Hi John:
 JR> when they (others on my line) pick up...my connections go
 JR> Deader than Hillary after an intern is fired.
 JR> is there something I can add so that if a phone is picked
 JR> up...and the person doing it DIALS.....that the connection
 JR> can renegotiate.
 JR> The modem is a ZOOM external 28,800 V.34
I have for years been using a totally fool-proof method here to
accomplish the same results you are now looking for; uninterruptible
modeming, by anyone else coming off-hook on your line. Here is how
I did it:
1. Locate the box or whatever where your Telco's wires make their
very first appearance at your residence or business.
2. Disconnect the wires which leave that point and feed the phone
outlets in the home.
3. Run Two Pairs of wires (1 quad). Connect Red/Green to the wires
coming from Telco.  Connect Black/Yellow to the two wires you just
disconnected that feed the home phone jacks.
4. Run this quad to room wherever your modem is located.  Install
a double phone jack outlet if not already present; (Two separate
outlets mounted on a single wall-plate). Terminate R/G wires to
one outlet, mark this outlet as Line. Connect Bk/Y wires to re-
maining jack, mark this one Phone.  Finally, connect two extension
cords of the appropriate length between these two wall jacks and
your modem.  If you had a USR/3com Courier modem (as I do) when
your modem is in use, an internal relay will open the circuit to
the other phones on the line, guaranteeing the desired results!
Mind you, I do not know if other brands of modems have this special
disconnet relay built into their modems.  It's my understanding that
ALL 3com/USR modems have this nice feature. If your modem doesn't,
you could rig the circuit where you could break the house connections
manually.
James L. Cole Fresno, Calif.
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