Command Communications Comswitch 5500 3-Port Phone/Fax Modem Line Sharing Device

by Command Communications

Product Details

Product Manual [318kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.2 x 2.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004Z7H5
• Item model number: CS5500
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Distinctive Ring mode for simple line sharing - When you add a second phone number to your single line, the CS 5500 works smoothly with Distinctive Ring service offered by most local phone companies (different companies have various names for this service; check with your phone company for details). In short, the CS 5500 is able to recognize specific ring patterns assigned to your different phone numbers and route calls to the right device.

Yes, you can use phone company Voice Mail and Caller ID - We've made it possible for the CS 5500 to work with Voice Messaging from the phone company (requires Distinctive Ring service activation). The system is also compatible with Caller ID service (requires service activation).

Monitoring - ComSwitch 5500 is so smart it stays on the line during every call, listening for tone commands you send from the keypad of a telephone. So you can talk for a few minutes, push three keys, and transfer the call to your fax machine to receive a document. All on the same call.

* Two 8K In-Line Microfilter phone filters are required - available from most consumer electronics stores.

Product Description

- Command Communications 3 port fax switch- 3 Port device (2 ports are linked)- For use with devices such as telephones, answering machines, fax machines, modems, etc.- Automatic or semi-automatic modes- Distinctive ring detection- Caller ID and voicemail compatible- ADSL compatible (two 8K in-line microfilter phone filters are required, available from most consumer electronics stores)- Stays on the line during every call, listening for tone commands you send from the keypad of a telephone (you can talk for a few minutes, push three keys, and transfer the call to your fax machine to receive a document, all on the same call)- Remote message notification (every time a voice message, fax, or data transmission is received, the unit will automatically send a special tone to any desired local or long-distance phone number)CS5500

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good device that fulfills a necessary function, June 9, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Command Communications Comswitch 5500 3-Port Phone/Fax Modem Line Sharing Device (Personal Computers)

If you don't want to pay for a separate phone line dedicated to your fax machine, this is an excellent solution. It separates out fax calls from voice calls and routes each type to the appropriate device. All you have to do is plug it into your phone line and them plug the fax machine and telephone into their separate ports in the Comswitch. This item is also nicely priced at $... and is probably tax-deductible if you're using it for business. A cimple and elegant solution.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ingenious device!, October 9, 2003

By 

Paul Spencer (Bend, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Command Communications Comswitch 5500 3-Port Phone/Fax Modem Line Sharing Device (Personal Computers)

This device works perfectly! It has many features and modes of operation but here is how I set mine up for basic use: I connect my incoming phone line to the input port, my answering maching w/phone to the TAD port, and my fax machine to the fax port. When a call comes in the Comswitch "picks up" the call on the first ring and listens momentarily for a fax tone. If there is a tone it immediately switches the call to the fax machine and then transmission begins, if it is a voice call it immediately switches to my anwering maching which then begins ringing, working as it usually does with any incoming call. For my answering machine connection, the only difference from before the Comswitch is that there is one addtional ring before the call actually starts to ring on the anwering machine. However, all of this is invisible to the caller. It also is supposed to work with voice mail systems too.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the call to the customer support #. It works!, March 13, 2006

By 

MMC (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Command Communications Comswitch 5500 3-Port Phone/Fax Modem Line Sharing Device (Personal Computers)

I bought this item after reading good reviews here and elsewhere. I didn't want it for faxes (I'm using maxemail.com for that so that junk faxes don't eat up my fax paper and ink). I just wanted to route my DISTINCTIVE RING/SMART RING calls to a differnt phone/answering machine for business calls.

If I hadn't read the comments here (about contacting Commands customer support number), I would have returned it the next day. I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T RETURN IT, because now it's exactly what I wanted. Their tech support told me codes to make it:

1. Ignore all calls to my regular number and just let those ring thru to my family phones/answ machine, as usual.

2. Recognize calls with the Distinctive Ring and route the call to second phone/answering machine combo. (That has a business greeting on the answering machine).

3. Let the those "distinctive-ring" calls ring long enough for me to answer before the machine picks them up.

4. Preserve caller ID on all of the calls; to all of the phones.

My suggestion is to buy this product and save yourself the price of a second line. If it doesn't work right out of the box for you ... DON'T drive yourself nuts trying to troubleshoot the darn thing. (The codes in the printed manual and online are not correct/sufficient.) Just give the company a call and they will have it custom programmed to your needs in less than 15 minutes. If you find a glitch, call them again and they'll tell you a code to fix it!

Thank you to those who wrote a review before me. Without reading those, I would have returned a product which ended up being exactly what I needed.