setting up fax

[GetGreen]

Hello.
When setting up Windows Fax the instructions say to click on the add/remove
components button and select 'fax services'. However, when I go to add/remove
components, 'fax services' along with other components are already checked.
Does this mean I should uncheck 'fax services' and then select next? I don't
want to inadvertently delete something.

 

[Lem]

Hello.
When setting up Windows Fax the instructions say to click on the add/remove
components button and select 'fax services'. However, when I go to add/remove
components, 'fax services' along with other components are already checked.
Does this mean I should uncheck 'fax services' and then select next? I don't
want to inadvertently delete something.

From your description, it seems that Fax Services has already been
installed. What makes you think it hasn't?

When you click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications is
there an entry for "Fax" in the next menu?

Copy the following line and paste into the Start > Run box.

%SystemRoot%\System32\FxsClnt.exe /new

What happens?

 

[GetGreen]

Thank you.

Yes, there is an entry for fax; and when I copy and paste the line into the
run menu, the fax console comes up. So does this mean I am setup to fax?

Thanks again.
Michelle

 

[Lem]

Thank you.

Yes, there is an entry for fax; and when I copy and paste the line into the
run menu, the fax console comes up. So does this mean I am setup to fax?

Thanks again.
Michelle

Yes (almost; see below to configure fax) ... but remember, you need to
connect your fax modem to an analog phone line (regular, old-fashioned
phone line). If you have DSL service, you can share the line with
phone/fax and DSL by using appropriate filters. If you have cable
internet service, you need to use a "real" phone line for the fax, not
the cable connection.

See this article and follow directions to configure the fax:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306550

One of the screens in the Fax Configuration Wizard allows you to specify
if the fax modem will automatically answer (after N rings) or if you
must manually answer. Keep in mind that Windows XP Fax Services *cannot*
distinguish between incoming fax calls and incoming voice calls. Thus,
if you connect the fax modem to a phone line that is shared with your
regular telephone, you may want to set the fax to manual receive to
prevent Fax Services from answering all of your incoming calls.

"TSID" is the telephone number of the line to which you connect the fax
modem.

 

[GetGreen]

Thank you Lem for sharing the information and continued help.
I seem to be encountering a problem when I configure the fax console. A
message comes up that says, "a connection to the fax swerver cannot be made".
Any suggestions on how I should proceed from here?

Again, your advice is much appreciated.
Michelle

 

[Lem]

Thank you Lem for sharing the information and continued help.
I seem to be encountering a problem when I configure the fax console. A
message comes up that says, "a connection to the fax swerver cannot be made".
Any suggestions on how I should proceed from here?

Again, your advice is much appreciated.
Michelle

This issue sometimes comes up if an antivirus application interferes
with the installation of Fax Services. However, because you started this
thread with Fax Services apparently already installed, I assume that you
are not aware of any error messages that might have appeared during the
installation.

You could try UNchecking the box for Fax Services in Add/Remove Windows
components and clicking OK (which should uninstall it), then temporarily
disabling your antivirus application, and then reinstalling Fax Services.

You should also confirm that you actually do have a fax modem. Open
Device Manager (right click "My Computer" > Properties > Hardware >
Device Manager) and expand the entry for "Modems" by clicking the +. If
the modem description does not explicitly include the word "fax" or
"faxmodem" try Googling for the manufacturer's web page.

Even if you have a fax modem, Windows Fax Services may not work with it
-- there used to be a "hardware compatibility list" (now replaced by the
Windows Logo'd Products List). If your modem is listed, it's supposed
to work; if your modem isn't listed, working is not guaranteed. There
are, however, fax modems not on the list that do work.
http://winqual.microsoft.com/HCL/Default.aspx?m=x

To quote from MS-MVP Hal Hostetler, who is knowledgeable about Windows Fax:

<QUOTE>
It's likely you have security data base corruption as documented here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884018/EN-US/
You cannot add a Windows component in Windows XP

You can either:

1. Get the hotfix mentioned in the KB article and install it. Microsoft
usually waives any charges for support calls to get supported hotfixes
listed in Knowledge Base articles.

2. Try this procedure using the Esentutl.exe utility mentioned in the KB
article to recover from security database corruption:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c00270202
HP and Compaq Notebook PCs: Unable to Install Windows XP Fax Software

I can report that the Esentutl utility has corrected the problem in a
number of cases, HOWEVER, note that Microsoft does NOT recommend that
you use the utility and would prefer you try the hotfix.

</QUOTE>

Or ... you can try posting a new thread in this newsgroup with the
subject "a connection to the fax server cannot be made" and perhaps
someone with more specific knowledge than me will respond.

 

[GetGreen]

Thank you for your continued help Lem.

When I try to configure the fax console I am getting a message that says "A
connection to the fax server cannot be made". Seems I am hung up at this
point. Do you have any suggestions.

Thank you again.
Michelle

 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Lem wrote:

Yes (almost; see below to configure fax) ... but remember, you need to
connect your fax modem to an analog phone line (regular, old-fashioned
phone line). If you have DSL service, you can share the line with
phone/fax and DSL by using appropriate filters. If you have cable
internet service, you need to use a "real" phone line for the fax, not
the cable connection.

<snip>
The bit about not being able to fax with a cable connection isn't
necessarily true; If the user has cable telephone service (in addition
to Internet service) it will probably work. It does for me. It's my
understanding that faxing won't work with some cable phone services, but
it works with my Time Warner connection.

 

[Lem]

Lem wrote:

<snip>
The bit about not being able to fax with a cable connection isn't
necessarily true; If the user has cable telephone service (in addition
to Internet service) it will probably work. It does for me. It's my
understanding that faxing won't work with some cable phone services, but
it works with my Time Warner connection.

The key word in this comment is "necessarily." Maybe it will work and
maybe it won't. Those with cable connections might be interested in
reading the following: http://www.soft-switch.org/foip.html but the best
advice, if you don't have a regular telephone line, is to ask your VoIP
provider if faxing will work.

See the following Google results for more:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=fax+over+voip&aq=2&aqi=g10&oq=fax+over&fp=df82d86320cf60e9

 

[Andrew Rinaldi]

The key word in this comment is "necessarily." Maybe it will work and
maybe it won't. Those with cable connections might be interested in
reading the following: http://www.soft-switch.org/foip.html but the best
advice, if you don't have a regular telephone line, is to ask your VoIP
provider if faxing will work.

See the following Google results for more:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=fax+over+voip&aq=2&aqi=g10&oq=fax+over&fp=df82d86320cf60e9

I concur that the key word here is "necessarily". Here are some similar
articles regarding the challenges faced when carrying fax over IP:

http://www.voipplanet.com/solutions/article.php/3810471

http://www.bustosfaxsettlement.com/index.htm

http://www.hylafax.sourceforge.net/docs/fax-over-voip.pdf

 

[Andrew Rinaldi]

http://www.hylafax.sourceforge.net/docs/fax-over-voip.pdf

Should be:

http://hylafax.sourceforge.net/docs/fax-over-voip.pdf