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Fixing Headset overload with the Jabra Evolve 75 wireless

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I spend a lot of time on the phone, and I cannot stand to hold the phone to my head, unless I can talk on a headset, I really don’t want to talk. So I bought myself a Jabra Evolve 75 to set about clearing the cables off my desk.

The problem is I have a headset for every device, this is my desk:

Image of office desk covered in wired headsets

I’ve got three headsets and a conference speaker:

All the devices work well , but my desk is a mess, the wires get tangled and I pick up the wrong headset occasionally.

So I decided to buy the Jabra Evolve 75 and get rid of every other headset. The desk phone I am going to remove completely and replace it with Bria 5 Softphone from Counterpath.

I bought the headset package which came included with the charging dock:

Image showing contents of box of Jabra Evolve 75. Charging docks, documentation, headset case and headset itself.

Box Contents

In the box there is:

  • A charging dock (powered by USB)
  • Some documentation.
  • The Jabra Evolve 75 Headset Itself.
  • A decent quality case to protect the headset.

The case has a neat little slot for the USB receiver and a sleek little pocket for holding the charge cable.

Jabra Evolve 75 Dongle Next to a One Euro Coin

Setup

It would be impossible to make the setup up the Jabra Evolve 75 any easier. You just plug the tiny dongle into your PC/Laptop, and it is ready to use a couple of seconds later. The headset provides an audible notification that it is connected to the PC. That’s it!

Connection to your smart phone is just as easy, push a little switch on the headset for a couple of seconds and the headset informs you that it is ready to pair, select it from your phone and it’s done.

Jabra Evolve 75 Sound Quality

I was expecting the Jabra headset to sound decent, but it far exceeded my expectations:

  • Call quality is exceptional. I tried it with a SIP call, Skype and normal cellular call.
  • The quality for music and movies is absolutely brilliant. The trailer for The Last Jedi sounded brilliant.

Active Noise Cancellation

My office is very quiet, so the noise cancellation functionality was not immediately useful to me. But for making calls in the car, it is nothing short of amazing.

I drive a Golf GTI Mk7 and the road noise/tyre roar is terrible. It really undermines the in-car Bluetooth system because it’s nigh on impossible to hear what anyone is saying.

So firstly, without making a call I put the headset on and just experimented with switching ANC on and off. It was only when I did that I realised just how noisy the Golf is, the Jabra virtually eliminates the low end rumble the car produces. Even without making a call it makes the car a more pleasant place to be.

I made a few calls and chatted for around half an hour to a couple of different people. Neither caller was able to tell I was in the car, on the motorway. I could hear them with complete clarity and the same was true the other way around. It’s impossible to articulate how well it worked in the car unless you can hear it for yourself, but it’s really very impressive.

Other Nice Touches

There are some other nice functions of the headset that are worthy of mention:

  • It automatically mutes the calls when you put the microphone into the vertical position.
  • The Microphone band magnetically snaps on to the head band when it’s in the vertical position.
  • It has a red band around the Jabra logo that lights up when you are on a call, so people can see if you are on the phone.
  • The mute button on the right ear piece can be used to activate Siri when you are not in a call, which is really handy.

A longer USB cable on the charging dock would be nice, but it is only a minor complaint.

I highly recommend the Jabra Evolve 75, it has made my working environment much nicer and I will use it in ways that I wouldn’t expect to use a “business” headset for. Just look how tidy my desk is now!

Image of a desk with a monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. Shows the difference in cables when switching to a wireless headset, in this case the Jabra Evolve 75.

Tips for a Tidy Communications Cabinet

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A cluttered communications cabinet is unpleasant to look at, confusing and difficult to work with. I’ve had to tidy up a few recently and it is a strangely satisfying task. Here are a few tips and some photos that show my basic approach.

  • Use short cables between the patch panel and the network switches.
  • Place 48-Port switches between port patch panels.
  • Use Velcro ties to bind groups of cables together.
  • Photo of untidy communications cabinet
    Before
  • photo of tidy communications cabinet
    After

As you can see, the layout before was really difficult to work with, mainly due to the patch cable lengths. It was setup as follows (from top to bottom):

  • 2 x 24 Port Patch Panels
  • 1 x Cable Management Bar
  • 1 x 24 Port Patch Panel
  • 2 x 48 Port Netgear Switches
  • 1 x Cable Management Bar

Even with shorter cables this layout would have still been a mess because so much unnecessary routing would be required. By moving the switches to sit between the patch panels you can patch every port without needing to route the cables anywhere other than the switch directly below or above it. In this example the switches were also swapped out for 48-Port UniFi PoE Switches. The patch cables are 25cm.

