Naturally it’s nice when your computer dials. It’s convenient and fast, but there are many times when it makes better sense to dial phone numbers using the telephone itself, only letting the computer take over once you hear the carrier signal from the computer that you are dialing.Manual dialing is useful when you are using acoustic couplers when you need a hotel or overseas operator’s assistance connecting a call, or when you’ve encountered a particularly troublesome hotel or payphone.

Fortunately, most phone line adapters sold or distributed by TeleAdapt are configured such that in addition to accepting your modem’s RJ11 plug, you can plug the telephone back into the adapter after the adapter has been plugged into the wall socket. If the particular adapter you will be using doesn’t allow this, then you’re only option is to carry your own telephone and a small ‘Y’ adapter that lets you plug two American-style RJ11 plugs to a phone line. Plug this into your phone line adapter. Into the ‘Y’ adapter plug your computer and your telephone.