HomeSeer Way2Call Hi-Phone Desktop Modem — Installation Guide

Installation guide for the HomeSeer Way2Call Hi-Phone Desktop Modem — a USB phone-line switch that lets any telephone in the home control a HomeSeer automation system via voice or touch-tone commands.

Overview

The Hi-Phone Desktop connects the phones in your home to your computer, letting you interact with HomeSeer using voice commands or telephone keypad touch-tones from any in-house phone. It's installed at the point where the phone line enters the home so that every phone in the house can control the computer and connected automation devices. It handles voice only — it is not a data modem.

Important: Do not connect the Hi-Phone to your computer's USB port until you install the drivers first — the device will not operate if you do.

Package Contents

• 1x Hi-Phone USB unit (single phone line) with installation CD
• Power supply
• Phone cable
• USB cable
• 1x User's guide

Features

• Built-in voice modem — no modem required in the computer
• USB connection for easy installation
• Press "#" on any in-house phone to connect to HomeSeer
• Detects when a remote caller hangs up and terminates the call (shorter voicemail messages)
• Can mute incoming rings until Caller ID is detected, giving software time to screen or route the call before ringing the house
• Ring pattern can change based on Caller ID (e.g., a special ring for a specific person)
• Announces incoming calls (with Caller ID, if available) while you're on the phone with the computer; press *9 to switch to the incoming call
• Voice dialing by name ("dial bill smith") or number ("dial 911")
• On power failure, connects all in-house phones straight to the outside line with no interference to normal phone operation

Requirements

HomeSeer version 2.0.0 or later must be installed before installing the Hi-Phone. Download the latest HS2 version from HomeSeer.com.

Hardware Installation

The Hi-Phone has two RJ11 female jacks: "Line" (incoming phone line) and "Phone" (in-house telephones). Install it where the phone line enters the home so any phone in the house can control the computer.

1. Connect the incoming phone line to the "Line" jack on the rear of the Hi-Phone.
2. Connect the line running to all in-house phones to the "Phone" jack.
3. Do not connect the USB cable to the computer yet.
4. After wiring is complete, proceed to driver installation.

Driver & Software Installation

1. Ensure the Hi-Phone is NOT connected to the computer (USB disconnected).
2. Insert the Way2Call CD; answer YES when asked about using the USB device, then plug in the USB cable.
3. The system will automatically install up to 3 drivers — this may take a few minutes. If the device isn't detected, restart the computer; it should be detected and drivers installed on startup.
4. Select "Install Hi-Phone software and drivers for Windows" from the CD installer to install remaining drivers. The installer scans the system and detects the device.
5. Restart the computer when installation completes.

To install HomeSeer Phone software:

1. Start HomeSeer.
2. From the Edit menu, select Setup to open the Setup web page.
3. On the General tab, set "Launch HomeSeer Phone at Startup" to YES.
4. On the Phone tab, under Line Specific Settings, select "Way2Call Hi-Phone Desktop" and click "Create Line."
5. Click Save. You can revisit this line later via the drop-down menu to adjust settings such as number of rings to answer.

Operation & Testing

Pick up any phone in the home — you should hear a dial tone and be able to dial out normally. Press "#" on the phone; HomeSeer Phone software should answer with "yes sire" (may take a few seconds the very first time).

If the software doesn't answer, check:

• "Internal Answer" is enabled for the line (Line Specific Settings, Phone tab)
• Windows' multimedia control panel has your sound card (not the Hi-Phone device) set as the preferred audio device
• The log window for errors — you should see log entries when any handset goes off-hook; enable "Detailed Login" for more detail
• Try the system with a single phone connected directly to the Hi-Phone's phone jack
• Right-click the Hi-Phone system tray icon and run the test wizard (shut down HomeSeer first)

Handling Incoming Calls

If connected to the computer and a call arrives, you'll hear: "excuse me, you have an incoming call." Press * (star) to switch to the caller. If ignored, the call goes unanswered; if you hang up, HomeSeer Phone will answer and take a message (if configured).

Muting Initial Rings

The Hi-Phone can mute the first few rings of an incoming call so Caller ID can be checked and the call potentially dropped before ringing the house phones. Configure this under the Phone tab in Setup, selecting your modem under Line Specific Settings.

Volume & Ring Pattern

Adjust volume under the Phone tab in Setup. To assign a custom ring pattern by Caller ID: open the Address Book (Phone menu → Address Book on the web interface), click "Add New," enter the name/number, check "Use a special Ring Pattern," and enter a pattern (e.g., 2,2,10 for three short rings).

Warranty & Regulatory

HomeSeer Technologies offers a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy. Beyond 30 days, the Hi-Phone hardware is warranted by manufacturer Way2Call. The Hi-Phone is UL and FCC approved.

Support

HomeSeer Technologies LLC, 109 Powder Hill Rd, Bedford, NH 03110. www.HomeSeer.com — open a Help Desk ticket from the Support menu, or visit the HomeSeer message board (Way2Call or HomeSeer Phone forum).