What is the peace of equipment that allows the fax machine to distinguish from a phone signal and a fax signal
basically allowing a fax machine and a phone on the same line to operate independently. For example, someone is sending a
fax and the phone doesn’t ring but the fax receives a fax, something like a splitter of some sort. So, I dont have to get another phone line for my fax machine
thankyou
Tagged with: fax machine • sending a fax
Filed under: internet faxing
There is another option that doesn’t require special hardware. Check the manual of your fax machine, and see if it supports ‘distintive ring’. (Distintive ring are the rings that are like one-long and two short rings) If the fax machine does support distinctive ring, you can sign up with your phone company and get an additional phone number (just a number, not a new line) for just 2-3 bucks a month, and it will ring with a distinctive ring. You can then assign the new phone number as the fax number, and tell the fax machine to only pick up calls from the new number. (It also looks more professional if you can give a different phone number for fax)
The option you asked about (a box to split the line) will also work, but the problem is that the phone will get answered in a ‘weird’ way, and you may lose calls. These boxes will answer the phone, and then listen for the fax signal, if it doesn’t hear the fax signal it will ring the line again, but the person on the other end may hear dead air and then a second ringing signal, or they may get a ‘please stand by’ message. Either way, many people go "huh?" when the phone is picked up and no one says hello.
I’d strongly suggest the first option, so long as your fax machine supports it. If it doesn’t, then you can try a hybrid solution. Get a second phone number (distinctive ring) and then look for a box that routes calls based on the ring. These are cheaper than the fax boxes, and are easier to use. Here’s a sample link to show you what I mean.
http://www.faxswitch.com/sr2.html
That site also has the other device you asked about, but they are more expensive and have the issues I talked about above.