You can have it force the call once you hook it up. Mine "calls" daily though, and you really want a constant connection, especially if you want to take advantage of online scheduling.
Go Wireless if you can - but keep in mind you need a wired connection to perform the guided setup without a phone line. Send me a PM if you need more info on how to do that. Once you've done that, you can use a wireless USB2.0 adapter to make the connection.