Any ideas for a small business network fax solution?

[AOrlando]

Here's the situation. I have a small office with 6 PCs, all are running
Windows XP and are connected via LAN. There is no dedicated 'server' machine
in the network, so Server 2000/2003 solutions are not available to me at
this time. We only need to send/receive about 10 faxes a day, very low key,
but we really want to do this from PC's instead of having to print
everything first and then faxing it.

I've looked at fax hardware that bundles a networking option and they seem
to start off at $1000 (Faxpress SBE), so that's out of the question.

What I do have is a spare Windows 98 box that is just lying around unused
with a fax modem installed and a networking card.

The bare minimum of what we need:
For each PC in the office to have a network print driver that sends (prints)
from any application to the 98 machine.
The 98 machine pools the faxes and sends them out on the fax board.
The 98 machine captures inbound faxes and saves them as files to a single
folder that will be shared on the network.
Users can map drive to the fax folder on the 98 machine and can
view/distribute faxes whenever they have time.

Any network fax software I've found so far to do what I need to do is
starting off at around $300+ when you're done adding up client licenses, but
most are loaded with too many features that we won't use to justify that
type of cost. Is there a cheaper solution or any type of freeware option for
us to get this Windows 98 box running a network fax server for the office?

The 'network printer' and the ability to print from any application to fax
from multiple machines is the key feature we want to have working.

 

[Jim Macklin]

Buy a fax-modem for each computer and connect directly to
the users telephone, no network needed. XP has fax software
built-in. Check with www.efax.com for receiving faxes via
the Internet.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| Here's the situation. I have a small office with 6 PCs,
all are running
| Windows XP and are connected via LAN. There is no
dedicated 'server' machine
| in the network, so Server 2000/2003 solutions are not
available to me at
| this time. We only need to send/receive about 10 faxes a
day, very low key,
| but we really want to do this from PC's instead of having
to print
| everything first and then faxing it.
|
| I've looked at fax hardware that bundles a networking
option and they seem
| to start off at $1000 (Faxpress SBE), so that's out of the
question.
|
| What I do have is a spare Windows 98 box that is just
lying around unused
| with a fax modem installed and a networking card.
|
| The bare minimum of what we need:
| For each PC in the office to have a network print driver
that sends (prints)
| from any application to the 98 machine.
| The 98 machine pools the faxes and sends them out on the
fax board.
| The 98 machine captures inbound faxes and saves them as
files to a single
| folder that will be shared on the network.
| Users can map drive to the fax folder on the 98 machine
and can
| view/distribute faxes whenever they have time.
|
| Any network fax software I've found so far to do what I
need to do is
| starting off at around $300+ when you're done adding up
client licenses, but
| most are loaded with too many features that we won't use
to justify that
| type of cost. Is there a cheaper solution or any type of
freeware option for
| us to get this Windows 98 box running a network fax server
for the office?
|
| The 'network printer' and the ability to print from any
application to fax
| from multiple machines is the key feature we want to have
working.
|
| --
| Reply to group. Thanks!
|
|

 

[AOrlando]

Unfortunately, each computer with a modem is not possible as they do not
have telephone access from those PCs.

There is only 1 line available for faxes, thus the need to have all faxes
routed over a network to a single machine.

I've found Relayfax and NetCFax, both seem like workable solutions, I
especially like the ability for users to send faxes via email. This would
allow our associates out of the office to fax as well.

But I am still looking for a cheaper solution.

 

[Logan K. Boop]

Here's the situation. I have a small office with 6 PCs, all are running
Windows XP and are connected via LAN. There is no dedicated 'server' machine
in the network, so Server 2000/2003 solutions are not available to me at
this time. We only need to send/receive about 10 faxes a day, very low key,
but we really want to do this from PC's instead of having to print
everything first and then faxing it.

I've looked at fax hardware that bundles a networking option and they seem
to start off at $1000 (Faxpress SBE), so that's out of the question.

What I do have is a spare Windows 98 box that is just lying around unused
with a fax modem installed and a networking card.

