billbrandi said:
Basic queston: I would like to send/receive faxes using my computer but I
understand that my cable modem will not support this. Can I use the phone
line coming into my house for fax sending/revceiving, and, if so, how do I
configure so that an incoming phone call goes to the phone and an incoming
fax goes to the fax software?
If you have a fax modem (which is not your "cable modem") and Windows XP
"likes" your particular brand and model (not at all a given; see
http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/results.aspx?bcatId=539&dfw=1), then
you can use the Microsoft Fax Console (which you will have to add as a
Windows XP component from Control Panel Add/Remove Software), then you
*may* be able to send and receive faxes using your computer and your
regular telephone line. (I can, and my modem isn't even on that list.)
WinXP Fax will NOT be able to determine what calls to answer; that is,
it either will answer all calls or no calls. If you want to have a
setup such that an incoming voice call goes to your phone and an
incoming fax call goes to your computer, you will have to buy a
third-party switch, such as
http://www.command-comm.com/fax_switch/fax_switch.html
Sorry. Microsoft seems to have decided that faxes are an outdated means
of communication. Faxing was supported better in Win98 than WinXP, and
I wouldn't be surprised if it's not supported at all in Vista or
whatever eventually will come next.
