Abstract: A personal telephone adapter is disclosed which may be connected as an extension on a telephone line and which permits a caller to reach any of several extension telephones within a home or office without a human operator. A ring detector detects an incoming call and begins the operation of a timer, which, after a predetermined time, establishes a connection between the caller and a tone detector in the telephone adapter. Then, the caller may provide an extension signal selecting an extension and, in response, the tone detector in the adaptor at that extension will begin an output such as a tune to a user near the adapter. The user may then pick up the receiver of a telephone instrument and talk to the caller and, for a limited time after picking up the receiver, the user or caller may dial an additional extension signal to another adapter also connected as an extension to the telephone line.