How to Connect Your PC to a Telephone Headset

One of the most effective ways to save money in any business is to cut down on telecommunications costs by using Voice-over-Internet-Protocol software such as Skype -- all that you need is a computer and a telephone headset. A typical phone headset has two 3.5 mm cables with one for the microphone and one for the earphones. There are also USB headsets on the market that act as separate audio devices, allowing you to use your normal sound card and speakers at the same time.

1. Connect the headphone cable to the correct port in the back or front of your computer. They are usually color-coded -- the green cable is for the headphones and connects to the green socket in your computer's sound card. Note that many newer desktop computers have headset ports in the front of the case. On most laptop computers, the port is located on the side.

2. Connect the microphone cable (usually color-coded pink) to the corresponding port on either the back or front of the computer. On most laptop computers, this port is also located on the side.

3. Right-click on the sound icon in the system tray and click "Playback devices." Click on the speakers labelled as the "Default device" and click "Configure." Choose "Headphones" or, if unavailable, "Stereo" from the options below "Audio channels" and click "Next." Click "Next" again followed by "Finish."

Connecting a USB Telephone Headset

1. Close any telecommunications applications which you currently have open, such as Skype and Windows Live Messenger.

2. Connect the single USB cable from the telephone headset to the computer. Windows will automatically install generic drivers for the headset. Note that USB phone headsets use their own sound hardware instead of the sound card in your computer. Because of this, they will count as separate audio devices.

3. Select the USB telephone headset as the default communications device by right-clicking on the sound icon in the system tray, clicking "Playback devices," right-clicking on the USB headset in the list of devices and choosing "Set as default communication device."

Tip

• Some VoIP services, like MagicJack or Vonage, contain a USB dongle that connects a standard home telephone to the computer. Apart from this type of service, you cannot connect a standard home phone to a computer to make or receive calls.

Warning

• If your computer features a dial-up modem, you will see two phone jacks -- one labeled "line in" and one labeled "line out." These jacks require standard phone service and merely serve as a pass-through; you cannot use these jacks for VoIP telecommunications with standard home or business phone service.