The bare minimum of what we need:
For each PC in the office to have a network print driver that sends (prints)
from any application to the 98 machine.
The 98 machine pools the faxes and sends them out on the fax board.
The 98 machine captures inbound faxes and saves them as files to a single
folder that will be shared on the network.
Users can map drive to the fax folder on the 98 machine and can
view/distribute faxes whenever they have time.

Any network fax software I've found so far to do what I need to do is
starting off at around $300+ when you're done adding up client licenses, but
most are loaded with too many features that we won't use to justify that
type of cost. Is there a cheaper solution or any type of freeware option for
us to get this Windows 98 box running a network fax server for the office?

The 'network printer' and the ability to print from any application to fax
from multiple machines is the key feature we want to have working.

You might want to look at Mighty Fax website (www.rkssoftware.com) It's
a shareware $19.95 USD and also has a scanner utility to scan directly
into Mighty Fax if you so desire. I have sent documents from the other
three computers on the my network (Word Format, plain text) to Mighty
Fax and sent them. Most recent item was faxing some documentation from
my wife's computer through mine to a real estate company.
This sounds like what you are trying to do. I'm sure you realize that
you're putting allot of constraints on a solution, the primary one being
money.

 

[Ron Martell]

Here's the situation. I have a small office with 6 PCs, all are running
Windows XP and are connected via LAN. There is no dedicated 'server' machine
in the network, so Server 2000/2003 solutions are not available to me at
this time. We only need to send/receive about 10 faxes a day, very low key,
but we really want to do this from PC's instead of having to print
everything first and then faxing it.

I've looked at fax hardware that bundles a networking option and they seem
to start off at $1000 (Faxpress SBE), so that's out of the question.

What I do have is a spare Windows 98 box that is just lying around unused
with a fax modem installed and a networking card.

The bare minimum of what we need:
For each PC in the office to have a network print driver that sends (prints)
from any application to the 98 machine.
The 98 machine pools the faxes and sends them out on the fax board.
The 98 machine captures inbound faxes and saves them as files to a single
folder that will be shared on the network.
Users can map drive to the fax folder on the 98 machine and can
view/distribute faxes whenever they have time.

Any network fax software I've found so far to do what I need to do is
starting off at around $300+ when you're done adding up client licenses, but
most are loaded with too many features that we won't use to justify that
type of cost. Is there a cheaper solution or any type of freeware option for
us to get this Windows 98 box running a network fax server for the office?

The 'network printer' and the ability to print from any application to fax
from multiple machines is the key feature we want to have working.

A cheaper option would be an "all in one" printer/fax/copier solution
such as the HP LaserJet 3030 model which you could share on the
network. Check out the detailed specs before purchasing it but from
from what I have seen of this model it should work just fine for you.
There is a lower priced LaserJet 3015 which might also work.

Not sure of your network configuration but if you look at the D-Link
model DL-704UP router which as a USB printer port in the router you
can add the LJ3030 direct to the network rather than setting up a
printer server computer.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[AOrlando]

This sounds like a cool idea, I will contact HP and see if their hardware
works over the network for fax. I've read situations where canon
multifunctions stated they did, but did not.

Thanks!

 

[George Pontis]

Here's the situation. I have a small office with 6 PCs, all are running
Windows XP and are connected via LAN. There is no dedicated 'server' machine
in the network, so Server 2000/2003 solutions are not available to me at
this time. We only need to send/receive about 10 faxes a day, very low key,
but we really want to do this from PC's instead of having to print
everything first and then faxing it.

...

What I do have is a spare Windows 98 box that is just lying around unused
with a fax modem installed and a networking card.

First thing ... you really should not depend on a Windows 98 solution to anything
for your network. Second thing, a modem with FAX capability is probably not
reliable enough to send and receive faxes from the world of different fax machines
out there. It may work with 98% of them, then you have to intervene and diagnose
the problem when it fails to connect. Also, FAX modems are not efficient at
sending the message. You would find that they take longer to send a message than a
real FAX machine would take since they are not hip to FAX tricks like using
compression.

