Thanks for the input guys.

Here's what he told me, and no, he doesn't have DSL (he was a frikin' miser, didn't even have call waiting...lol). He said the signal for the ISP is digital, the voice is analog, and the 2 can be split with a converter box. When the digital signal is running and the box detects an analog signal it routes it to a different phone in the house and allows the signal to come through (almost like a box that assigns each jack to perform a different function, but on the same telephone #). I know that the vocal signal operates on 0-3,400 Hz and data is transferred through the line from 25 Kh to 1.5 MHz, so it does seem possible to run the 2 simultaneously (I know that's what DSL does), although I'd never heard of it done with a simple box.

I can tell you he was on the computer and talking to me at the same time, and I could clearly see that he had only 1 line with SWB. I still don't get it, unless he was totally lying to me and had another local provider for an additional line, but why would he lie? It sounded exactly like what CBeyond described. Anyway, I'm still confused. If anyone can think of anything else, please let me know.

Andrew

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by The Unabageler
[B]he's not referring to DSL, but a modem "hold" box.

 

I have a laptop and a orinoco 802.11b card. I have never connected to an unsecured network, although there was a post recently of a dumbass lawyer who hacked into the local elementary school's network and got arrested for idling in the parking lot. For some reason, I think hacking into a high speed connection might be a harder than stealing cable.

 

This box that he has doesn't make sense. Splitting the frequency spectrum, like DSL, is probably the only way to be on-line and talk at the same time. How can a simple box bought at Best Buy do something like this?? Maybe it's time to go on their website to see what they sell.

 

Andrew, was he using a pots line? If so then he was using a modem (analog device) and phone (analog device). If he was getting a digital signal over his analog circuit, then that "box" is truly talented and we should all run right out and get one. My take on this is that he doesn't have a clue.

PS...I also work for SBC.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by S2Kguy
[B]<snip>

 

Yeah, he was on a POTS line, maybe he's just full of it...lol.

 

Interesting.

 

Well guys, it's official...this thing does exist, I just saw an ad on TV for one. They called it the "Emerson Switchboard". It's just a box that looks sort of like a DSL modem box, but it has 5 phone-in places. It's unquestionably a modem-hold box as affore mentioned. A quick google search netted nothing but one post on a PC board of some fella' asking what it was. The commercial looked convincing enough, but me, hell I'm a skeptic.

We'll see...

Andrew

 

Ok - the mysterious device only puts the ISP connection on hold for up to 30 seconds - just as we thought, it does not allow you to talk and surf at the same time.

http://www.greatbuyusa.com/product_detail....T55W-B&Source=1

And a competing, but similar product: http://www.catch-a-call-online.com/catchac...ns-answers.html