Annoying Faxes

[Parthiban]

We get a lot of spam faxes, no idea how we ended up on their registers but we get a lot of them and it gets very annoying. You can't even just disconnect the fax as then they just keep ringing over and over and over

I've just discovered the fax preference service which puts you on a register who they're not allowed to send faxes to but even so I want to try and find my own solution too (as I doubt it's 100% successful)

Therefore I know it's possible but I've never been able to make it work - has anyone set up their PC to receive faxes and is there a straightforward (and cheap) way to do it. Also will it behave exactly the way a fax machine does? i.e. pick up any phone in the house and if it's a fax the PC will pick it up?

[jomo]

I used to beable to SEND faxes from my pc via a dial up modem, so it may work the other way round?

Have you googled it?

[Mike_B]

Yeah, I used to use my PC as a fax machine. They're not all that smart though - basically you need to get to the phone before it does, otherwise it will try and answer it. Depending on what software you have, it will answer it like an answerphone, and if it detects the beeping noise of an incoming fax, will switch to fax mode and accept it for you.

Be warned though, once the computer has answered it, you won't be able to pick up the phone and talk to them as it will carry on regardless taking a message or trying to receive the fax. Unless the software has got a lot more advanced - which I doubt!

Basically, in order for it to work, the PC must answer the call itself. So not very useful in your scenario of having the PC detect the fax after you've lifted the handset on another extension!

[Parthiban]

Basically, in order for it to work, the PC must answer the call itself. So not very useful in your scenario of having the PC detect the fax after you've lifted the handset on another extension!

Ahh, so they're not as intelligent as actual fax machines then..........hopefully the fax preference service works then!

I have discovered though there are a number of bits of hardware now you can buy that act as paperless fax machines by connecting between the phoneline and PC...........LIKE THIS

I'll need to try and find out which ones best as that could be an easy solution :)