help with lexmark x7170

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plbrown

I live in the UK. I'm using a lexmark x7170 currently. For the fax
it's on its own dedicated line, but these days with so few faxes it
seems a waste and I wanted to connect it to the main office line. I
rang up lexmark and they said that if i bought a filter/splitter(?)
and plugged this in at the wall socket and then had one line running
to the lexmark and one to the phone, then the splitter would recognise
a fax and direct it to the lexmark - otherwise the calls would go
through to the phone. To be honest the person did sound very
convincing. Even they just "thought" that these filters were
available.

Help please
Peter
 
plbrown said:
I live in the UK. I'm using a lexmark x7170 currently. For the fax
it's on its own dedicated line, but these days with so few faxes it
seems a waste and I wanted to connect it to the main office line. I
rang up lexmark and they said that if i bought a filter/splitter(?)
and plugged this in at the wall socket and then had one line running
to the lexmark and one to the phone, then the splitter would recognise
a fax and direct it to the lexmark - otherwise the calls would go
through to the phone. To be honest the person did sound very
convincing. Even they just "thought" that these filters were
available.

Help please
Peter
Click to expand...

Sounds strange to me, although I cannot speak for what is available in the UK.
Normally the way to set up a FAX on the same line as a phone is to get your
phone provider to provide you with distinctive ring. This is a second phone
number on the same physical line that has a distinctive ring sound different to
the phone ring. Then enable distinctive ring in the FAX machine, you may also
need to select the actual ring type since there are several distinctive rings
used by various phone companies. When correctly set the FAX will only answer a
call when the distinctive ring occurs. Your phone company may be able to assign
your current FAX number to the distinctive ring to save you advising people
that your FAX number has changed. The phone provider usually charges for this
service but at a much cheaper rate than a second line. This model appears to
support Distinctive Ring.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
plbrown said:
I live in the UK. I'm using a lexmark x7170 currently. For the fax
it's on its own dedicated line, but these days with so few faxes it
seems a waste and I wanted to connect it to the main office line. I
rang up lexmark and they said that if i bought a filter/splitter(?)
and plugged this in at the wall socket and then had one line running
to the lexmark and one to the phone, then the splitter would recognise
a fax and direct it to the lexmark - otherwise the calls would go
through to the phone. To be honest the person did sound very
convincing. Even they just "thought" that these filters were
available.

Help please
Peter
Click to expand...

Peter
I just read your post again.
The person at Lexmark was on the right track. You will of course need a
splitter unless you have a second phone outlet on your main phone line. All the
splitter does however is to allow you to connect your FAX machine to the phone
line, it cannot in any way tell the difference between a FAX or phone call. The
part they left out was the distictive ring option which is essential. It may be
that in the UK you can get a splitter that detects the distinctive ring and
diverts the call to the FAX machine, I don't know, but in that case you still
need destinctive ring. In any event since the FAX machine supports this
facility a simple splitter will work (just like sharing two phones on the same
line).
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
Peter
I just read your post again.
The person at Lexmark was on the right track. You will of course need a
splitter unless you have a second phone outlet on your main phone line. All the
splitter does however is to allow you to connect your FAX machine to the phone
line, it cannot in any way tell the difference between a FAX or phone call. The
part they left out was the distictive ring option which is essential. It may be
that in the UK you can get a splitter that detects the distinctive ring and
diverts the call to the FAX machine, I don't know, but in that case you still
need destinctive ring. In any event since the FAX machine supports this
facility a simple splitter will work (just like sharing two phones on the same
line).
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
Click to expand...

I rang up Lexmark again and surprise surprise got a different answer.
This time they said that if the line rang from the wall socket into
the lexmark and then from the lexmark to a phone and "then set it up
properly" it would work. However they were confused as to how to set
things up!? Any ideas?
 
plbrown said:
I rang up Lexmark again and surprise surprise got a different answer.
This time they said that if the line rang from the wall socket into
the lexmark and then from the lexmark to a phone and "then set it up
properly" it would work. However they were confused as to how to set
things up!? Any ideas?
Click to expand...

If your Lexmark has an EXT socket you can use that to answer the phone. You
will need to plug a telephone into that socket.
But, and it's a big BUT, you will have to answer every call from this phone and
listen to see if the call is a FAX. If it is a FAX then you push a button on
the Lexmark and it will take over the call. The instructions that came with the
printer should explain how to do this. The downside is that you cannot answer
the call from any other phone, and when you are not in the office you will need
to set the Lexmark to answer all calls or you may miss a FAX. This is less of a
problem if the Lexmark has a built in answering machine.
The issue boils down to that fact that until a call is answered there is no way
for a human being or a fax machine to know if it is a FAX or a voice call
unless the ring is different for each.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
If yourLexmarkhas an EXT socket you can use that to answer the phone. You
will need to plug a telephone into that socket.
But, and it's a big BUT, you will have to answer every call from this phone and
listen to see if the call is a FAX. If it is a FAX then you push a button on
theLexmarkand it will take over the call. The instructions that came with the
printer should explain how to do this. The downside is that you cannot answer
the call from any other phone, and when you are not in the office you will need
to set theLexmarkto answer all calls or you may miss a FAX. This is less of a
problem if theLexmarkhas a built in answering machine.
The issue boils down to that fact that until a call is answered there is no way
for a human being or a fax machine to know if it is a FAX or a voice call
unless the ring is different for each.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted tex
Click to expand...

So if I'm out how does it work?? I rang up lexmark and eventually got
through to somebody who knew what they were doing and admitted what
Tony says above. Furthermore none of their range does what I want.
Ditto Brother. Their printers answer after two rings and then decide
fax/call - so it won't go through to an answerphone. I then rang up
HP. They have a number of printers starting at sterling80 ($130) that
do just what I want. They decide at point of reception whether it's a
fax (in which case it doesn't even ring) or voice call (in which case
it rings) and then if I'm not in goes to answerphone. The models they
mentioned were 5610, 6180 and 7180. Unless they've now got that
wrong!?!
 
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