Can send faxes, can't receive faxes

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2007 Posts: 4

As already explained in my previous post, you have the same problem that I had. You will not get this resolved using the Vonage device. You can use the workaround I suggested. Other than that you are out of luck. If you connect the Vonage fax line to a multi-device and then connect the fax out from the multi-device back into your PC fax modem it will work.

Posts: 6

elarsen wrote:

As already explained in my previous post, you have the same problem that I had. You will not get this resolved using the Vonage device. You can use the workaround I suggested. Other than that you are out of luck. If you connect the Vonage fax line to a multi-device and then connect the fax out from the multi-device back into your PC fax modem it will work.

How did you know the signal was not strong enough for the modem ? What tests did you do to come to this conclusion?

Also i dont think your Canon all in one boosts the signal ? Its is essentially the same device but in a big box. I assume it may be filtering the line ? maybe thats the problem and the signal strength?

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2007 Posts: 4

I did a lot of research and all my Google as well as results in this Vonage forum says the same thing, i.e. the Vonage device does *something* to the signal so that the PC Fax Modem cannot detect an incoming signal. This apparently happens for may vendors offering internet-to-phone like devices. In Europe I've seen search results for the same problem. My Canon MP780 does NOT do the same signal modification for the outgoing jack so all I know is this..............my PC fax modem always detects an incoming signal from my Canon MP780 or any fax device for that matter, except from the Vonage device. So, long story short, I can't tell you what exact modification the Vonage outgoing fax signal has, but it won't work with the pc fax modem. My research also told me that this issue is only for PC fax modems. Designated fax devices such as my Canon MP780 have something in their mechanics that allows them to recognize incoming fax lines e.g. from the Vonage device. So, there's definately a difference between the physical components between PC Fax Modems and designated fax devices. So, that's why I simply by-passed it as there does not seem to be any other solution out there. I guess you could try to dig deeper and talk to the manufacturers of designated fax devices and find out exactly what the difference is in physical components between designated devices and PC fax modems. I'm not prepared to do all that extra research since I can get it working my own way.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:19 am Post subject:

You say that it works with your workaround but are you receiving them all 100% ?

After reading the the site i have linked below i am convinced it will never work well enough because as they say "A low bit rate voice codec is unable to carry a fast modem signal without severe distortion"

There is too much "Jitter" and packet loss associated with Voip and modem cant function on this they need a constant speed, something that a traditional PSTN guarantees.

3 days after ordering this i am going to cancel my fax service, if i can call it that? Vonage is misleading consumers and lying to them about this.

Faxing over IP networks

Posts: 6 · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject:

Here is some other information i have found about the T.38 protocol which seems like a good idea and it would seem Vonage is using it ?

Also im not sure that when someone sends me a fax from a conventional pots line that it wil be using T.38 protocol when i receive it ?

Wikipedia info on T.38
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.38_Fax

discussion about T.38 protocol
http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic19260.html

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 19, 2007 Posts: 4

You're right that Vonage does not seem to be very reliable for fax but with my solution I've received all faxes, no exception. Then again, I only get like 2-5 faxes / day so its not a constant traffic. I like this solution though since its my file server that receives the faxes and automatically backs all the data up so this way I don't loose any information. If I needed a reliable fax trafic for up to, e.g. 30 faxes/day, then I probably would not use Vonage.

Posts: 6 · Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject:

elarsen,

at least what ever faxes you get are getting through, which is good. But i dont see myself buying a fax machine just to use as a gateway or signal booster.

Im considering using e-fax to receive (i can also send) and my landline with modem to send out. For me the most important will be to receive faxes, so e-fax should do the trick no hardware needed.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 21, 2009 Posts: 3

Don't just take this! Join the class action suit against Vonage!

https://bustosfaxsettlement.com/index.htm

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Sep 20, 2004 Posts: 17

The solution I use eFax which works fine for fax reception. You can also send if you choose to get the premium service.
Jim