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Using My PC For Plain Old Telephone Service?

Posted by Soulskill on from the pots-and-plans dept.

TheJerbear79 writes "I recently accepted a work-from-home job that will involve using my landline to talk to customers. When I log into the phone queue, my landline will ring, I'll put in a three digit code, and then calls are routed to the phone line I'm on. It essentially turns my landline into a softphone. Rather than using a regular handset or obtaining a nice business phone with a headset and speakerphone, I would like to use my PC's modem in conjunction with a normal PC headset and soundcard. I know the hardware is capable, but the modem didn't come with appropriate software. Has anyone found anything cheap/free that would suit this kind of usage? Just for clarity, I don't want to use a VOIP solution; I need to use my plain old landline. My reason is this: if I'm watching a movie or listening to an MP3 while I'm waiting for a call, I don't want it to ever be apparent to the person who is on the phone with me, and I want to route all the audio I use through a single headset. I've scoured Google for anything close to this application, and all I've managed to find is information on VOIP software or programs that turn my PC into an answering machine, neither of which will work."

12 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. I realise this is totally unacceptable by sleeponthemic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My reason is this: if I'm watching a movie or listening to an MP3 while I'm waiting for a call, I don't want it to ever be apparent to the person who is on the phone with me,

    It won't be.. because you'll have paused it before answering the phone because you can't hear what they are saying if it is still playing.

    --
    I record my sleeptalking
    1. Re:I realise this is totally unacceptable by Fex303 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Absolutely. I've paused playback from computer to take personal calls and then accidentally started it playing again (stupid me for making my play/pause keybindings something easy to reflexively push). Not a problem for my personal calls, but it would be totally unacceptable for business calls.

    2. Re:I realise this is totally unacceptable by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Maybe you shouldn't be slacking off and watching tv/movies while you're supposed to be working?

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
    3. Re:I realise this is totally unacceptable by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It sounds like you are doing customer service work at home, which is exactly what my wife does. So here's a hint regarding watching or listening to other media during your scheduled work hours - don't. First, your call volume is likely to be such that, unless you can comprehend media in 5 second increments, the experience is likely to be unsatisfying. Second, assuming you do run into some slack time, changing over from media to active customer service can be mentally jarring, and you are likely to fumble through your first few seconds of the call while you reorient yourself. My wife sticks to diversions on the computer - [alt-tab] is like a mental switch for her, and she doesn't get into anything too in depth.

      As for hardware, buy the best CONVENTIONAL setup you can afford. A decent wireless handset and good headset isn't really that expensive, and it is equipment you are relying on to make your money - your customers (and employer) aren't going to take "hold on while I fix my software config" as an excuse. You emphasized that VOIP is NOT an option - my guess is that's an employer mandate? the reason for that is that they do not want their users to get to cute with the fancy getups.

      There's a reason it's called PLAIN Old Telephone Service - running it through hardware and software so you can fill time with entertainment sort of defeats the purpose, does it not?

      --
      "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
  2. Your hardware probably isn't capable at all. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Dear slashdot, I have a work at home job and want to watch porn during business hours. How do I stop callers from listening in? My budget is exactly $0."

    *sigh*

    You probably can't get the raw audio from your modem. Hardly any modems do full-duplex audio.

    Get a phone with a headset jack and an automatic audio switch.

    If you really want to go ghetto you could have one earphone connected to your PC and the other to the incoming call. That's probably the cheapest way to make sure the callers never hear you listening to porn.

  3. Re:Perhaps a better solution... by Gordonjcp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, that's what I'd do as well. Keep It Simple, and all that. Of course, another solution would be to mute the speakers before answering the phone...

  4. Which OS? by bloodninja · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is this for your Amiga box, or the C64?

    Really, if you don't tell us what OS you are using, it will be hard to suggest software. Not all /.ers still run slackware.

    --
    Lock the wife and the dog in the boot of the car.
    Return one hour later.
    Who's happy to see you?
  5. Re:Perhaps a better solution... by Fex303 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What use would a piece of studio equipment (rack mounted, at that) have in his setup?

    Because you can? I mean, come on, this is slashdot, we'd come up with a remote controlled robotic flyswatter that runs Linux and is also a webserver given the slightest opportunity.

    And the OP only suggested using a sidechain "if you wanted to get really fancy". And it is really quite fancy. Also, it would make for an extremely elegant solution to the original question.

  6. Re:Maybe it's not really a problem. by urcreepyneighbor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this guy will be doing a lot of "hard work" from home.

    Better at home than at the office.

    --
    "The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
  7. Re:Not a softphone by BLAG-blast · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He is asking...

    I read his guy's "question" a few times, I've got no idea what he's asking, you could both be right, for all I know. I'm not even sure how what he's asking for will solve the problem ("no body should know I'm slacking off and watching TV when I'm supposed to be working").

    I think this guy's just bragging about having a work from home job, while trying to act all old skool and cool by dissing VOIP.

    --
    M0571y H@rml355.
  8. The first thing I though of when I read this by rikkards · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I recently accepted a work-from-home job that will involve using my landline to talk to customers.

    Please take me off your call-list :)

  9. Lets talk about the KISS method... by quetwo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ok, I know /.ers love to involve their computer with everything. The suggestions of using modems and pinning out the audio seam pretty innovative, but in all reality when you start to mix non-phone equipment with the phone you will loose quality. Just trust me on this one. What I would suggest is that you get a nice Uniden or Cortelco phone. Uniden's you can find at pretty much any Best Buy or Target. Cortelco's are available at Greybar or similar contractor stores. Most of these phones have speakerphone and a headset plug. In the phone world, headset plugs come in pretty much three styles -- separated MIC/LINE (used mostly with computers), Cell-Phone combined (mini, mono connector that carries both in one plug), and a QuickDisconnect (flat, 4-connector headset used by people in the PBX world). Unidens and Cortelco's will most likely have the cell-phone combined connector. You can walk over the the cell-phone side of whatever store you are at and get a descent headset. All of these phones have mute buttons, that are usually very easy to find. There is no need to add the complexity and unreliability of adding in components that aren't designed to do this task. Remember, it is your job on the line, so you may want to spend the $25 for the solution above and do it right.