Need help identifying a mystery USB VOIP phone!

June 19, 2009 11:03 PM

I have a USB VOIP phone in my possession that does not have any brand or identifying markings on it. Here is a picture of the phone. Can anyone help me identify it?

The main problem is that the phone needs a driver to work on XP/Vista, and without being able to identify the phone, I can't find a driver for the darn thing.

I've scoured literally thousands of Google images hoping I'd stumble across a picture of this puppy, but I haven't found anything remotely close.

I'm fairly certain the phone was purchased via the Skype website, or at the very least a partner site selling Skype products. It's also about 3-4 years old.

Can anyone help?

posted by Bard09 to technology (7 comments total)

Google the vendor ID or device ID after inserting it into your system and browing through the unknown devices in device manager.
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:20 PM on June 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

Let's try extracting its USB Vendor ID. What kind of computer do you have?

If you have a Mac, then try the following:
1. Plug in the phone.
2. Launch System Profiler:
  a. Select 'About This Mac' from the Apple menu
  b. Click 'More Info...'
3. Find the USB device:
  a. Click 'USB' in the left side panel.
  b. Look for the phone in the USB Device Tree
4. What's the listed Manufacturer, Product ID, and Vendor ID?

System Profiler might list the full manufacturer's name and product name. But even if you only see the numeric Vendor and Product ID, please post them here. I can look 'em up and tell you the who made your phone.

Caveat: the USB Vendor ID might be the manufacturer of the USB VOIP chipset inside the phone, not the consumer electronics manufacturer that made the phone itself, wrote the manual, etc.
posted by ryanrs at 11:32 PM on June 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

(Or what damn dirty ape said.)
posted by ryanrs at 11:32 PM on June 19

Crimeny. I did poke around in Device Manager before posting but didn't know that Device IDs were Google-able. The world we live in!

The PNP Device ID is: USB\VID_06E6&PID_B210&MI_01\6&25A76940&0&0001

The chip vendor appears to be TigerJet Network. I tried installing their IP Phone Center software, but it didn't allow me to pass the driver check. Stuck again.

TigerJet only makes the chip in the phone. I did find a picture of a phone that looks similar to mine on their Customers page, but I'm no closer to finding the actual phone's manufacturer.

Suggestions as to what to do next?
posted by Bard09 at 11:45 PM on June 19

It has also occurred to me that perhaps the TigerJet Phone Center drivers would work, but they aren't compatible (for whatever reason) with Vista. Their Driver Reinstall page makes me think this.

I'm hoping that is not the case. I really want to get this thing working. Curse old technology!
posted by Bard09 at 11:54 PM on June 19

OK. It's definitely an XP vs. Vista thing. I was testing the software on Vista before. On my XP laptop it actually works :)

Thanks everyone for responding!
posted by Bard09 at 12:10 AM on June 20

USB VoIP phones are USB composite devices that include a USB audio component, and since Vista has a new audio architecture, unless you can find a Vista driver you may be out of luck.
posted by flabdablet at 12:11 AM on June 20