The next example isn’t as visually pleasing, because:

  • The cabinet is too small. I couldn’t fit the required number of cable management bars.
  • The existing analogue phone system forces patching to particular ports.
  • I just didn’t have enough time.
  • Before
  • During
  • After

It’s still an improvement and easier to work with, but I wasn’t completely happy with it. Hopefully they will be switching over to a 3CX VoIP system soon so at that point it can be completely reorganised.

The final one didn’t have a before photo, but it turned out simple and nice:

Image of UniFi Switches in Communications cabinet patched with 25cm Yellow cables.
There are 7 UniFi Switches in total to cover every port in the building

So if possible, make sure you have:

  • Plenty of space.
  • Lots of different cable lengths.
  • Make effective use of cable management bars.

Let me know your ideas in the comments.

VPN connections do not work after Windows 10 May 2019 Update

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I received the latest Windows 10 update today (May 2019 – Build 1903) and found that none of my existing VPN connections worked. When I try to connect to one of them, it just says “connecting” and eventually stops without producing an error.

I have not found a solution to this, but I have found a very easy workaround. This is by using a tool that has been in Windows Since at least Windows NT 4.0 Called rasphone.exe. I actually prefer the simple interface it provides.

How to get access to your existing VPN connecitons

  • Create a new shortcut on your desktop to:
    C:\Windows\System32\rasphone.exe
  • Double click your new shortcut and you should get this interface:
    Image showing rasphone.exe running on Windows 10 1903 update
  • Try your VPN connection.

This will give you access to the traditional dial-up tool which seems to work perfectly. It’s quite clear that something in the update is blocking access to the credentials window appearing and therefore the connection never completes.

It seems strange to workaround an issue with the very latest version of Windows 10 by using a tool that has been around for over 20 years!

Plantronics CS510/CS520 with Cisco SPA 504G and Cisco SPA 525G

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We’ve been using Cisco SPA Series IP Phones for a long time in our Office, mainly we now use the 504 and 525G models. You need a wireless headset if you are going to spend a significant amount of time on the phone – and we have settled on the Plantronics CS510 for our Cisco SPA Devices.

Plantronics CS500 Series general information

There are four variants in the CS500 range:

  • CS510 (Pictured in this review)
  • CS520 (Same as 510 but covers both ears)
  • CS530 (Over the ear)
  • CS540 (Over the ear or over the head)

All of the models are compatible with the Cisco SPA Series by using various accessories that Plantronics make available.

The CS510 and CS520 are the same but the CS510 has only one ear piece and the CS520 covers both ears. If your office is noisy then the CS520 is probably a better choice.

I’ve never tried the 530 or 540 as I spend a lot of time on the phone and just feel like over the head is more comfortable for long conversations.

Plantronics CS510 Wireless Headset with Cisco SPA504G

The Cisco SPA504G works perfectly well with the CS510, but it requires the use of a handset lifter – the Savi HL10. This is a mechanical device which actually lifts the handset off the telephone in order to answer calls and make the headset active.

Video showing the handset being lifted by the HL10 on a Cisco SPA 504G

To use the Plantronics CS500 Series with the Cisco SPA 504G, you need:

  • [amazon_textlink asin=’B0006B088W’ text=’Plantronics HL-10 Handset Lifter’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’bd907647-9181-11e8-9d0b-97a473f00b81′]
  • And your choice of CS500 Model:
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2NYQ’ text=’Plantronics CS510′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’eb299674-9181-11e8-90eb-3571bb358a9a’]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2NX2′ text=’Plantronics CS520′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’f5d73371-9181-11e8-991e-69ad6bbbaaf2′]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B0082AYBNM’ text=’Plantronics CS530′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’077600df-9182-11e8-b53f-93ea3a1467b4′]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2ME2′ text=’Plantronics CS540′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’12c89097-9182-11e8-b60d-ab94cd843b07′]
  • And of course the [amazon_textlink asin=’B002HXW984′ text=’Cisco SPA504G’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’98b9c0ce-9188-11e8-9421-7d1d2c7cf90a’]
Cisco SPA 504G with Plantronics CS10 Wireless Headset
Cisco SPA 504G with Plantronics CS10 Wireless Headset in charging dock

Plantronics CS510 Wireless Headset with Cisco SPA525G

The Cisco SPA 525G with the Plantronics CS510  is an elegant solution as there is no need for a handset lifter because it has support for an Electronic Hook Switch (EHS).

