PC as a Telephone?

[Agaricus bisporus]

Can I use my PC as a regular phone - with headset and boom mic? After all, the modem connects it to the phone socket. So handy to be able to just dial on the pc or press a button in outlook address book and talk - via BT even.

Ideas?

[vulcanised]

I had a bit of software that operated on the PC as a speakerphone, complete with answering machine. Doubt it would work on current systems as it was designed for W95.

Try Google.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Try Google. That's original! Why didn't I think of that?
Skype won't call people who aren't registered, mobiles etc so it ain't much good for general calls.

Just an emulator program to make the pc work like a phone via the modem. Can't be such a surprising requirement, surely?

MS Outlook offers to dial numbers listed in the contacts - but it doesn't work unless there is a phone cable plugged into the pc.

[Avtrician]

Skype will call mobile and normal phones, but you need to have money in an accout to pay for the service.

[M.Mouse]

To use your PC as a telephone other than using Skype you will need VoIP(Voice over Internet Protocol) software and a SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) account with a SIP provider.

Many offices are now using IP telephones which then have the calls fed into the national telephone network via their broadband link and SIP 'lines'.

You pay for your calls which are billed by your SIP provider.

I have on my desk an IP telephone connected via a Virtual Private Network to a remote site. If I wish to make a landline call the call travels via my ADSL Router across the VPN to the remote site where the server on that site stuffs the call out via an ISDN line!

Telecomms is an extraordinarily complicated and fast moving subject.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Thank you SoCal. As was stated you need an account to make skype work to other phones. That is not using your pc as a regular phone, is it?

All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room.

[Bushfiva]

Perhaps a little Asterisk or Freeswitch server on the network. You're looking for an IP-PBX which exist as hardware boxes from minute, single-user up to big corporate; or software solutions.

[green granite]

All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room.

Why not use some of these: BT Synergy 5500 Quad Cordless Phone With Answer Machine (041402) - BT Shop (http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-synergy-5500-quad-cordless-phone-with-answer-machine-5FJG.html)

[Loose rivets]

I'm using Skype as we have no landline in our flat. My pal's router (just) gives us free internet. Quality very good with two bars or more.



However, we're paying Skype - I think - £<5 month for free calls to landline numbers ONLY. About the same again to call cell phones. Feel I could do better with a do-anything program - though I protested loudly to T-Mobile and got a much improved deal - they were sucking money out of my PAYG deal despite using my American phone (with the 8 year old UK T-Mob chip in it.) It pays to be a squeaky wheel.

Because my life is split Across the Atlantic, I rely on Skype - talk to folk all around the world for hours a month. I wonder what will happen to that free lunch now MS are in the loop. I know I've said this before, but I'd sooner pay a cent a minute than see it decline into a low quality free for all.

[aerobelly]

Quote:
All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room.

If it were a desktop the easy answer would be to put a card in that turns the PC into a PABX, allowing pickup of calls on whatever wired phones are also connected to "PABX", <i>and</i> also to headset on that PC. I think, but am not 100% sure, that if you have such a PC and a wireless connection (or wired) to the lappy you probably would be able to have headset on laptop also. These cards were about £120 when I got one for a project 4 or 5 years ago.

Some restrictions apply: you'd have to have to install Linux as an OS, and Asterisk (possibly others available) for the PABX software, and learn how to install and manage it. It's do-able, but more faff than the average non-techie would stand.

[Mike-Bracknell]

Get one of these (http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&xhr=t&q=linksys+spa3102&cp=12&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=675&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=422804692730379402&sa=X&ei=V5b7TbGDOdO5hAfww5C5Aw&sqi=2&ved=0CF8Q8wIwAA)
one of these (http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=voip+headset&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14914251775276037224&sa=X&ei=iZb7TbXgHsOr8AP-7siqCQ&ved=0CHsQ8wIwAA)
and some IP PBX software and you can do what you wish.

Ultimately, it's not quite as easy as you think, since your broadband connection is on t'other side of the bandwidth to your regular phone service.

[Saab Dastard]

It certainly used to be possible when analog voice/fax/modem cards in a PC plugged into the voice telephone socket.

MS even had an application in windows (phone dialler IIRC) which acted as a "handset", although you still needed to connect the analog modem card to speakers and a microphone (usually via a soundcard).

I've just checked, and it's still in Win XP (pro, anyway) - dialer.exe. You should read the CHM file!

If you have an "old" analog voice/fax/modem card in your PC, and can connect it to your phone socket - NOT ADSL socket - you are good to go!

Having said all that, you might find it cheaper to go with an IP telephony solution, although depending on your phone package, standard voice calls over POTS can be very cheap, or even free.

SD

[green granite]

dialer.exe is also in W7 Saab.

[Saab Dastard]

Thanks GG, I don't have a PC with Win 7 in front of me. I've got two at home, but I'm not currently at home!

What's the chances of a PC having Win 7 AND a voice modem card? ;)

SD

[green granite]

Nil I would think, but on the other hand a lot of people might well have one left over from the good old days. :E

[Loose rivets]

I have found no way my contacts can dial me.


NB to my above post.

The £7.36 that disappeared from my phone was caused by it looking for stuff on 3G. T-Mobile said they'd turn it off, but that I'd lose my internet.

Now that'd be a loss:rolleyes:

[hellsbrink]

All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room.

What's the make/model of your laptop?

[stuckgear]

All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room. All I want to do is for my laptop to interface with my BT landline so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room. so I can make calls/recieve from it instead of running to the damn telephone in another room.

cordless phone ?