Still have questions about setting up Fax in Windows XP

G

Guest

Have read all info I can find on installing/enabling fax in windows xp. Have
gone through all steps, but don't quite get how it works yet! Re:
TSID/CSID...directions say this is mandatory in some areas, so do I have to
put something in this field? If so, what? To receive a fax, what is my fax
number? My computer is not connected to my phone line! Can I still send a fax
since not connected to phone line? This is also why I'm confused about what
to put for TSID/CSID...read where somebody else put phone#, but not sure why
I would put that on mine. Hope this makes sense! Thanks for any help anybody
might have.
 
C

CWatters

Deb said:
Have read all info I can find on installing/enabling fax in windows xp. Have
gone through all steps, but don't quite get how it works yet! Re:
TSID/CSID...directions say this is mandatory in some areas, so do I have to
put something in this field? If so, what? To receive a fax, what is my fax
number? My computer is not connected to my phone line! Can I still send a fax
since not connected to phone line? This is also why I'm confused about what
to put for TSID/CSID...read where somebody else put phone#, but not sure why
I would put that on mine. Hope this makes sense! Thanks for any help anybody
might have.

Two ways to do this:

1) Connect a phone line (if you have a modem in your PC)

2) Use an Internet based fax service like:
http://home.efax.com/
http://www.fax4free.com/home.asp
or others.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Internet+based+fax
 
V

Vanguard

Deb said:
Have read all info I can find on installing/enabling fax in windows
xp. Have
gone through all steps, but don't quite get how it works yet! Re:
TSID/CSID...directions say this is mandatory in some areas, so do I
have to
put something in this field? If so, what?

Anything you want but preferrably something that might mean something to
the recipient of your fax. You could, for example, use FAXnnnnnnnnnn
where it lists your own fax number. Or you could use
DebraMessing-nnnnnnnnnn, or YourCompanyName-nnnnnnnnnn, or
DebraMessing-YourCompanyName, and there are lots of choices. Just
choose how you want to identify yourself. Putting in a bogus value that
deliberately misleads the fax recipient is considered fraud. If you
don't divulge your personal telephone number for privacy concerns then
obviously don't use it in the TSID and instead use your fax number (if
different than your personal phone number).

Since you are using a telecommunications venue to send the fax, the TSID
((Transmitting Subscriber IDentification, or Transmitting Station
Identification) should include a phone number as part of the
identification. The TSID should provide enough info that the fax
recipient can send you back a fax (without reading your cover letter
which lists the fax number since they may not get the cover letter
provided you even included one) or call you regarding the fax that you
sent them. The TSID is usually a combination of the fax or telephone
number and the name of the sender or their business name. This value
goes by the name of Caller Subscriber ID (CSID). The TSID gets printed
as a header at the top of each page of your fax. Since you may not be
including a cover letter or cover page which identifies you, the TSID
should be sufficient for the recipient to know how to contact you.
To receive a fax, what is my fax
number? My computer is not connected to my phone line! Can I still
send a fax
since not connected to phone line?

Can you scan a document by holding it up to your monitor?

If you are using an analog *modem* with fax abilities, just how do you
think that fax will get sent? It is a modem which means .... yep, you
guessed it ... that it must be connected to a telephone line. You can
use online fax services to eliminate the need for a fax modem and a
telephone line but expect to pay for it. There are still some online
fax services that are free but only for receiving faxes via e-mail. To
send, you have to pay them, and you'll have to use their software
because the Fax Service in WinXP is designed to work with a fax modem.

See http://snipurl.com/cwsf. Besides http://www.tpc.int/ for free (but
somewhat unreliable) Internet faxing, some services, like
http://www.freefax.com, claim to be free but they are advertisement
support and they use tpc.int for delivery, so there's no point in using
them since they use the same provider and would end up polluting your
faxes. You'll have to visit their web sites to see what client software
they require or how to use them. I haven't sent a fax except maybe once
in 8 years because the gov't wanted a fax of some document. I have a
freebie eFax account to receive faxes via e-mail (so I don't need to
bother leaving the fax modem and software enabled).
This is also why I'm confused about what
to put for TSID/CSID...read where somebody else put phone#, but not
sure why
I would put that on mine. Hope this makes sense! Thanks for any help
anybody
might have.

This field should have some identifying information regarding YOU.
Could be your name, address, telephone number, fax number, or whatever
you like but it should point back to you. Don't use personal info like
your social security number or driver's license. When configuring the
device under the Fax printer's properties, it gives a hint as to what
you should use for the TSID value.

You could go read some fax stuff at
http://www.junkfaxes.org/federal_law.htm. Visit their home page to note
that citations and fines are getting levied against fax spammers.
Whether the laws are applicable or not depends entirely on your
location.
 
R

R. C. White

Hi, Deb.

I've never had a fax machine, but I did send and receive a few faxes back
when I had a dial-up modem (before ADSL). And I think that may be the heart
of your problem. As CWatters and Vanguard both said, you must have a phone
line. But what they both omitted is that you must also be able to dial the
fax phone number. You must have a DIALER - something your computer can used
to make the audible beeps and boops that the phone will send to the phone
switch to make the destination fax ring.

Is that right, guys?

When I had dial-up, I could use the modem as a speed-dialer to make a voice
(or fax) call. My ADSL "modem" uses the phone line, but it does not include
a dialer and I've given away my old modem, so I can't do that anymore.

RC
 
V

Vanguard

R. C. White said:
Hi, Deb.

I've never had a fax machine, but I did send and receive a few faxes
back when I had a dial-up modem (before ADSL). And I think that may
be the heart of your problem. As CWatters and Vanguard both said, you
must have a phone line. But what they both omitted is that you must
also be able to dial the fax phone number. You must have a DIALER -
something your computer can used to make the audible beeps and boops
that the phone will send to the phone switch to make the destination
fax ring.

Is that right, guys?

The client for the Fax Service uses the fax modem to make the
connection. It is the application that sends the commands to the modem
to unhook (connect) and also issues commands to the modem to have the
modem pickup the line and make the dialing tones. Applications don't
dial. They send commands to the device. The modem does the connect and
dialing. Not much of a difference than a data-only modem that connects,
dials, and handshakes with your ISP's dial-up modem pool. The fax
program sends commands to the modem which then connects and issues the
dialing tones.
When I had dial-up, I could use the modem as a speed-dialer to make a
voice (or fax) call. My ADSL "modem" uses the phone line, but it does
not include a dialer and I've given away my old modem, so I can't do
that anymore.

That is because aDSL is an always-on connection. You don't need to do
the connect and dialing tones but the aDSL still has to handshake for a
session (probably takes all of a third of a second).
 
G

Guest

Thanks to all for the info....hooked up a phone line and was able to receive
fax and to send fax!!! Just ONE more thing...Please. I guess I'd figure this
out eventually, but maybe someone knows.
What I want to do is fax a word document. There is an option in word...under
file...send to...fax recipient. Fax wizard comes up. Tried it. My recipient
should have rec'd three pages, however only rec'd fax cover. Checked fax
help. Advises not to use this method! Haven't had time to read what method TO
USE. Anybody know? Trying to get my resume to somebody for whom I only have a
fax number, but don't want to take forever! (already wasted yesterday testing
it) Thanks.
Deb.
 

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