Opinions of Comtech Internet Alert Call Manager IACM4000

[squidgy]

Well, I now have one of these new gizmos! Mostly impressed with it. It basically combines the functionality of their previous Internet Alert 510 with that of a call-waiting compatible caller ID unit, and the kind of phone book functionality that you might expect on a modern mobile phone.

It beeps when you get a call whilst using the internet, and displays the caller details. Like the IA510, it will flash the line if you answer this call using the phone that's connected to it. It also displays the caller details at other times too, including when you are talking to someone else on the phone or not using the line at all, but doesn't beep when this happens, obviously because either your phone will ring or you'll hear the call waiting beeps.

You can set up a phone book, and it can display the names of callers from this phone book that it recognises the number of. You can copy unrecognised numbers from the call log to the phone book, and use it to dial numbers from either the call log or the phone book, although admittedly I don't use this feature so much because of multiple indirect access telco use.

It also has a clock, which is automatically synchronised from the caller ID signal when you receive a phone call, but unfortunately you can't set the clock manually, which means it'll never display the right time if you never get any phone calls or don't subscribe to caller display!

Good points ....

1) solves compatibility problems I had when trying (and failing) to do the same thing using an IA510 and separate call-waiting caller-ID unit.

Bad points ....

1) Requires constant connection to power supply in order for caller ID functionality to work, unlike most caller ID units which are battery operated. Having said that, it does have a non-volatile memory, and it will remember the call log and phone book if the power fails.

2) No "ringer" volume control. You might find this annoying if you think it's too loud when you receive a waiting call whilst online.

3) Incredibly complicated gadget with a ridiculous number of features for such a simple function! Still, I suppose it needs to be, and you'd probably get the hang of it after a while.

[squidgy]

There's another thing that the IACM4000 doesn't do. Each separate number is only logged once. I don't know if it logs withheld number or international or ringback or payphone calls yet, because I haven't received any since setting it up.

A normal caller ID unit will log the date and time of any call regardless. So if you've been out, and get back to find that five people have phoned, but one of these people has phoned ten times, you know that the person who's tried ten times is probably a bit more enthusiastic to speak to you than all the others, so you might want to phone that person first. This isn't possible with the IACM4000, it'll only tell you that five different people have tried to phone, and when each of them last tried.

Similarly, if someone phones repeatedly and gets the answering machine, chances are they'll only leave a message first time. What if you recognise the number but not their voice, or vice versa? With a normal caller ID unit, it's possible to reconcile the caller log with the answering machine time stamp to suss out who they are, but again, with the IACM4000, this isn't possible.

I think the reason it only logs each separate number once is because Comtech think you'd prefer to save memory in the call log, so that it can actually log 80 different numbers. I suppose it's not unthinkable that someone might phone but regret releasing their CLI, so they hang up, and then phone you for one ring and hang up again, withholding their number, and do it again 100 times in quick succession so as to clear all the phone numbers, including their own, off your caller ID unit log, so I guess it's a good thing that this isn't possible with the Comtech IACM4000! Mind you, I can't say that anyone has ever tried to do that to my phone line anyway, I still think I'd prefer it if each separate call was logged.

[squidgy]

Have just tried it out with another caller ID on the same line .... and they both work! Am using a "telcom 630", tried it with the switch on the bottom in position 2. Both units now display caller info of waiting calls, if I'm on the phone or using dial-up. The "telcom 630" didn't detect dial-up waiting calls without using the IACM4000 as well on the same line, though. The only problem I can think of is if the telcom 630's habit of checking for waiting BT Answer messages might cause the IACM4000 to drop the modem connection .... time will tell if this happens.

Assuming you haven't got another phone line or a mobile, the easiest way to check that your call waiting caller ID units work when on the phone is to dial 08707940000, followed by your own phone number. Dialling your own phone number directly won't work, you have to generate a call to your phone number externally.

Also assuming you haven't got another phone line or a mobile, the easiest way to check that your call waiting caller ID unit works when you're using dial-up internet connection is to use any company's call back form on their web site, such as http://signup.uk.worldonline.com/reg...ali_buzzme.htm - of course, you could use some sort of voice over IP program to generate a call to your phone instead if you don't want to bother them, but that involves installing software and faffing about with the firewall, so using Tiscali's form is a lot simpler.

[squidgy]

Well, you're probably all incredibly bored of this now, since no-one else has posted anything. Just so it ain't all one-sided though, and you don't think I'm pushing the thing too much, I will say what happened when trying things out.

Using IACM4000 and telcom630 together, when the switch on the telcom630 is in position 2, then both units display details of waiting calls whilst using the phone or whilst using the internet, but the telcom630's feature of checking for waiting BT Answer or Call Minder messages won't work properly.

On the other hand, if the switch on the telcom630 is in position 1, then it will detect the presence or absence of waiting messages, and both units display details of waiting calls whilst using the phone. However, neither of them will display details of waiting calls whilst using the internet, but the IACM4000 will detect that there is a waiting call and go beep, you just won't know who it is.

Still, that's not a major problem for me, I'll just use it in position 2. But be aware that there may be compatibility issues with other phone equipment you have before buying.