Can I connect a phoneline to my computer and use it to make calls? Is it free, what are the rules and how does this work? I want my computer to be my phone and I dont want to purchase new things?
Well to answer these questions, lets start with the first. The short answer is yes you theoretically should be able to use what is called a “soft phone” which stands for software phone. You can see the basic types of voip phones at http://www.voiprater.com/articles/types-of-voip-phones for more information on each kind.
The hardest part about setting up a soft phone is contacting your VoIP provider and getting the information you will need to successfully set up your VoIP phone. Some providers will not do this for you and you are out of luck. If you plan to use a soft phone I suggest you first contact the company you are looking to use and see if they have it available.
As for software, I personally prefer http://www.counterpath.net/x-lite.html which is a very basic soft phone. The lite version does the basic call/receive call functionality and also has a much broader feature set if you upgrade. Once it is set up you will be able to make and receive calls using your computer speakers and a microphone (or headset).
There are a large number of free and paid soft phone solutions. Do a google search for “soft phone” and you will see quite a few out there. Enjoy!
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