1 phone line, answering machine and fax

[olds]

We have a separate line into the home office.
There is a phone with an answering machine and a fax hooked to it.
If the phone rings with a fax and no one answers it, the answering machine gets it passes it over to the fax.
Fax is received fine.

But, if the phone rings and we answer it and hear a fax tone, the fax is lost. Even if we hang right up. I thought the handshake would be long enough to make up for picking up the line. I guess not.

I know there are devices that that go on the phone line that will send the faxes to the fax and calls to the answering machine, if no one picks up.
But how do we set this up so that if we pick up a call and it's a fax, the fax machine will get it?

Fax is an HP OfficeJet 4110 and the phone is a standard, corded phone.
TIA

 

[SilentRunning]

According to the manual you need to attach the Officejet 4110 to the wall and the answering machine/phone to the OfficeJet. That way the fax can always hear the handshake and intercept the fax.

Manual (refer to page 41, acrobat page 45)

 

[olds]

Thanks, I'll try it. That is a different manual than the one I have but it's worth a try.

 

[Zepper]

Hey Oldsmoboat,

If that doesn't work for some reason, I have a Catch-A-Call box that will automatically distribute incoming calls to the appropriate device. Supports phone, answering machine, fax and modem. It's in the listing at the link in my sig, below.

.bh.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Hey Oldsmoboat,

If that doesn't work for some reason, I have a Catch-A-Call box that will automatically distribute incoming calls to the appropriate device. Supports phone, answering machine, fax and modem. It's in the listing at the link in my sig, below.

.bh.

How does it work when you are home, answer the phone, hear the handshake and hang up?

 

[Zepper]

The Catch A Call is intended to allow you to answer a Call Waiting call while online with a dial-up modem. It detects the Call waiting tone and puts the modem on hold, beeps and allows you to talk for up to 30 seconds to decide whether you want to take the call or keep surfing. It doesn't have the call distribution. I thought I remembered it did but it is the Catch A Call Gold that has both - sorry, my mistake.

Command Telecom makes good call distributors but they aren't cheap. Plugging your answering machine into the aux phone jack on the fax machine and then your phone into the phone jack on the answering machine should work for what you need.

eBay usually has some of the call distributors (aka phone line monitors or phone line sharing device) at a decent price if the simple way outlined above doesn't work.

.bh

Search on- Comswitch -on eBay and you'll find them. And here is the link to the Command Communications web site so you'll know which model will suit you best.
http://www.commandcommunications.com/index.php .bh.