On 31 Jan 99, at 14:36, Ira Wallin wrote:
> If I want to use the PC to dial out and hold speaking conversations with
> others, do I need:
> (a) an external modem only...or can I speak and hear via an
> internal modem? (b) do I just need any modem that says
> "voice"...or is there something else
> it would say?
> (c) do I need special software or is that included with any
> modem...including ones that would come with, say, a Dell?
You don't need anything special -- except:
Practically all modems offer two RJ-11 phone jacks, often labelled
"PHONE" and "LINE". The idea is that you plug your phone into the jack
labelled "PHONE" (duh...) and connect the "LINE" jack to the wall with
a stadard modular cable. You can still use the phone normally, but
it's "daisy-chained" through the modem.
My 3Com modem is smarter than many, and when it picks up the phone
line to dial, it turns off the "PHONE" jack, so that I don't absent-
mindedly pick up the phone to call my parents and interrupt that 32MB
download I was in the middle of. Unfortunately, this interferes with
use of the modem as a dialer, which is what you want.
The solution is to get an RJ-11 "Y" adapter -- about $1.95 -- to put
into the "LINE" jack; plug your phone into one side and the wall
connection into the other. Now when you modem dials a phone number,
you can lift the receiver and join the conversation. [Dial-up modems
wait silently for a tone from the answering modem. Yours will give up
after a minute or so, and hang up ITS connection to the line.]
The old Windows "cardfile" could dial using a modem, and this feature
remains available in various freeware, shareware, and inexpensive
utilities -- and in many PIMs, which also provide an interface to your
lists of contacts and their phone numbers. Experiment with a couple of
freeware packages to become familiar with their features, and then
determine if it makes sense to invest in a commercial solution.
David G
PCBUILD's List Owner's:
Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]>
Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>
|
