Help Me: Fax Phone Line Set Up

[JackSpadesSI]

I have an all-in-one printer (HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus) which has fax capability. I would like to use the fax portion of the all-in-one. However, my house only has one phone line, though.

How do I set up the fax so that it can function correctly, while not interfering with my phone? Is there a way for the fax to "know" when a call is a fax vs. a real phone call so that it won't pick up at the wrong time?

 

[Lemon law]

Exactly the same dilemma I have with a different all in one printer.

Step one, for an incoming fax, you must set the fax to only answer when prompted by a human, otherwise the fax itself will answer every call and usually beat an answering machine to it.

Step 2, you the human can answer all calls, if it a regular voice call, you handle it as a voice call, if you hear fax tones instead, don't hang up the phone yet, enable your fax to join in on the line, and when your hear fax tones from your fax, you can hang up the phone and let the fax do the rest. Yhere is usually a view screen on the fax that will let monitor the progress, at first the two faxes have to connect, then they have to transmit 1 or more pages, and finally when done the faxes will both hang up the phones, and finally your printer should print the fax pages.

Its simpler than that for an outgoing fax, but no can be on any of your phones, or you can't dial out. But usually the status screen will show step by step progress.

 

[tynopik]

get a separate phone # with distinctive ring on the same line

you should then be able to configure the fax to only pick-up on that ring

you must set the fax to only answer when prompted by a human, otherwise the fax itself will answer every call and usually beat an answering machine to it.

Besides the hassle of such a setup, you're also ensuring that you will never get a fax while you're out.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Exactly the same dilemma I have with a different all in one printer.

Step one, for an incoming fax, you must set the fax to only answer when prompted by a human, otherwise the fax itself will answer every call and usually beat an answering machine to it.

Step 2, you the human can answer all calls, if it a regular voice call, you handle it as a voice call, if you hear fax tones instead, don't hang up the phone yet, enable your fax to join in on the line, and when your hear fax tones from your fax, you can hang up the phone and let the fax do the rest. Yhere is usually a view screen on the fax that will let monitor the progress, at first the two faxes have to connect, then they have to transmit 1 or more pages, and finally when done the faxes will both hang up the phones, and finally your printer should print the fax pages.

Its simpler than that for an outgoing fax, but no can be on any of your phones, or you can't dial out. But usually the status screen will show step by step progress.

Thanks! This worked perfectly.