Internal or external modem to record phone calls?

[quasi]

I want to record all my incoming and outgoing phone calls.

I have an ordinary domestic Virgin Media landline and run WinXP Pro.

I need to get a modem. Is it better to use an external modem or an
internal one (going onto a PCI slot)?

 

[CBFalconer]

I want to record all my incoming and outgoing phone calls. I
have an ordinary domestic Virgin Media landline and run WinXP Pro.

I need to get a modem. Is it better to use an external modem or
an internal one (going onto a PCI slot)?

If you have a proper serial port, and some minor desk space and a
plug, the external is much better. You can see what is going on
(via the lights), and the system will port to other machines,
including non-PCs.

 

[GT]

If you have a proper serial port, and some minor desk space and a
plug, the external is much better. You can see what is going on
(via the lights), and the system will port to other machines,
including non-PCs.

I would add to that - you can get USB->Serial converters, but they don't
always work with all devices, so if you spot one somewhere I would advise
that you ignore it!

 

[bushwhacker]

I want to record all my incoming and outgoing phone calls.

I have an ordinary domestic Virgin Media landline and run WinXP Pro.

I need to get a modem. Is it better to use an external modem or an
internal one (going onto a PCI slot)?

If you live in the US, Federal law makes phone recording illegal, unless you
notify the other party that they are being recorded.

 

[kony]

If you have a proper serial port, and some minor desk space and a
plug, the external is much better. You can see what is going on
(via the lights), and the system will port to other machines,
including non-PCs.

Many (most? All?) external serial modems don't have audio
I/O, wouldn't allow recording the calls.

Typically an internal PCI modem would have a rear phone jack
plug or internal 4 pin socket to provide the analog audio to
the sound card for recording purposes. Perhaps some
winmodems can do away with these sockets and record using
the driver, I don't recall it has been so long since I'd
tried to use a winmodem for such a thing.

 

[kony]

If you live in the US, Federal law makes phone recording illegal, unless you
notify the other party that they are being recorded.

Unless they've changed the law(s), US Federal law does not
require notifying the other party, there needs only be one
party consenting to the recording. However, some local
(state) laws do require that all parties be notified. It is
generally considered proper etiquette to always inform the
other party(s) regardless of legal requirement or lack
thereof.