The HP solution that another poster recommended sounds worth your while to
investigate, especially if you can print to it from the network to send a FAX.

Another solution that would work well for you is a dedicated FAX board in a PC
with FAX software. It would address all your requirements. For example, a
Brooktrout TruFax 100 (single line) or 200 (two line) in a PC running some version
of Windows server with Microsoft Shared FAX. There are quite a few alternatives to
MS Shared FAX. MS Shared FAX happens to be included with Windows Small Business
Server. You could buy SBS 2000 on eBay for not much more than $100, who knows what
for a TruFAX board. They start around $400 new and do come up on eBay; be sure to
get a PCI version to use with Shared FAX. You could try to make do with Shared FAX
and your existing modem for only the cost of SBS, which would be a huge step up
from Win 98. Other FAX software, like GFI's product, is better but would probably
cost much more. You can't cheaply get inbound routing, but you can have all
incoming FAXes printed or emailed to a list of users or both.

Here's a good site of info on FAX solutions: http://www.ntfaxfaq.com/

Finally, you could go with an outside service to which you mail all your outoging
FAXes and they send it. They email incoming FAXes to you. Often you get a phone
number from the service that is not in your local calling area. These services
have good equipment and are very dependable when it comes to FAX transmission and
reception. See what the monthly charge would be.

Good luck !

 

[frodo]

re HP All In One: be sure to read the fine print carefully, the lower end
AIO devices don't have a fax modem in the printer device itself, they
depend upon a fax-modem being installed in the host pc - the faxing
function _IS_ integrated into the software package, so it APPEARS that the
faxing is being done by the printer, but it's not. Also, verify that the
faxing can be shared across the network. Your best bet would be a unit
that actually attaches to the network so that the host pc wouldn't need to
be always turned on. Note that ink-jet AIO's have a high cost-per-page
(but do offer color), investing in a mono-laser AIO costs more up front,
but CPP is much lower.

Of course, all you really wanted was a fax! But think of the future ;-)

PC Mag Vol 24, num 4 and num 5 (Mar 8 and Mar 22 2005) pick an HP and a
Brother as Editor's Best.

Look at the Brother line, they are inexpensive and have the lowest CPP
(they use seperate toner and drum cartridges, toner being cheap and drum
being expensive, but long-lived).

Staples is a good place for hands-on shopping (and often offer a rebate),
Sam's Club often has these type of items at low cost, and of course
Newegg.com is one of the best places on-line.

 

[n8rogers]

Forget the hardware and make life easy on yourself. If all computers
are hooked up to the internet than signup for an efax account.

www.efax.com

you can send and recieve faxes right from your e-mail and if someone
leaves the company you can just redirect their faxes to your e-mail
address until the employee is replaced. no hassles with fax modems or
fax machines.

hope that helps.

 

[Guest]

I would recommend www.send2fax.com. You could email or upload, via their webpage, documents in Adobe PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, etc. It also interfaces with Office 2003.

$11.95 for 200 pages/month, $0.10/page thereafter.

Faxes can be received by email to multiple email addresses at no additional charge.

The website explains it all. Cheaper than Efax.

SM

 

[Bill Krahmer]

Hello,

It sounds like you need 32bit Fax. With 32bit Fax, you can convert
documents from any program such as MS Word, MS Excell, Notepad, image
editing software, scanner software, etc... 32bit Fax is also great for
fax group sending. You can download 32bit Fax here:
http://www.electrasoft.com/32bf.htm

32bit Fax will work over the network as you require it to.

32bit Fax can also forward incoming faxes to email.

Let me know if you need any assistance. You can email me or call me at
1-281-261-0307.


Kind Regards,
Bill Krahmer

Internet/network service monitoring software.
"First Alert Service Monitor" - Free trial.
http://www.electrasoft.com/fasm.htm

 

[Pavel]

You need Venta4Net (http://www.venta4net.com). 1-line server + 4 clients = $199

Regards, Pavel