But you do require a special cable from Plantronics, which is called the [amazon_textlink asin=’B008D6RSEY’ text=’APC-45′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’4763307b-9189-11e8-9467-4b8dad5d2c72′] to connect the CS510 to the phone.

Cisco SPA525G with Plantronics CS510 Wireless Headset
Cisco SPA525G with Plantronics CS510 Wireless Headset

To use the Cisco SPA525G with the Plantronics CS500 Wireless Headset Series, you need:

  • Choice of CS500 Model:
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2NYQ’ text=’Plantronics CS510′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’eb299674-9181-11e8-90eb-3571bb358a9a’]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2NX2′ text=’Plantronics CS520′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’f5d73371-9181-11e8-991e-69ad6bbbaaf2′]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B0082AYBNM’ text=’Plantronics CS530′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’077600df-9182-11e8-b53f-93ea3a1467b4′]
    • [amazon_textlink asin=’B005HI2ME2′ text=’Plantronics CS540′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’12c89097-9182-11e8-b60d-ab94cd843b07′]
  • [amazon_textlink asin=’B008D6RSEY’ text=’APC-45 Connection Cable’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’8e495e6a-9189-11e8-9960-254d24cbb1a9′]
  • [amazon_textlink asin=’B001PI9QOW’ text=’Cisco SPA525G’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’tachytelicnet-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’9f7e94ce-9189-11e8-aef2-6dca01bb821b’]

Call Quality and Battery Life

I spend about 3-4 hours a day on the phone and have never run out of battery, probably because I store the headset on the docking station between calls, so it is always kept topped up.

Wireless range is really good. I have not tested it to extremes, but I often walk at least 20 meters away without any issues.

We have been using the CS510 for years and it has been reliable and comfortable. I never use the standard handset from the phone as I find it incredibly uncomfortable.

Having the headset leaves both hands free for keyboard use and because it is wireless, there are no annoying cables distracting you.

SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services – Change format of Date Parameters

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Hit a snag today trying to set the format on date parameters that drive SSRS 2012 reports – at first I thought it would be simple to fix but after searching around for solutions, didn’t come up with much.

The specific problem I was/am having is that when you use Date/Time parameters to drive a report built in SSRS 2012 the date formats always revert to US format after choosing a date from the calendar control – making your date selections incorrect, or sometimes invalid, depending on the dates you have chosen. I don’t know if this problem exists when using the native viewer, but certainly many people have reported it in SharePoint integrated mode.

Changing the Language property of the report, the regional settings of the client or the regional settings of the server all make no difference (though I suspect that they also have to be set correctly).

The only solution that I found is to hard code the UICulture value into RSViewerPage.aspx, which on my system was found in:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\ReportServer

The modified code looks like this:

<%@ Page language=”C#” Codebehind=”RSViewerPage.aspx.cs” AutoEventWireup=”false” Inherits=”Microsoft.ReportingServices.SharePoint.UI.RSViewerPage,Microsoft.ReportingServices.SharePoint.UI.ServerPages,Version=11.0.0.0,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91″ UICulture=”en-GB” %>

Changing the UICulture worked for me, but introduced a problem of its own – I lost the formatting of the sidebar on report viewer, after a little digging I found out why. As you may not be using “en-GB” you can also use the method to adapt it to your region.

The reason that formatting vanished is because I set my UICulture to en-GB which according to this page:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287874(v=office.12).aspx” title=”http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287874(v=office.12).aspx

Has a locale ID of 2057, previously the page source all referred to 1033 which is “English (United States)”. Having changed the UICulture it is now looking for folder “2057, which does not exist. There is a Styles subfolder which contains styles for each locale, on my system the full path to this was:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\ReportServer\styles

There are lots of entries in that folder for many different locales, but not one for 2057 (Presumably because it is the same as en-US for the most part).

I simply copied the contents of 1033 to a new folder called 2057 and the formatting came back.

Pretty simple to fix when you have dug through the system and found all the relevant files, but not easy to discover. I’m not really happy with this fix and would be very pleased to hear of any better, more official ways of fixing the problem. Surely there are lots of people in other regions not using the US date formats for their Sharepoint Integrated reports. I’m not fond of manually tweaking the report viewer code.