How to Make Telephone Calls on a Computer Through a Phone Line

Make a call without a phone.

Sometimes you want to use a computer to make phone calls over a telephone land line, without an Internet connection or a telephone. To do this, you will need a "speakerphone modem" (most, but not all, voice modems are speakerphone modems). In addition to a speakerphone modem, you will need Windows Phone Dialer, which is standard on Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 7.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Voice modem with "speakerphone" capability
• Telephone headset (or speakers and a microphone)

1. Make sure they're snugly plugged. connect image by Leon Keemer from Fotolia.com

   Connect your computer to your phone jack with a standard phone cord. Make sure the cord is plugged in snugly at both ends.

2. Use Windows Phone Dialer to make phone calls over a phone line. Press enter image by softfoqus from Fotolia.com

   Click on "Start," then type "dialer" in the search bar and then press "Enter." This will open a Microsoft Windows program called Phone Dialer.

   In Windows XP, go to "Start," then "Run," then type "Dialer.exe" and then hit "Enter."

3. Make sure you enter the number correctly. telephoning image by Photosani from Fotolia.com

   Type in the phone number you would like to call, or use your mouse to enter the number on the on-screen phone pad.

4. Click the "Dial" button.

5. Make sure your answers are accurate or you will encounter difficulties. question box image by Pete Linforth from Fotolia.com

   Answer the questions relating to your home phone service, such as your area code and your carrier. (You only need to enter this information the first time you make a call.)

6. Use a headset for the best performance. headset image by Dron from Fotolia.com

   Listen for the phone to ring. If you have entered all your information correctly, you should hear your phone call being made, through either your speakers or your headset.

Tips & Warnings

• You can store numbers in the speed-dial buttons on the right side.

• To receive calls, you must have Phone Dialer running. When you make or receive a call, a dialog box appears on the upper-left side of your screen.

References

• Computing: How to Make Phone Calls Using Modem
• Microsoft: Phone Dialer Overview
• IVR: Fax Modems