desktop faxing / voicemail

  • Thread starter Thread starter In Disguise
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I

In Disguise

got a standalone pc at home with dsl. what is a good product that would
be able to replace my fax machine and answering machine? i'd prefer to
do it all through the computer and eliminate the second line.

thanks!
 
Sending a fax when you have DSL requires one of two methods:

1. You obtain a DSL line filter suitable for connecting a standard voice
telephone to the DSL line, then connect your analog fax modem to the line
through the line filter. Your DSL provider has these filters, as does your
local Radio Shack store:

http://www.radioshack.com/category....4_004_002_000&Page=1&find=dsl filter(keyword)

2. You hire an Internet E-faxing service:

http://www.slipstick.com/addins/services/fax.htm#internetfax
Personal Fax Services - Internet Fax
http://www.savetz.com/fax/
FAQ: How can I send a fax from the Internet?

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-DTS -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Still Cadillacin' - www.badnewsbluesband.com
 
Hal,

Let's get past the presumption that I'm totally stupid for a moment. I
don't want internet faxing - I want to fax to and from my PC as I
stated. When you say "DSL line filter, do I assume that you mean the
micro-filters that come with my DSL modem/router? If so, I have plenty
of those.

Winfax Pro can fax, but not sure if it can handle the answering machine
piece. I tried calling in several times, but got an Indian Call Center
that didn't understand what an answering machine is! (So frustrated!!!)

I never asked how I could fax from the internet, so I'm not sure where
you got that. Here's what I asked:

"got a standalone pc at home with dsl. what is a good product that
would be able to replace my fax machine and answering machine? i'd
prefer to do it all through the computer and eliminate the second line."

Where does the word "internet" come from? How did you extrapolate
"faxing from the internet" from this? I ask because if I made it
unclear, I'd like to know how I can make it more clear.
 
To my knowledge, there is no such product. If you intend to use the DSL
line, ANY and ALL third party software will need to use a suitable analog
Fax/Data/Voice modem connected through a line filter like the one I linked
from Radio Shack. Without these filters, analog telephone equipment will
not work with a DSL enabled phone line and you will have to retain your
second line. You will require third party software because, as you know,
Windows XP Fax offers no answering machine functionality at all.

Internet Fax entered the picture because it's the only other Fax methodology
available for use with a DSL or Cable line. MANY people get the impression
that, because the connection devices for these lines are called "modems",
they can be used to send Faxes and can replace or eliminate the need for a
Fax modem combined with a normal telephone line. As such, a VERY COMMON
question is "How do I send Faxes with my DSL or Cable Modem?"; one CANNOT
send a Fax with either of these "modems", so I routinely add information
about Internet Faxing whenever I see "DSL" or "Cable modem" and "Fax" in the
same post. If you look through this newsgroup a bit, you'll be amazed how
often this question is asked. Forgive me, I meant no insult to your
intelligence.

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-DTS -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Still Cadillacin' - www.badnewsbluesband.com
 
In line...

In Disguise said:
Hal,

Let's get past the presumption that I'm totally stupid for a moment. I
don't want internet faxing - I want to fax to and from my PC as I
stated. When you say "DSL line filter, do I assume that you mean the
micro-filters that come with my DSL modem/router? If so, I have plenty
of those.
Click to expand...

Hal provided a link to *exactly* what he was referring to. If you're not
totally stupid you must be partially stupid and too lazy to follow the link.
Winfax Pro can fax, but not sure if it can handle the answering machine
piece. I tried calling in several times, but got an Indian Call Center
that didn't understand what an answering machine is! (So frustrated!!!)
Click to expand...

You tried "calling in" *where* several times??? If you have WinFax, then
you should also have its documentation, or at least its help files, so how
is it, if you're not totally stupid, that you don't know what it can and
can't do?
I never asked how I could fax from the internet, so I'm not sure where
you got that. Here's what I asked:
Click to expand...

I think Hal was aware of what you had asked, as I know for certain that Hal
isn't "totally stupid." So shoot the guy for trying to be helpful and
anticipate a frequently-asked question, a fact you would have ascertained if
you had searched the group before asking your question.
"got a standalone pc at home with dsl. what is a good product that
would be able to replace my fax machine and answering machine? i'd
prefer to do it all through the computer and eliminate the second line."
Click to expand...

There are so-called "voice and fax" modems that will do what you want,
assuming you have the proper filter in place. In fact, it's possible that
*your* modem is one of these. If you are clueless as to the capabilities of
Winfax there's no reason to assume you know anything about your modem. Use
Google.
 
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