MikeSty

I hate POTS phones. Period. Currently I use Skype to make outbound calls, but I can't afford SkypeIn (well, sorta). The fact is, I'm living with my family and they've got the Plain Old Telephone System

Sure, phones are cheap, but they all suck. I've tried googling this, and i KNOW there must be bajillions upon gazillions of solutions to this. What I want to do is take one of the dozen modems I have stockpiled up and stick it in my machine, and use some sort of program to MAKE and RECEIVE calls via POTS through the modem. I'm assuming that second 'phone' port on the modem was intended for that.

I feel really stupid, because someone has to know a very obvious answer. It's probably built right into windows somewhere. I just want to get rid of that god damn ugly phone sitting there and just run a cable into my computer. I love you guys! Thanks in advance!!

silvertiger

For the longest time I was using an tool that allowed for Voicemail and messaging through the PC which included a softphone.

Stupid thing is that I can not find it any more. This may sound Stupid, but it came as a part of the software when you got WinFax Pro.. and was great!!!!!

I can't find it any more and I have been looking for adecent POTS Computer phone solution ... no luck..

If you come across it (i think it was in like v7 or v8 of Symantec Winfax Pro) lemme know .. as i'd love to have it.

MikeSty

I'll see if I can find any software bundled with WinFax Pro on google, but I have no need for faxing software

Thanks for the lead though!!!

MikeSty

Bleh, that lead didn't lead me very far

Martian

I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for..

You want to use your computer to make calls via their telephone line, like with a headset in your computer's audio jacks? Or you want to use your computer on the internet to avoid using their phone?

VoIP is the only telephony method available to you on your computer aside from POTS. You can use your computer to not need an actual telephone, all you have to do is hook your modem up to the phone line and find a software dialer. I have Win2k on this box and I just found one in my start menu; I don't know if the 9x versions ship with one but I'm pretty sure any NT version will.

And the phone jack on your modem is so that you can hook a phone up to it, allowing the modem to act as a pass-through so that you don't lose the jack your modem is plugged into.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

MikeSty

Yes, I want to use my computer to make a telephone call via POTS.

I'll hook a modem up later and peck around. One thing though, is there any way to RECEIVE calls? I can make calls, easily, but i hate getting up and picking up the phone. I wouldn't mind giving up some system resources for a program that waits for the phone to ring and, y'know, alert me it's ringing.

Martian

Your standard softphone will listen for calls automatically, or you may have to set it to listen. Theoretically you could just leave it in the background on listen and it'll either alert you or auto-answer. Going back to the Windows program (called, creatively enough, Phone Dialer) it seems that it listens automatically and puts up an alert when a call is incoming. I've never actually used it but I use similar stuff at work.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

MikeSty

I see. I'll definately pop in the modem tomorrow when I come home and see where I get. I appreciate the advice. The only thing is, I want to make sure if it rings and I don't pick it up, it will just go to the in house answering machine and that it doesn't auto answer. I game hardcore so I don't want to get a phone call from someone and have them instantly hear me shouting "F*CKING SPIDER MINES!!!!" :-/

yotta

Take a look at http://www.asterisk.org/ it can do what you want, and lists compatible hardware. There's a $10 modem that works with it.

__________________
I am Jack's signature.

MikeSty

Well, I got the windows built in dialer to work. I've got new modem drivers too! I hooked the thing up and I was able to make a call to my dad. Of course, he couldn't hear me and I certainly couldn't hear him. I wonder why it refuses to recognize my audio hardware :-/

I tried some other crappy software called "Phone Dialer Pro" but that helped none. In fact, the program was so crappy, it crashed!

vanblah

You have to have a modem that was designed for this. Most of them are - but you'll want to check into it to be sure. It took me a while to get mine to work (back when I was into doing this sort of thing).

I'm pretty sure my modem had a slot on it that would connect to the soundcard internally. Like an internal CD Audio cable ... memory is hazy.

xepherys

Errr, have you ever USED asterisk? I'm the asterisk admin at my company, and I can't stand it. Even with an understanding of VoIP it still sucks. Yes, it'll do analog (as will any VoIP software or hardware), but it's not easy to configure, not easy to use, and doesn't run on Windows. Somehow I doubt this solution is a good one for this issue.

sailor

Yeah, I was also gonna suggest Asterisk, but it's total overkill for this. I've seen some really cool stuff done with it, but you've gotta be pretty committed and have some pretty significant technical chops to deal with it.

__________________
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

MikeSty

Oh, D'OH that would help.

I do have a modem (i knew stockpiling modems was a grand idea!!! i knew it, damnit!) or two with CD-AUDIO connectors. One even has audio connectors on the outside, but CD-AUDIO is much better.

I see one issue though - audio is a USB headset :-/ I'm pretty sure I can listen but I won't be able to talk. :-/

It was funny last night, though. I dialed using Phone Dialer Pro and the program just crapped it's pants, driving the modem up the wall. To top it off, the line was off the hook until i unplugged

rkarthea

I did not find a free open source app for this purpose.. I had very similar needs so I googled for it and found this neat piece of software for the exact purpose mentioned here - making calls over POTS through a computer.. yeah, even I hate getting up to answer the phone when I'm busy with the computer. Besides, I needed a cheaper alternative to buying another instrument for a parallel connection to my other room where the PC is kept.

It is called "IVM Phone answering attendant"
I'm a new member so I'm not able to post URLs so just google for the above phrase and you will find it.

though, here's a try.. nch.com.au/ivm/index.html

There is a trial version which works for 4 days.. I found it nice and it worked with my Voice modem.. please use it and tell me i it worked for you as well.

Enjoy!

jewels

There's always Magic Jack / USB.

__________________
We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess.
Mark Twain