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Telephony hardware requirements

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 8 Beta

Telephony hardware requirements

To hook up a regular (PSTN) phone line to your local computer, you must have a voice modem. To send and receive faxes in addition to making voice or data calls, you must have a fax modem.

To use IP telephony service providers, your computer must have a sound card, video camera, speakers, and a microphone (or headset).

To support speech and hearing simultaneously, you must have a full-duplex sound card.

To include video communications, you must have a video capture card.

You may need to install other hardware for special telephony programs. For example, to connect trunk lines for a personal computer-based telephony server or cables to connect to a PBX system, you may need expansion cards. For additional information about your telephony hardware requirements, consult your vendor.

To verify hardware compatibility, see the Compatible Hardware and Software section at Support resources.