pc as landline phone?

djshauny1 · 2 May 2012 at 15:31

as the title says

is there anyway of calling mobiles/landline phones from a pc?

appart from skype?

and so it would appear on my monthly bill?

thanks

Swifty55 · 2 May 2012 at 15:32

An old 56k modem?

twist3d0n3 · 2 May 2012 at 15:33

place phone next to pc?

djshauny1 · 2 May 2012 at 15:40

lol my landline just decided to stop working.

i have a headset and mic

was just wondering if its possible lol

peterattheboro · 2 May 2012 at 15:41

Ring your provider and get it fixed?

djshauny1 · 2 May 2012 at 15:47

peterintheghetto said:
Ring your provider and get it fixed?

lol

sorry i meant the actual handset just stopped working

Swifty55 · 2 May 2012 at 15:52

djshauny1 said:
lol

sorry i meant the actual handset just stopped working

Buy a new one?

Begbie · 2 May 2012 at 15:55

I remember ringing my gran on my old 56k modem yeaaaaaaars ago. So aslong as you have a dial up modem it should be relatively easy.

A dialer should be rather easy to find on the net.

PapaLazaru · 2 May 2012 at 16:03

Who the deuce uses a landline nowadays anyway? I admit that I have one as it came with my internet, but I have not used it for a few years and nobody ever rings it.

schumi84 · 2 May 2012 at 16:11

My god you can tell it's the middle of the week, I don't quite know what has just happened here

George Hincapie · 2 May 2012 at 16:11

The analogue signal (your voice) is converted to digital to be sent down the telephone wires and reconverted at the end. I don't see any reason why the first conversion couldn't be dropped, but I don't know of any software to facilitate this.

Begbie · 2 May 2012 at 16:25

PapaLazaru said:
Who the deuce uses a landline nowadays anyway? I admit that I have one as it came with my internet, but I have not used it for a few years and nobody ever rings it.

My parents, my gran..a whole lot of people still use landlines.

GravyMonster · 2 May 2012 at 16:26

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-value-th100-slimline-gondola-telephone/100-8667.prd

Go nuts.

PistolPete · 2 May 2012 at 16:49

George Hincapie said:
The analogue signal (your voice) is converted to digital to be sent down the telephone wires and reconverted at the end. I don't see any reason why the first conversion couldn't be dropped, but I don't know of any software to facilitate this.

Whilst this is true, this conversion doesn't take place in the handset so you must present an analogue signal down the line to the exchange.

LordSplodge · 2 May 2012 at 17:04

lol is not acceptable as punctuation. Buy a replacement handset.

Problem solved.

The Halk · 2 May 2012 at 17:08

Plenty of call centres do it, so it is possible. However you'd need some kind of equipment which would be more expensive than buying a cheap phone.

Housey · 2 May 2012 at 17:25

Who provides your phone service?

The Halk · 2 May 2012 at 17:33

I had a very quick look and a PCI phone card is about a tenner, so is a corded phone. Even with the card you'd need software to do it properly...

Is your purpose to get a cheap replacement for a phone, or is it so you can use your PC instead?

Housey · 2 May 2012 at 17:37

There are several providers out there that will provide a soft phone application that will work much the same as Skype but if you have Skype this would be easier. If you want it to be added to your phone bill however you will need to find if your provider offers such a facility, I believe BT used to but I can't remember much about it.

HangTime · 2 May 2012 at 20:25

PapaLazaru said:
Who the deuce uses a landline nowadays anyway? I admit that I have one as it came with my internet, but I have not used it for a few years and nobody ever rings it.

The vast majority of people I know use a landline. Only time I use a mobile at home is to call other mobiles, but I prefer not to as I don't have a mobile signal in half the house(hence people that know us ring the landline).