does this thing work?
there is a device that says one may be online and recieve a phone call at the same time. i believe it’s made by Emmerson and costs about $40.
seems like other methods for achieving this requires call waiting.
anybody have any experience?
TIA,
steve
damn! hear is the other t for my title 
Yes it uses call waiting. Also some answers incomming calls - if it gets a fax tone it routs the call to the fax port - they fax starts ringing (generated by this device) until it picks up then it connects the incomming fax to your’s (some models may be able to also disable call waiting if you have 3 way calling IIRC aslo). The modem port works the same way.
When using the modem the device hears the call waiting beep (which interups the data stream but doesn’t break it) and lets you know. IF you want to pick up then the modems try to reconnect. If you hang up in time they will if not then the modems will assume that the other modem has hung up and disconect.
Some use distintive ring (service from telco) to route calls to the correct port but not many.
some can be set to listen in if you pick up the phone - if it hears a fax tone it will route it to the fax (and may cut you off)
With only one line you can only get one call at a time - these don’t actually allow you to surf and talk.
Other suggestions that you can use to accomplish the same thing (somewhat)
2nd line
cell phone as voice line
use an internet fax service (i.e. efax.com)
telco service call fwd on busy
telco sercive call answering
broadband connection (used in conjunction with http://vonage.com/features.php you could get rid of your phone - I have no idea if it’s good enough to get rid of yoru phone however but it sounds good)
share broadband with a neighbor with wireless network
Internet service combined with call fwd busy will divert calls to an online voicemail box - add caller ID and you can get a display of who’s calling while surfing.
Thanks Dave.
I noticed some fine print on the bottom of the screen during the first seconds of the commercial, but not in time to actually read what it says. -Probably that ya need call waiting.
If one requires call waiting, I thought there was a program that could be downloaded that will alert to an incomming call and allow the voice call to be answered. Not too worried about the fax option.