TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

What's the best software for using your modem to allow your computer to be able to make voice calls? I want to be able to talk down the telephone line, speak into a microphone I have connected to my sound card, listen to the other person speaking by having the sound played out of my speaker system.

Does anyone already do this, and if so what's the best software, etc, to use?

I've already looked at the dialer that comes with the supervoice software that comes with this intel 536 chipset (cheap) and I didn't think too much of it. I guess it would be OK, but I want to be able to specify which input to use (i.e sound card, not mic on modem) etc.... If there is such an option, I must have missed it.

Ideally, what I want to be able to do is sit at my computer desk and be able to freely talk and listen to someone speaking to me on the phone. Surely in the 21st century this is a very easy thing to achieve??

I am too busy thinking about C++, my coursework, and looking for a job to be bothered thinking too much, so for once you guys can tell me.

I"m not sure if this, Net2Phone, is what you want, but I used to use it when I worked in Haiti to make calls to the US. In the beginning it was free, but now there is a charge.

I used it the way I think you are talking about, but instead of using speakers, I used a headset with a microphone built in. I did use it with the sound card the way you are talking about.

Talking about this reminded me that I have $25 on account with them, from over four years ago, that I never used.

It worked very well, except for a lot of lag, which was really no worse than calls that I made on a satellite phone that cost almost $10 a min. to the US.

Edit: Phant, after rereading your post, I think I misunderstood. I think you want to use your computer to make regular telephone calls, not net calls, right?

Yeah, just regular phone calls. I need a good program for managing that.

I used to do it 5 or 6 years ago and the quality wasnt that bad over dial-up even, but I think the FCC intervened. Currently Vonage does voice over IP for about $20 a month- gotta pay for the switching. But it uses a router and a phone reciever, which is better than a mic and a sound card as there is a huge potential for nasty feedback.

Really, its just for making regular phone calls, not internet calls (which would be over IP). I just want to use my computer as a regular telephone.

Surely someone has the answer!??!

The call would have to be routed from the pc to the telephone system- switched that is- requires more than a software solution if you want to call to a regular phone from your pc.

Correct?

I did that a couple of times using some software that came with an old USR 56K modem I had(probably about the same as the thing you mentioned above Phant) I didn't mess with it much, just enough to see if I could set it up. The way I did it was to run the line out from the soundcard to the mic input of the modem, this allowed me to use the mic on the sound card and feed the output to the modem.

Yeah.... but is there any really good software around for doing this? Or am I just limited to the crappy stuff that comes with Supervoice along with the modem? Surely there is something better.

I have the same question.
I just want to use my computer as a telephone, like for LOCAL calls.
NO voip stuff like net2phone. No skype. Just want to use my computer (inklusiv soundcard, headset, modem) as a telephone instrument, on the phone line, dial number, talk. Instead of using a telephone. What is out there?

I had a program that came with my Gateway PC back in 93 that did just what you are asking for. It could serve as a voicemail system, auto dialer, phone passthrough, and everything. You could initiate the call from your list and it would dial, connect, and let you talk and listen through the headset. (or you could talk into the mic and listen on the speakers). [all on a 14.4 modem]

But I have searched in vain for anything like it for some years now. That program is nowhere to be found.
(unless they changed the name and went public and are charging big money for it now.)

If you find one that does what you are wanting let me know too.

Ok its called SuperVoice it was mentioned up above.... you do need to pay for it but they will let you use the program for 30 days so maybe if you like it enough you can pay them the 6.99 but go check it out just go to yahoo and type in SuperVoice and the first search result will have the website

This may be worth looking into:
http://www.sharewareriver.com/product.php?id=4583

yeah, checked out that link. I am, like Pantasm, looking for a simple, one user (not 9000 user) phone-like program for my computer. PLEEZ HELP ME!!!

good thread.

Coinsidence or what? I was just about to install Skype that other colleagues in the company are using for the past two weeks. It's just a mic attached to the line/mic input at the rear of the PC sound card and sounds as simple as what Phantasm66 is looking for. Although Roger767 thinks not.
Would location factor affect choice - for instance Phantasm66 is in Scotland and most of the replies are from the USA - like broadband/ISDN availability etc...?

If there is something better than skype perhaps this thread will reveal it.

Skype also has the option of Skype out - voip at user end but to regular land or mobile phone at the other. Supposed to be cheaper than normal voice call but I don't have anyone to call on it as have v cheap land-land calls anyway. Worth you looking at? Sounds similar to the systems mentioned in some of these replies.

Some people still fail to grasp that the idea is to use the computer as the telephone device - something that lets you dial normal telephone calls and talk just like the phone itself on your table.

Nothing to do with networking or VOIP. No extra contracts or anything. Just another phone in the house.

I use Skype yes it's VOIP, and yes I have a contract for the computer to regular phone bit. Seems to me that if I can use my computer to call some one on a landline or cell phone, it answers the original post. I also don't understand the part of your post about no contracts, show me a way to get free phone service and I'm all over it. I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something.

It was was extra contracts..

And no, Skype is not the answer to the original question.

"What's the best software for using your modem to allow your computer to be able to make voice calls? I want to be able to talk down the telephone line, speak into a microphone I have connected to my sound card, listen to the other person speaking by having the sound played out of my speaker system."

Keywords: "voice calls" "down the telephone line"

And a clarification a bit later: "Really, its just for making regular phone calls, not internet calls (which would be over IP). I just want to use my computer as a regular telephone.
"

Phant, don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for, but it seems to include a dialing out feature. http://www.voicecallcentral.com/ I don't see anything that is just a "phone". There used to be lots, but I guess they are old fashioned now. Hope this helps.

Jeff

Ahh, now I get it Nodsu. Slightly brain dead the other day. Somehow I missed the"not internet calls" part. I'm going to blame it on a 73 hour work week. My bad, so sorry.