Setting up USB Gateways
This article provides a step-by-step manual on how to properly set up a USB gateway for Zello Work. In order to configure your gateway with Zello Work, you will need to download both the Legacy PC desktop app, Zello Work, as well as any Drivers needed for your USB gateway. You will also need to create an account for the gateway from within your management console, which you will then use to sign into the Zello Work app.
Please note that you may require administrator permissions in order to follow the below instructions. Installation of the Zello Work application and/or any drivers may require assistance from your internal IT support.
Part One: Add a Gateway from within your management console
1. Log into your management console ([Your network name].zellowork.com) with your admin account.
2. Select Gateway from the top menu and click "+ New gateway".
3. Assign a Username and Password to the gateway. These credentials will be needed to sign in to the Zello Work PC app.
4. Click on the Gateway account you created to add it to a channel. Note: A gateway is only capable of connecting to one channel at a time.
Part Two: Install the Zello Work PC app
1. If the Zello Work PC app is not yet installed, follow steps 2 - 4 to install the app. If it is already installed, skip to part three below.
2. Go to the homepage of the management console. From the home screen, click “release archives” under Service Status and Updates:
3. Scroll down on this page to the “Legacy PC App” and download the current release version, as denoted by the green box which says “current.”
4. Once downloaded, run the .exe file in order to install the Zello Work application.
Part Three: Set Up the Gateway
1. Download the any required drivers that were provided by the gateway hardware vendor. If you don't have one, please reach out to the vendor.
2. Make sure that the gateway is connected to the PC, and that you have a radio connected to the gateway.
3. Login into the Zello Work app using the username and password that you assigned to your gateway in Part 1, step 3 of this article.
When logged in you should see a status screen like the one below. If you don't see this screen, verify that your log-on information is for a gateway and not a user:
Note: TX denotes Zello Work to radio connection, and RX denotes the connection from the radio to Zello Work. VOX mode is used by default in both directions.
7. Open the Gateway settings by selecting Tools, then Options.
8. Under the Audio tab, make sure that the ‘Playback device’ is outputting to the gateway and that the ‘Recording device’ is inputting from the gateway, which should be labelled as “USB PnP sound device”:
Note: Depending on your installation of the drivers, the correct option(s) for the playback or recording device may be labeled differently than shown above.
9. Under the Radio tab, Select the COM port under TX to control the PTT of your radio. Choose the port, where the gateway is connected as well as RTS or DTR signal and low or high active level. Use the default VOX mode options for RX.
Note: Wake up sequence length allows you to set the length of a tone that is sent to your radio before the actual transmission, which triggers the VOX circuit and eliminates the loss of the beginning of transmissions.
Tip: Your gateway may be assigned to a different COM than the ones shown in these examples. If you are not allowed to select COM-port, open your device manager in Windows and make sure that the driver is properly installed. In some cases, Windows will find this driver once you have installed it before:
10. Make sure VOX mode is enabled.
Activation threshold is the sound level of the signal from the radio above which transmission starts.
De-activation threshold is the sound level below which transmission stops. It cannot be set higher than the activation threshold, and it's best to have it set to ~5dB lower.
Trigger time is the amount of time VOX takes to trigger transmission. Increasing it will help eliminate false transmissions caused by short impulses.
Relaxation time is the amount of time VOX takes to turn off. Increase it to allow longer pauses in transmissions.
11. Click OK to close settings and apply your new configuration.
You can now test your gateway with other Zello users. Make sure that the Gateway and Users are in the same channel you are testing with.
If you are configuring multiple gateways, refer to this article to ensure proper configuration.
Tip: Tweak audio settings to improve audio quality here.
Questions? Contact us or submit a new ticket for support-related inquiries.