all i want to do is to be able to make and receive local phone calls
using my p.c i have broadband and I am not willing to pay i.e using
the p.c to phone services around . I want to be able to record my
conversations and I am not willing to buy phone record devices.I have
tried many softwares but have not been able to connect I have even
connected in some but got fax tones instead. the modem of my laptop is
soft v92 data fax modem with smartcp attached to com 4 and my desktop
is lucent technologies soft modem amr attached to com 3.
   An explanation of what is free and what is not in terms of pc to pc
pc to phone e.t.c would be nice but not neccessary.

There might be free trials, or some sort of hack - but in general, you
need to pay to someone to take your call from broadband to the local
phone network.  It is possible to use tools like netmeeting etc to
have real time chat- but those "Calls" will come into their computer-
not phone line.

i guessed so but the main thing i was interested in was receiving and
sending local calls using my natural phone line because i wanted to
have it recorded e.t.c