RECEIVING FAXES ON SAME PHONE LINE

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I just set up my MAC (OS X Panther) to receive faxes through my
computer. I have one phone line which I use as phone line and as fax
line.
Now if the phone rings and I don't know if it's an incoming fax or a
phone call, I obviously answer: if it's a fax and I hear the fax tone
I don't know how to let it come in (I can't press any "start" button
because the fax application is inside the computer)... what am I
supposed to do?

I had set up the fax to answer after only one ring so that (I
thought), if it's not a fax it'll continue ringing and I'll know I
have to answer 'cause it's a phone call, but then what happened was:
someone called me and the fax picked up after one ring .... and it
wasn't a fax coming in!

Can someone explain if there is a solution?

Thanks a lot!

Paola

 

[Tom Stiller]

I just set up my MAC (OS X Panther) to receive faxes through my
computer. I have one phone line which I use as phone line and as fax
line.
Now if the phone rings and I don't know if it's an incoming fax or a
phone call, I obviously answer: if it's a fax and I hear the fax tone
I don't know how to let it come in (I can't press any "start" button
because the fax application is inside the computer)... what am I
supposed to do?

I had set up the fax to answer after only one ring so that (I
thought), if it's not a fax it'll continue ringing and I'll know I
have to answer 'cause it's a phone call, but then what happened was:
someone called me and the fax picked up after one ring .... and it
wasn't a fax coming in!

Can someone explain if there is a solution?

There are (at least) two ways to attack the problem. You can ask the
phone company to add a second number with "distinctive ring" to your
existing line and configure the Mac to answer only that ring or you can
buy fax/voice switch (see e.g.
<http://www.ablecomm.com/autfaxswit.html>). I've used both approaches
and it's pretty much a straight trade-off between the monthly charge for
a second number (about $4.50) and the one-time charge for the switch
(about $80-$100).

 

[Gene van Troyer]

I just set up my MAC (OS X Panther) to receive faxes through my
computer. I have one phone line which I use as phone line and as fax
line.

This is the MS Office: Mac newsgroup. It's good that someone responded to
your question, but you might get more (and maybe better) advice over at
Apple.com's Using OSX Discussion forum.

Gene van Troyer