How to record telephone conversations 

There are many different ways to record telephone conversations.

 Trunk Side -  Recording an Analog (Home Phone) line

By splitting the phone line and having one split go to a recording device and the other to a telephone, the recording device will record both ends of the conversation.  This works great for cordless phones as well as recording every extension that is sharing the phone line.  This is less efficient in large companies where it is more important to know who took the call and not where the call came from.  It is also less cost efficient since large companies have more phone lines than they do phones.  In order to record every call a call center took, they would have to record every line in every department since calls can come in on the general number and be transferred to customer service. 

Line splitters click here

Recorders with Built in Line Splitters

For VoIP services like Vonage, Cablevision, etc,...  You can unplug the phone from the device they give you, plug in a splitter and plug the phone into one end of the splitter and the recording device into the other.  This will work for cordless phones as well as corded phones.

Line splitters click here

Recorders with Built in Line Splitters

Also for VoIP services where you are using a corded telephone handset with a removable cord, you can split the handset cord to go to the recorder and the handset

Handset spliters click here

Recorders with built in Handset Splitters

For VoIP phone systems, since the IP is decoded in the phone you would need a VoIP recorder to sniff the IP packets and decode the IP stream.  You can program the recorder to sniff the IP stream and only record certain extensions.  Be advised that the IP stream that is sniffed by the recorder must contain the IP information of the phones you want to record.

Station Side;

By unplugging the handset from the phone and plugging in a handset splitter, plugging the recording device into one split an the handset into the other, you can record both ends of the conversation.  This works great with most phones and is very efficient if you want to record a conversation and the phone is not recorded full time.  Say you are traveling and are staying in a Hotel.  You call your client and strike a deal for x amount of product.  You could record that call so there is no dispute later.

Handset spliters click here

Recorders with built in Handset Splitters

Analog set tap - you can split the output from your phone system and have one output go to an analog recorder and the other go to an analog phone.

Digital set tap - there are special cards that can be used in a computer to decode the digital signal that is sent to the phone.  This would be connected at the MDF (main distribution frame) at the same connection where the port from the phone system is connected.  It goes in series with the phone connection.  On most systems, these cards can read your display and provide the caller ID (if it is displayed).  They can also read the lights of the phone and record when any light is lit, or only when the first light is lit, but not the second, giving you a non recorded line on a recorded phone.

Please keep in mind that in order to record phone conversations One or All of the parties on the phone MUST BE INFORMED they are being recorded.  This depends on the state that the phone call takes place in. 

For State by State laws Click Here