xp fax mode

[RB]

Still not clear about receiving and sending faxes..... I'm set up with XP
and DSL.

1. Can my computer receive faxes sent to me, without previous arrangement,
anytime my computer is online? What about when offline? (What I'm really
asking here is whether or not XP fax is like having a dedicated fax machine
online 24/7)

2. When someone sends me a fax, do they just use the same phone line my
computer is hooked to?

3. Doesn't an incoming fax tie up the phone line, for voice/conversation
purposes? We use one phone line, as it is, for phone calls and simultaneous
computer activity (which is one of the big benefits of going to DSL over
dialup; i.e, dialup ties up the phone line).

4. If incoming faxes come in over our normal phone line, how does the fax
get to the right place? (We have phones and a hi speed modem all on the one
phone line). How does the fax know to get to the computer modem?

5. I assume sending faxes requires the phone line be clear of other voice
traffic. Is this correct? Or, can the computer send out faxes over phone
conversations on the line?

 

[David Candy]

1. Yes XP must be on if you have a fax modem. Your DSL is irrelevent.

2. Yes - like every other fax machine in the world.

3. Yes. Dialup and faxing are quite similar in concepts. DSL has nothing to do with it.

4. There are different ways. Talk to your phone company. But on a standard phone line you get the fax to answer after x number of rings, like every other fax in the world. Phone companies offer distintive ring.

5. Faxing is one machine ringing another and sending it tones in the voice range.

There is no difference between faxing, ringing (calling in american), and dialup. They all ring phone numbers. You can whistle a fax through if you want. Talking sends vocal movements, faxing and dialup send tones. To the phone system there is no difference.

 

[Rob Schneider]

The software provided by XP to send/receive faxes requires a modem and
"normal" phone line with dial-tone. It is not designed to connect to DSL
or to a fax server on the network somewhere. As you are currently setup
DSL has nothing to do with your sending/receiving faxes.

There are surely internet-based services to which you can subscribe to
send and receive faxes. Efax.com is one of them. See more at
http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Internet_Fax/?tc=1/

These services will describe how you connect. Software on your PC
communicates with their fax servers via your DSL internet connection. I
suspect that your XP Fax software won't work, but they will explain
what's needed for their services.

See below for more.

Still not clear about receiving and sending faxes..... I'm set up with XP
and DSL.

1. Can my computer receive faxes sent to me, without previous arrangement,
anytime my computer is online? What about when offline? (What I'm really
asking here is whether or not XP fax is like having a dedicated fax machine
online 24/7)

Being online/offline via DSL has nothing to do with it. Your computer
has to be connected to a modem which is connected to a working phone line.

2. When someone sends me a fax, do they just use the same phone line my
computer is hooked to?

They phone number to which you have connected the modem line to.

3. Doesn't an incoming fax tie up the phone line, for voice/conversation
purposes? We use one phone line, as it is, for phone calls and simultaneous
computer activity (which is one of the big benefits of going to DSL over
dialup; i.e, dialup ties up the phone line).

Yes. A fax call is the same as a voice call.

4. If incoming faxes come in over our normal phone line, how does the fax
get to the right place? (We have phones and a hi speed modem all on the one
phone line). How does the fax know to get to the computer modem?

Some fax software (and I don't know about XP's fax program) are
sophisticated enough to detect incoming fax. XP's fax progarm is very
basic. You might want to explore commerical 3rd party alternatives.

5. I assume sending faxes requires the phone line be clear of other voice
traffic. Is this correct? Or, can the computer send out faxes over phone
conversations on the line?

No. When the phone is busy it is busy.

 

[RB]

}}} The software provided by XP to send/receive faxes requires a modem and
"normal" phone line with dial-tone. It is not designed to connect to DSL
{{{

I definitely needed to know this.

What I now have is a dedicated 24/7 fax machine on a dedicated phone line.
I was wondering if I could eliminate the fax machine and dedicated line by
using computer fax. So, started looking into the XP "built-in" fax feature.

However, it's already looking like the computer fax isn't the way for me to
go.

 

[Rob Schneider]

}}} The software provided by XP to send/receive faxes requires a modem and
"normal" phone line with dial-tone. It is not designed to connect to DSL
{{{

I definitely needed to know this.

What I now have is a dedicated 24/7 fax machine on a dedicated phone line.
I was wondering if I could eliminate the fax machine and dedicated line by
using computer fax. So, started looking into the XP "built-in" fax feature.

However, it's already looking like the computer fax isn't the way for me to
go.

Computer FAX will work for you, but just not with the standard XP FAX
software that requires a modem and phone (which you don't want to share).

Look into the FAX internet services in that Google link I have you.
They will make FAX available 24 hrs/day.

The way to think of this .... when you send FAX's, you *never* send them
to someone's IP network address, or to their email addresss, do you. You
send them to their phone number. A phone number is the "portal" to send
and receive FAX's. To send you have to use a phone. To receive, you
have to present a phone to the person sending you a FAX.

These internet-based FAX services present a phone *for* you to receive
faxes and then they send it to you (via email, or other means). To send
FAX, you send them a file (scanned doc, file, etc.) which they send to a
fax server which shoves it out on onto the phone netowrk *for* you for
delivery to where it's intended.

 

[David Candy]

Just replace the fax machine with a modem.

 

[Battleax]

}}} The software provided by XP to send/receive faxes requires a modem and
"normal" phone line with dial-tone. It is not designed to connect to DSL
{{{

I definitely needed to know this.

What I now have is a dedicated 24/7 fax machine on a dedicated phone line.
I was wondering if I could eliminate the fax machine and dedicated line by
using computer fax. So, started looking into the XP "built-in" fax feature.

However, it's already looking like the computer fax isn't the way for me to
go.

If you rely on faxes for business I'd stay with the seprate machine.
b

 

[RB]

No business apps; just personal/private. But, that now seems to be the best
way: just stick with my old fax machine and dedicated line.

 

[Rob Schneider]

If you rely on faxes for business I'd stay with the seprate machine.

b

Excellent point. Good catch.