Link PCs to Phone Networks

Michael Nadeau

You can connect a PC to a phone system in one of four basic ways. The phone-centric model requires an external adapter or telephone that is connected through the PC's serial port. It is easy to configure, but could be limited in terms of how much information and control it supports from the PC. In the PC-centri c model, the phone line terminates on a card in the PC or on the motherboard itself. This model maximizes the information and control delivered to the PC.

The switch-to-host model establishes a logical connection via the LAN between the PC and phone ( see the figure ).

The voice-server model uses ordinary lines between the server and the PBX or key system. This model allows the routing of information to the server via the LAN and then transmission over the phone network.

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How Phones and Computers Work Together

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The CTI server is typically the linchpin that coordinates sending phone calls and data files to a target desktop.

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Alternative Connections

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