How do I connect my phone to my PC when using Outlook to dial?

[Guest]

I plug my phone line into my PC, and plug a 2-jack headphone into the
microphone and speaker sockets on the PC. Then I use Outlook contacts to
dial, and it works fine, dialing my other line. A window opens and says
"Lift the receiver and click Talk". I have no receiver to lift, and I hear no
ringing over the headphones. It seems like headphones are not the answer, but
if not, what should I be doing?

 

[wayfarrer]

Outlook's Phone Dialer has limited functionality. Its main purpose is to access
the Contacts phone list and optionally log the called number in the Journal.
You must have a regular phone attached to the PC in order to use it as a dialer.

If your modem is a voice-modem type, there should be telephony software provided
with it to handle the Windows and phoneline interface requirements but naturally
this would be independent of Outlook's interface .

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply. My PC, unfortunately, has only one phone-cord type
slot because it is an internal modem. I sounds like what I need is an earlier
vintage external dialup modem with a slot for the telephone. Is that right?
Or may a splitter on the phone line, with one half going to the modem and the
other to the phone would work? I can try the latter.

 

[wayfarrer]

That is strange. All of the modem connections I've seen, whether the modem was
built into the motherboard or an add-on card, had two connections.

You could add an external modem (which will have two telephone connections)
which connects to the PC via the serial port. These are usually more expensive
than the add-in card type.

Your idea of using a splitter may work...it's worth a try.