Hi Kevin,
As you deduced, the fact that you can receive caller id on your VTech phone shows that the phone line has the caller id signals. This means that your (analog) modem and Ascendis Caller ID should work. Modems (for analog phone lines), however, are usually pickier about the signals and oftentimes don't get or report caller id when a phone or caller id box on the same line will. Also, the newsgroups contain many discussions of DSL users with problems getting caller id working on modems and other caller id hardware, like phones and caller id boxes. DSL microfilters are apparently not all created equal, and some reportedly work better than others. If you're in the UK, these sites sell different microfilters that may work better:
http://www.adslnation.com/support/filters.php
http://www.solwise.co.uk/adsl_splitters.htm
Based on your descriptions I doubt you have extra filters installed (i.e., two filters between a phone device and the phone line, or a filter with no device connected), but if you do, remove them.
I suggest you first try disconnecting your analog modem from the phone line and plugging your VTech caller-id phone in it's place. Use the DSL microfilter that is currently plugged into your modem. If your phone consistently still displays caller id for incoming calls, then proceed to the next step. Otherwise, troubleshoot until you get this working. (You can use the same steps described in the next paragraph.)
Once the phone's caller id is working on the wire reserved for the modem, disconnect the phone and plug the modem back in. Use HyperTerminal to enable caller id on the modem. Now disconnect one device (other than the modem) from the phone line and test. Include the DSL microfilters as devices in this context. For example, you might first disconnect a fax machine from the phone line and then test. Then disconnect the DSL microfilter used for the fax (leaving the fax disconnected) and test again. If the modem still doesn't get caller id, disconnect another device leaving the previous device disconnected. Be sure to disconnect the DSL modem at some point, if the test keeps failing. If every phone device in your home is disconnected (including set-top boxes, digital video recorders, caller id boxes, alarms, etc) and the modem still isn't reporting caller id, try each DSL microfilter (one at a time) between the phone line and the modem. If your modem doesn't work with all other devices unplugged, try replacing the phone line running from the wall jack to the modem. If that doesn't work, try plugging the modem into another jack. If that doesn't work, check the wall jacks for poor connections. You claimed that the modem supports caller id, but at some point you may have to test it in a known working environment to avoid wasting too much time on a fluke -- maybe you're testing the wrong modem, or maybe the modem's caller id function died.
If the modem worked during troubleshooting, then you can try reconnecting all other devices. If the modem still works, then consider replacing the nonworking device, living without it, or trying another modem. It may be that any
n devices will work but
n+1 devices will not. Each device puts a load on the phone line, diminishing the signal. The filters also diminish the signal, probably to varying degrees depending on the model of the filter and individual variances.
If the modem doesn't work through all the tests, then I recommend trying other modems. Maybe you can borrow one from a friend, or buy one from a store that will let you return it if it doesn't work for you.
The troubleshooting steps may not be in the most expedient order for your situation -- adapt as necessary -- but remember that successfully troubleshooting stubborn problems means eliminating all possibilities by testing, instead of skipping tests that seem "obviously" irrelevant.
If you can post your results, successful or not, it will probably help other people dealing with DSL issues. Also, if anything is unclear or other questions arise, please ask.
Finest regards,
Bill Root
Ascendis Software