it is my understanding that i can chain together several modems
to gain more speed over POTS. was wondering if anyone could help .
what i would like to know is how many? and do they have to be the same
manufacturer and model or can i use any type of pci 56k v.xx?
thanx in advance :D

It is possible to do so if you have several different phone lines. The modems do not have to be the same manufacturer, type, or even speed AFAIK.

Your ISP however must support line bundling - it has been my experience that most dont (at least here in the uk).

Windows (all versions) have this ability built in. When you install your additional modem(s) look for the option "line bundling" somewhere in the properties.

I have also heard the term shotgun
_http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=shotgun+modems