How to Use a Modem as a Telephone

Start using your modem as a telephone today

Using a modem as a telephone has surged in popularity over the years due to its convenient nature and competitive rates with traditional telephone service. To make calls using a modem is a relatively simple process, and can even be done when your computer is turned off. VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), also called digital voice or Internet telephony, is done through a service provider and an adapter. Take the following steps to begin using your modem as a telephone.

Things You'll Need

• Touch tone phone
• Account w/ VoIP Service
• Phone adapter
• Phone adapter power supply
• High speed internet connection
• Ethernet cable

Instructions

1. Unplug the power cord from the back of your modem. Then, unplug the ethernet cable from the back of your modem that connects your modem to your PC or router. Plug this end of the cable into the yellow ethernet port on the phone adapter.

2. Connect one end of the blue ethernet cable that came with your phone adapter to your modem's ethernet (LAN) port. Connect the other end to the blue port of your phone adapter.

3. Plug your modem's power supply back into your power outlet. Wait 30 seconds, and then plug in your phone adapter's power supply as well. At this point, your phone adapter's screen will light up and give you on-screen prompts for the start-up process.

4. Unplug your touch tone telephone from your wall jack and connect it to the green phone 1 jack on the back of the phone adapter. Check for a dial tone. You are now ready to make calls using your modem as a telephone.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using a DSL modem as your internet connection and it is password protected, visit your VoIP provider's configuration website to register your network password information and enable normal VoIP usage.

References

• International Engineering Consortium: Voice over Internet Protocol