Does anyone have a fax on Vonage that works?

Posts: 448 · Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject:

Depends on the fax machine. We've gone through 2 of them, both of which had problems. (Not all fax models have the ability to adjust baud rates, unfortunately.) Current machine is a Brother plain-paper model which had a bunch of options and was rather pricey compared to other options. It's working the best so far, but we're still annoyed by Comm Error messages after more than 2 or 3 pages are sent.

We still have a copper POTS voice line active, and added a jack for it next to the fax machine so we can use it when the Vonage line just won't talk nice to the other end. Being honest here, I'd say half our faxes have to go via POTS because of Comm errors on the Vonage line (even using *99).

We've also found that if the sender is using Voip, it's virtually impossible to get a fax through. We have to plug into the POTS line and tell them to fax directly to it. Seems to work most of the time, but there have been a few occasions where the sender had to scan their docs to a PDF file and email to us.

Posts: 64 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jun 24, 2006 Posts: 64

I have an HP 7310 and it works to send and receive facsimilies.

It is on a single Vonage line also used for voice.

I did not change default settings.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 16, 2007 Posts: 1

I too was unable to send faxes, recieved fine. I've got HP Officejet G95. Don't know the technical aspect but it worked!! Of course it was just by chance that I found this solution through this site.

Try dialing *99 before the number you're trying to fax too.

Hope this helps

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 18, 2007 Posts: 9

It all depends on your broadband service quality. Faxes are even more sensitive to your broadband connection quality. Also, if they're telling you that you can't use fax on a normal voice line, they're wrong. It does work. DSL users seem to have fewer problems than cable users since they're on a dedicated line and less prone to line quality deterioration.

Posts: 42 · Full Forum Member Joined: May 14, 2006 Posts: 42

I got a real improvement by adding a comma after the *99 as in '*99,' The comma inserts a short break between the command and the phone number. It wouldn't be necessary if you were dialling manually.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2007 Posts: 3

I think 90 % of my faxes fail with my HP PSC 2210 . I have DSL with 6.0 D/L and 512 up .

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 19, 2007 Posts: 23

tomlemos wrote:

Jadestone wrote:

I have been trying for two days to get my fax machine to send and receive faxes but with no success so far. Does anyone have a fax machine that works on Vonage? Did you have problems getting it to work? If so, what did you do to fix it?

I read on another Voip forum that making the following changes to your fax machine fixes the problem.

Turn off Error Correcting Mode (ECM)
Set the fax speed to Slow

Sure enough, I made these changes on my cranky HP 7210 all in one and I was able to fax out without any problems.

that's right.
note that regular lines are Analog and Voip are digital, so the transmission speeds are different. That's why you would have to set the transmission rate (sometimes called Baud rate, it depends on the machine's brand and model) to the slowest or to 9600

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2007 Posts: 3

Does anyone know how to change the speed on the hp psc 2210? I tried the other ways of putting in a new speed but it always defaults back to the original speed

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 19, 2007 Posts: 23

^ I don't know that model, but I know that in the HP LaserJet series, it doesn't say "Transmission Speed" or "Baud Rate" or "Baud Speed"... it says "Modem Speed"

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 04, 2007 Posts: 3

how did you get to "modem speed"?