TAPI Compliant Hardware

The use of TAPI permits Vine to communicate with any TAPI compliant device that is properly installed and configured. Many types of devices and connection Vine objects are linked to each other by connections. Vine shows an object together with links to all objects directly connected to it. methods are applicable for TAPI as long as they are supported with appropriate TAPI drivers (TSPs). Some examples are:

  • A TAPI phone is connected to the telephone line and to your PC through a serial port. If needed, the telephone can work independently of the computer.

  • A TAPI-compliant modem is connected to the PC and to the telephone line. The majority of voice modems use the Microsoft Windows' universal modem voice driver Unimodem V. It must be correctly configured by the inf file supplied by the modem manufacturer. This configuration may have some limitations depending on the TAPI features supported by the modem.

  • The PC is connected to the telephone line and the phone is connected to the PC. The PC controls phone calls. The telephone cannot be used without the PC.

  • The PC acts as a phone. It can be connected to some kind of switchboard with which it negotiates over local area network (LAN) using the Voice over IP (VoIP) technology.

  • The phone is connected to the voice modem which is connected to the telephone network and to the PC.

  • The phone is connected to the switchboard. The PC is connected over the LAN to a server computer that has a direct connection to the switchboard. The PC and the phone are not directly connected. The PC controls the calls by sending commands over the LAN to the server which in turn controls the switch.

  • A server computer has multiple telephone connections directly to the switchboard. The server answers incoming calls and can transfer the calls to human operators.