OT: Fax machines on broadband problem?

VOIP doesn't seem to support fax very well. Suggest you consider dropping the line and using a fax-to-computer service (there are a number of them out there). Then you can convert all your voice lines to VOIP and save a lot of money (probably way more than 25% if you're using Ma Bell and have 800 lines). I'm lazy, so I've kept a minimal POTS line (without caller id etc.) for fax, but it's a bit of a waste of money. If you use distinctive ring and a fax that supports it, the line can be used for voice in the case the network goes down or you need to call 911 reliably.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Send it as a PDF. There is too much latency on most VOIP calls, which causes the handshaking between fax machines to fail. Have you looked at the new Magic Jack Plus? It was just put on the market, and plugs into your network to make & recieve calls. No need to leave a computer on all the time. They are $70 for the harware & first year service, and $29,99 a year after that. You could use them for your no fax lines, and leave one POTS line for the FAX machine.

BTW, don't you hate it when you get a fairly new, free laptop that's brain dead? The battery takes acharge, and the charger is good.

I just picked up a Dell Inspiron 1526 that won't turn on. A new CMOS battery may make it work, but they are a royal pain in the DNC to dismantle without breaking something. Apparently, they started dying when the model was just two years old. I still havean old Dell Latitude with Win 98 I use since it's the only laptop one that boots. It needs a new CMOS battery, but it just complains that the RTC clock is wrong when it boots.

Faxes do NOT work on VOIP. If you think that it is liberal propaganda just because I said it, search for "VOIP fax". I have a e-fax account with MyFax.com, which works pretty well for me, since I am mobile.

Some customers still want faxes, especially for legal documents such as NDAs and other contracts. And, you know, the customer is always right.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Do digital faxes (are they?) work better than the butt fugly old fax technology? I always avoided faxes due to the gawdawful lack of clarity. Those just sucked.

I'm photographing documents and sending them as JPGs since I moved to Win7 and my old scanners wouldn't work. Luckily, that happens ony about a dozen times a year.

-- In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create. -- Raoul Vaneigem

I do not have a fax machine (actually I do, but it is not hooked up).

I receive and send faxes through myfax (by email).

The fxes that I have to get from paper, I scan with an old scanner. I wrote a shell script to do it the way I like.

I convert JPEgs to faxes using "convert" Linux utility.

Hmmm, I LIKE Dells! To me, they are easy to disassemble and the connectors are robust. Also, I like the disassembly instructions from Dell and other sources and they are easy and cheap to get parts for.

Yea, yea...Liberal propaganda, THAT must be it! !

Why do these cable people tell me that I'm the only one they have problems with? (It must be because I have conservative leanings) Is there any changes I could make on machine settings that might help?

Didn't see my solution mentioned and it works for me.

I use efax.com with their fax number. All incoming faxes go to them and then come in on email. No more dedicated phone line.

We send outgoing faxes through a printer and modem. I think you can send faxes with efax.com also, but I don't see the need unless you send so many that it ties up your phone lines.

Karl

Tom Gardner wrote in news:qLGdnQa91YTo6EjTnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

I do not know of a cure, but we switched to VOIP from Comcast (I know, but it was the only provider) and, other than initial line problems related to a Comcast lack of actually surveying the site, we have not had any problems with fax on the lines. We have only a two voice line rollover and a single fax line, but I have no reason to assume that if we upped the number of voice lines that it would make a difference. IMHO it remains a crap shoot regarding line quality and service as I think that all the phone and network companies deservie the seventh level of hell and the results you get are primarily based the phase of the moon when they do the install, but we are saving almost 50% over the POTS setup we had and have access to additional services that would have been extra on the old system.

How's the output quality, compared to the raw JPG?

-- In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create. -- Raoul Vaneigem

About same, not surprisingly.

I would say, try voting for Obama and see if this helps.

I send faxes by email. If I need to send a fax to 666-555-1212, I send it to snipped-for-privacy@myfax.com.

I registered both my email addresses with them, so when they get these emails, they send it on my behalf.

OK, if you're sure that will help...how many times? (I'll pretend I'm a Democrat)

I like that! I'll look into it, thanks!

I want to go cable, I like the idea of 12mb internet AND the cost savings. In addition, we'd get free analog TV...not that I'd watch it but it might be nice in the employee break room. (The girls could keep up with their stories.)

Why do you say "not surprisingly"? Fax machines have historically been truly lousy at rendering anything. If they did so, when did they get good? I'll admit that I haven't followed fax technology for years, since I last needed one.

-- In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create. -- Raoul Vaneigem

That Obama, he gonna pay my rent for me and get me free cable!

_Please_ tell me you were joking, Ig.

-- In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create. -- Raoul Vaneigem