Sending Faxes

[Duckbutt]

I’ve just installed a Netgear WG111T wireless modem on my ‘puter. I am very pleased with the performance and am ready to get rid of the now bypassed telephone extension lead which was the main point of the exercise as the somewhat intrusive existence of this irritated my wife.

I work from home and get to send a significant number of faxes from the machine. These are transmitted through the built in modem which of course if I eliminate the extension lead, will no longer communicate with the telephone network (nor will I be able to get ‘Outlook’ to dial phone numbers for me).

Can some kindly soul advise if and how it could be possible to transmit faxes and/or dial numbers by way of the Netgear?

[BOAC]

As I understand it, you require specialist software to enable fax sending on b/band. I cannot do it with WinFax10 and have to annoy my wife (further!!) by disconnecting the b/band and using the phone line.

If anyone knows a 'fix' for this, I'm interested!! WinFax refers to a 'CAPI' driver which I cannot locate.

[newswatcher]

I know it is not the answer for which you were looking, but can you not leave your "old" modem attached, so that you can use it for fax and broadband backup? Or have you located your main PC in a non-phone socket area?

I have "lost" my broadband service several times during the past year, sometimes for 2-3 hours, and the backup modem has proved a god-send.


See also:
"Internet fax service providers are ideally suited for working with DSL / ADSL / ISDN / cable broadband internet connections. An extensive list of internet fax services can be found on this site.

[BOAC]

Interesting, newswatcher, as that is what I have, but it appears that when BT 'enable' your line (in my part of the world, anyway) they 'spit' it, leaving you with a max connect of 19200 on the 'voice' part of the line which is what is used for fax (no problem) and 'dial-up' (problem).

I have not found a way around it yet!

[Duckbutt]

Thanks for your interest Mr(?) Newswatcher. As I run my own small company from home I have converted a bedroom into an office and for the last couple of years I have used a telephone extension lead to connect to the master phone socket downstairs. Despite considerable effort the lead is somewhat visually intrusive as is the consequent earache, hence the purchase of the Netgear as an early Christmas present installed with a view to eliminating the necessity of the lead to connect with the outside world.

I will investigate the site you have linked to.

[Tone]

We use RighFax in the office, works very well and integrates with MS Office. Worth a Google.
Tone

...that should be RightFax

[Ausatco]

Duckbutt

In your telephone line install an ADSL filter/splitter near your ADSL modem/router.

There will be two outputs from the splitter/filter, one with ADSL (it will be clearly marked) that you should connect to your ADSL modem/router.

The other will be a phone line output. Use a short piece of telephone cable with suitable plugs/jacks at each end (I think they're RJ4) to connect that to an in-line telephone double adapter. That, in turn, will have two outputs - one to connect to your your phone, the other to your PC's phone line socket on the built in fax modem.

You should then be able to send a fax OR use your phone while still connected to ADSL. You can't do phone and fax together as they're both phone services, but you can do either phone OR fax simultaneously with ADSL on the same line.

Well you can in OZ and we modelled our system on yours, I think.

Cheers
AA

[newswatcher]

That's interesting BOAC. My local "loop" is provided by BT, but the Broadband is provided by Onetel. I have never needed to check the speed, so I don't know what it is. In "backup" mode, I restrict myself to EMail, online banking etc., NEVER file transfers!

Duckbutt, I see your problem, I don't think Mrs N/W would be pleased with a trailing cable either. Please let us know how you get on, if you decide to use an Internet Fax provider.

[BOAC]

news - it was Onetel (dialup for backup) who told me about the split line and speed limit. Interested to hear if you investigate.

Aussie - that is exactly the setup I have and it will not 'do' fax with b/band connected - or not that I have managed yet! It drops the ADSL when I dial with the modem. Maybe there is a 'Gates' setting I have not made?

[Memetic]

I'm with Ausatco.

I'm pretty sure you can use fax on an adsl line as in our last office we converted what was a dedicated fax lin into the main ADSL feed for our office.

Dropping the ADSL line sounds likley if you are using a USB ADSL connection but not on a router. Windows may decide it knows best about having two modem conenctions on one line and drop you - not sure, but I can imagine it seeming sensible to a designer.

As for the "speed limit" if my memory is still working this late class 2 fax is sent at 14400 bps if an upper limit of 19200 does apply it will probably have no real impact.

One question Duckbutt, who do you deal with who preffers fax to email? Lawyers? I have sent two faxes in the last three months and one of those was from my mobile phone as a back up to email.

[BrakesOff]

Have you considered any of the online fax providers? These services provide you with a UK telephone number which delivers faxes to you via email attachment. You can also register to send faxes online. Monthly cost ranges from £8 - £15 plus cost per page which again varies. Depends which service you go with.

Not sure if I can post a direct link to the providers but a search on Google for jFax, eFax or YAC should provide you with more info.

[BOAC]

Maybe that is it - I'll have to wait until I get a router, I guess as it IS USB. Confirm 19200 is adequate for faxes.