I am currently playing a Techno in SR4 and i've been looking at hackers and to me iit doesn't seem like there is any half decent ways
of adding some combat or other role to the hacker/techno
Any ideas?

Technomancers are locked into being "the matrix guy". Hackers have no such limitation and can fairly easily be quite good at something other than working in the matrix.

Adept Hackers, which hack through AR due to Increased Reflexes, work quite well in the meat.

Hmm, I was going to respond to the title of this thread and point out Hackers can almost certainly do lots of other things. But..

You are asking about Technomancers! Totally different. Technomancers are Technomancers. But they are very good at being that. One thing that isn't too bad is to have some Face skills since a TM can use Charisma as well.

Depending on how great a hacker you want to be, you can certainly be another type of character type. A cool concept (if you get a chance to play the character a while), is building another "type" of character. A face works well, maybe a 'thief" or infiltration specialist. They could be newly cognizant of their new "abilities", and may have low Hacking and Electronic skills (maybe a 1 in each group). With a decent resonance, they can thread decent enough stealth and exploits to hack simple things. He or she won't be a "great" hacker, per say, but they will become one with karma. Talk to your GM about what would work better in the game they plan to run.

You can do anything at all as a Techno . . . as long as its through a drone.

If a drone can't do it, and its not winnable in VR, well... cracked software has to get patched SOMEhow for your team, right?

I've actually designed a mundane Face/Hacker hybrid. Basics include Chatty from Unwired, and First Impression. Social skills are at 4 with Etiquette having the Matrix Specialisation...

I made a hacker/face character too, worked decently well.

Techno faces work pretty well in games with good RP and moderate or higher Karma. The Echo reducing the threshold of all Data Search tests makes them supernaturally good at finding out things and the echo (or resonance bond to an appropriate sprite) allowing the equivalent of matrix divination just makes them even more scary.

One good example of a hacker who doesn't succumb to the awful stereotypes is Pvt. Hudson from the film Aliens.

I´ve got a hacker in my group that would bring tears to the eyes of many a samurai. So yes, it is possible. You just have to watch how much you spend on effectivly marginal increases of your hacking abilities.

I disagree re: TMs being only matrix specialists. The TMs at my table have always been the faces. With Charisma giving them their biofeedback filters and their willpower being their firewall, they almost always have the necessary attributes to make great faces. Then, all it takes is some BP and karma to get some skills with (or without depending on preference) specializations to make you into a great face. I even had a TM sniper who pumped his agility and used his single meat action per turn to snipe some poor bastard before going re-locating and going VR to hack the rest of the goons as the team cleaned up.

TM's aren't that matrix fixated. Technology fixated, yes (hence: Technomancer )
Remember that kid from heroes which talked with toasters and streetlights? Now there's a role model of some sort. But a rigger is fine too, or a super mechanic and hey, Networkers are like matrix Social Adepts.

I would agree with the people here that TMs are the best hackers to be faces. They tend to have less cyberware then other characters, higher Charisma, and (especially after Emergence) want to hide their true nature to the public. Back them up with a specialized weapons skill (I usually choose pistols) and you have what looks on the outside a face/merc/team leader character (and behind the scenes a TM).

In our DS Game, my Ex-Lawyer Face is in charge of Hacking and Tech-Stuff, though so far I got along with using Mooks and Skillsofts.

That said, TMs can become quiet combat-heavy and/or versatile with time, using the new Echos from Unwirred, like BioWirre, as well as start grilling People with Resonance Electrodes!