cables

Hello
I have a gateway which has two ports for phone plugs at the top. There is a tan phone (? connector) at the top which plugs in to one of these ports of the gateway and the other gateway port is empty. One phone line runs from this tan device to the wall and the other to a splitter. This splitter sends one line to the printer/ fax and the other line to a phone recorder.
Why can't the two phone ports be used instead of this connector?
What is this connector at the top called and what purpose does it serve?
I would have plugged one wire to the fax/printer from one of the ports and the other to the splitter for both the wall and also the recorder, eliminating the tan device.
Is this device in the port because the wall line has to be involved in the setup so that two separate cables cannot be used and the tan device therefore has to be used?

 

Sorry about the sparse information.
I hope the attachments will be of help. You can see the tan plug I referred to.

 

I now understand and thank you. The tan splitter's configuration, different from the other one which is simple and white, made me wonder what that tan one is.
I see now where one is used to make one line into 2 and the other is made to insert into the tel 1 port and allow 2 line out.
Is there a name for that tan device that plugs into the tel port 1 allowing tow lines out other than splitter? The simple one to two I can see as just a "splitter" but wondered about the name of the other tan device which I have never discovered.
I will be looking under Google images and let you know unless you already do.

>>I found an RJ11 phone splitter to two female ports - could that be it.
If so could you use a splitter that has a male into the port 1 with two females coming out as well?
I was wondering if it had a purpose other than splitting , such as a DSL filter?
I know I am splitting hairs but am trying to learn about networking.

 

Thank you for the information I understand now