
 
I am waiting for a solution to this problem also. (I'm part of the thread
you link to) I've been watching these MS Vista groups and have seen nothing
regarding our problem for a long time. I use Call Station. I did discover
that FaxTalk (trial) will work with my Conexant modem. It apparently does
not use the modem wave driver. But I'm holding out for a fix because I
really like the features that Call Station has. I dual boot and make sure
I'm in XP whenever I'm away from my computer. Kind of a pain but I've gotten
used to it. If a call comes in while I'm in Vista and I decide not to
answer... the caller gets the silent treatment.
 
Hi,

You're looking in the wrong place for a driver fix. Microsoft provides
drivers that are supplied to them by the device manufacturers, for the most
part they do not write any of their own other than for their own hardware,
or to provide basic functionality for an industry standard device. They do
not and have not written full driver and software sets to support added
device functionality. It's up to the device manufacturer to fix, add to, or
rewrite drivers, then supply it to Microsoft for distribution on Windows
Update. Many do not do this, some do and just distribute them on their own.
Others do not update drivers for older devices at all, and the consumer is
left with the option of going without a particular function, or with
purchasing new hardware.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
Rick... two items in your post.
"for the most part they do not write any of their own other than for their
own hardware, or to provide basic functionality for an industry standard
device"
and...
"and the consumer is left with the option of going without a particular
function, or with purchasing new hardware"
Seems to me an industry standard device is now broken and new hardware that
works with this class of software can not be found. I've been looking for
nearly a year for a voice modem that will work with Vista.
 
Hi DanR,

The basic function of a modem is to perform the analog/digital
(modulation/demodulation) exchange of data, not to support voice modulation.
That is an added feature of some categories of modems. The drivers supplied
by Vista or any other version of Windows simply allows for this, not for the
added capability. The only way it's going to work is when the modem
manufacturers write and release the necessary supporting drivers and
software.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
Well, no offence, but I've been observing this attitude at this NG since
around February. That MS is not responsible for 3rd party hardware working
with Vista. Of course MS can do what it likes and indeed does. But you can't
deny that there are many unhappy people out there with broken hardware. And
now that non-geek, normal folks have purchased new computers like they might
buy a new washing machine... because their old one wore out... they are
having problems. A small percentage of them show up here for help. I'm
reading that enterprise might skip Vista completely. If that turns out to be
true it's because of bad word of mouth. And if my new MS washing machine
started chewing up my clothes I'd have a problem with MS not Levi Strauss.
 
No offense taken. I am only trying to explain why you are running into the
issue, not taking a position or defending anyone.

Microsoft writes the operating system, mainly to take advantage of the
capabilities of the current hardware standards. It's up to the device
manufacturers to write software, including drivers, that adhere to the
standards of the operating system. Microsoft, where possible, includes
drivers in the operating system that will at least provide basic
functionality like a standard VGA driver for video, but it ends there for
them.

Device manufacturers, on the other hand, tend to lag behind in providing
updated software for their devices and a new operating system. Why is this?
Well, for starters, there is no profit in spending time rewriting software
for older devices. They've already made money on them, there is nothing more
to be gained. For them, there's more incentive to concentrating resources
developing new hardware with new supporting software for the consumer to
upgrade to if they want full functionality. Secondly, the firmware on a
device may not conform to the standards for a new OS. When this happens,
either the firmware instructions need to be rewritten or a workaround must
be developed. On the latter, they are getting more difficult as shortcuts
and backdoors are being rapidly closed for security reasons.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
Since I started this thread, I'll add my two cents about the points Danr and
Rick Rogers have raised.

1. Voice/Data/Fax modems are multi function devices like all-in-one
printer-scanner devices. Would it make sense for anybody to argue that
all-in-one devices have only one core capability - printing for example, and
then write drivers that ignored scanning because it's not a core capability?
I just don't buy the argument that Voice is an "added" feature, and hence
doesn't merit Microsoft's attention.

2. Voice capabilities in Voice/Data/Fax modems support a variety of
telephony applications that are not supported by any other type of hardware
to my knowledge. As Danr pointed out, it's been a year since Vista shipped
and it's still hard (impossible?) to find a Voice/Data/Fax modem that fully
supports voice features on Vista. I've certainly have had no luck. The
information one needs to make an informed decision about whether voice
features of Voice/Data/Fax modems will work with Vista is either unavailable
or buried so deep that most people will never find it. I've searched
manufacture web sites, forums, and Microsoft's own Vista hardware
compatibility web pages and none tell users what they need to know to make
informed purchasing decisions. The appearance of all this is that Vista is
abandoning voice modems and the telephony applications they support. How can
Microsoft be comfortable with this state of affairs? Thousands of customers
(tens of thousands?) must be confused, annoyed, possibly even angry.

3. I hope one or more Windows Program Managers at Microsoft is or becomes
aware of this situation and takes action. Reasonable alternatives I think
would include 1) getting a developer at Microsoft to fix the "generic" voice
drivers that will get voice features working for most of the Voice/Fax/Data
modems out there - e.g. fixing the Unimodem Transform Module that apparently
is the problem for Conexant based modems might be a good place to start, 2)
provide an incentive to get modem manufactures to update their drivers, or 3)
provide an incentive to get at least one modem manufacturer to develop and
market a new Voice/Data/Fax modem (including drivers) that will work with
Vista.
 
i know i have this type of modem on my laptop, and it's great unfortunatly i
have no idea why it says it supports voice, since i can't find any program
that uses it on this modem, but i have noticed that caller-id is supported
on these modem(yes, if u have caller id your computer will be able to show
the name and tel number, as long as u have the software, which happens to be
free)
look for vista-caller id and phonetray-free. phonetray allow your pc to say
the name and number outloud

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Not to belabor the point, but a modem, by definition, is a device that
converts signal from analog to digital and vice-versa (hence
modulation/demodulation or mo-dem). Voice communication is pure analog, not
something that requires this conversion. When a modem is in operation, its
basic function after negotiating a connection is translating the data for
transmission and reception, nothing else. Microsoft does not make this
determination, it's a standard. Manufacturers choose to add voice
capabilities to the device, but then do not want to write the necessary
supporting software (drivers) so that it functions in a given operating
system. The device therefore uses the basic driver provided for the function
for which a modem is designed. There are additional technical considerations
that I won't get into, but it's not going to change.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
Clayga... I obviously agree with you. But per Rick it's buyer beware. If you
don't like Vista the way it is either get used to it or abandon it because
MS is "not going to change".
 
Aligator said:
Hello, is somebody find a solution for this issue ? I got the same
problem with connexant chipset / Vista32 and Tapiex dll...

Thanks in advance for your help...
JP


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Click to expand...


Buy an Intel 536. They work ok..


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This is not a Microsoft problem, the problem is that your modem manufacturer
has not updated their drivers or updated them properly. The modem
manufacturer will need to provide updated Vista drivers or your modem will
never work properly.
 
Dominic Payer said:
See
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=977&lang=eng

Intel provide no Vista reference drivers for the 536 chipset. If Vista
does not include any drivers there will be none from any modem
manufacturer.
Click to expand...


The Intel 536EP is picked up by Vista and has caused me no problems at all.

Intel do not manufacture modems, only the chipsets. The OP will have to
physically look at a few maybe to determine if they are Intel chipsets..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
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Mike's Window - My Blog..
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