Mac OS X 10.2: Receiving Telephone Calls While Online

  • Last Modified on: June 11, 2007
  • Article: 25550
If you connect to the Internet using a modem, people who call your telephone number will usually receive a busy signal. Instead, you can be alerted to incoming calls so you can decide whether or not to answer. You can also place your modem connection on hold and resume using the Internet when you finish the call.


In order to be notified of incoming calls while you're online, you must have:
  • An Apple V.92 modem
  • Call waiting service from your phone company

If your telephone service also has caller ID and call waiting ID, you will see the phone number and name, if available, of the person who is calling you.

Additionally, your Internet service provider (ISP) must support "modem on hold" connections. Contact your phone company and ISP to determine the availability and cost of these features.

Open System Preferences then click Network. In the Modem pane, select "Notify me of incoming calls while connected to the Internet." If this option does not appear, your modem doesn't support this feature.

When you receive an incoming call while you're online, a message appears, and you can accept or ignore the phone call. If caller ID information for this call is available, the name and number provided by the phone company are also displayed. Click Answer to accept the call; your phone will ring shortly.

Whether you can place your modem connection on hold, and how long it will remain on hold while you talk, is determined by your ISP. If the connection cannot be held, your Internet connection is disconnected when you answer the call.

While you're deciding, and if you refuse the call, the person calling you hears your phone ringing. If you accept the call and talk longer than the hold time you've been allowed, the Internet connection will automatically disconnect.

Note: The information in this document comes from Mac Help, the help system included with your computer. It is based on Mac OS X 10.2.6. If a different version is installed on your computer, choose Mac Help from the Finder's Help menu. Updated or expanded information may also be available in other Knowledge Base documents.

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