Call-forwarding to a fax server no longer works

Posts: 227

One of my Vonage phone numbers has been forwarded (for several years) to a fax server. Inbound calls to this number are routed to the fax server correctly, and the server accepts inbound fax transmissions. It then sends me email with the received fax attached as a PDF. Meanwhile, I use the forwarded Vonage phone number for outbound calling. This has worked this way for several years.

For the last week or so, however, all inbound fax transmissions forwarded by this method have failed. The fax server answers, but the sending fax machine fails to handshake with the receiving server, and no transmission takes place. If the sender dials the server directly (bypassing the forwarded Vonage number) the transmission occurs without error.

Can anyone tell me what has changed lately in Vonage call-forwarding service?

Posts: 656 · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:43 am Post subject:

This is a known issue right now and should be resolved by mid January.

Posts: 48 · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

Interesting.

Until a month or so ago, I could reliably send and receive fax messages using my internal data/voice/fax modem. I neither send nor receive many faxes so I don't know the exact date when I no long could do so.

I have tried everything to be able to send and receive faxes but they fail every time. The one call I made to Vonage resulted in "it must be your modem." The modem works fine on a friends landline. Very frustrating.

The message above that says this problem might be resolved in January is good news.

Considering it would cost $10/mo to be able to send/receive faxes using an e-mail service, the cost advantage of using Vonage would be significantly reduced making me rethink staying with Vonage. I have been a very happy customer for three years.

Posts: 656 · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject:

Your issue is completed unrelated to the fix that will ONLY correct faxes that are forwarding. The issue in the original post is only for fax calls that come into Vonage from a non Vonage line and are then forwarded out from Vonage to a non Vonage line. This fix I mentioned will only correct that problem.

If your having issues with both inbound and outbound faxing, you have a separate issue that is not related to Vonage. It is either going to be customer premise equipment or internet related.

Posts: 830 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 830

Picsman wrote:

Interesting.

Until a month or so ago, I could reliably send and receive fax messages using my internal data/voice/fax modem. I neither send nor receive many faxes so I don't know the exact date when I no long could do so.

I have tried everything to be able to send and receive faxes but they fail every time. The one call I made to Vonage resulted in "it must be your modem." The modem works fine on a friends landline. Very frustrating.

The message above that says this problem might be resolved in January is good news.

Considering it would cost $10/mo to be able to send/receive faxes using an e-mail service, the cost advantage of using Vonage would be significantly reduced making me rethink staying with Vonage. I have been a very happy customer for three years.

A couple of thinks most people do to improve their reliability of fax over Voip.

Turn ECM (ErrorCorrection Mode) OFF
Reduce your fax modem speed to 9600 Baud.

I use a HP officejet on my POTS office line with distinctive ring for incoming. IF LD outgoing, I simply switch lines and send them via Vonage. I have had NO problems using the above mentioned settings.

Posts: 48 · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject:

VonTechMgr wrote:

If your having issues with both inbound and outbound faxing, you have a separate issue that is not related to Vonage. It is either going to be customer premise equipment or internet related.

Thanks for your response.

With the computer with the modem plugged directly into the adapter ("VDV21-VD firmware 2.8.1_2.2.8") and the adapter connected directly to Comcast I can neither send nor receive faxes. I think that leaves "premises" out of the picture.

As for "Internet" I'd be appreciative of any help you can provide.

ECM is off. Baud had been set to 9600 (and 4800, as well). I've attempted to send and receive to/from two or three machines (all on POTS). Modem resets to factory defaults with AT&F, then ECM off and baud are set by fax program.

This problem may have started when I installed the current adapter; I'm just not sure. I used an RTP300 previously with which I could send and receive faxes flawlessly (SnappyFax), but I sold it (as a non-VoIP router) so I cannot test with that adapter. I have also tried MS-Fax and it fails as well.

The one call I did make to the Vonage help desk provided no help whatsoever, except, "it must be the modem."

Any help you--or anyone--could provide would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Posts: 227 · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:02 am Post subject:

VonTechMgr wrote:

This is a known issue right now and should be resolved by mid January. ... The issue in the original post is only for fax calls that come into Vonage from a non Vonage line and are then forwarded out from Vonage to a non Vonage line. This fix I mentioned will only correct that problem.

Thank you, VonTechMgr. Actually, when I tested before posting the original problem, the failure was exactly the same, whether the fax call originated from a Vonage line or a POTS line. If the call was forwarded by Vonage to a non-Vonage destination, the handshake failed. If the call was dialed directly to the non-Vonage destination, either from a POTS line or from a Vonage line, the transmission succeeded.

A temporary fix provided by a very helpful soul at Vonage has corrected the problem, apparently for both types of forwarded calls.

Posts: 27 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Dec 16, 2008 Posts: 27

Picsman wrote:

Considering it would cost $10/mo to be able to send/receive faxes using an e-mail service, the cost advantage of using Vonage would be significantly reduced making me rethink staying with Vonage. I have been a very happy customer for three years.

I'm using MaxEmail.com for inbound fax service. There was a $10 setup fee, and it cost me $24 for a whole year. This means it was about $3/mo the first year, and $2/mo thereafter. This gets me up to 100 pages/mo of inbound faxes. With the $24/yr plan you don't get a number in your area code, but that wasn't a big deal to me. Most people that ever fax me are faxing long distance anyway.

For outbound faxes, I use faxzero.com. They allow two free faxes (3 page limit) per day. That covers the vast majority of my faxing needs. If I need to fax more than 3 pages, or send more than 2 faxes a day, I use the Vonage v-fax feature, or the outbound feature on my maxemail.com account at about 5 cents a page.

Having said all that, I'd be willing to drop the $2/mo maxemail in favor of the $10/mo Vonage fax line, if Vonage would offer the option to receive faxes as pdf email attachments. Scanning documents to send with efax, maxemail, faxzero, or any other web based service is a hassle. Much easier to stick them in the fax machine, enter the number and click send. I don't want to receive hard copy faxes. I can print them if I need to, but I want the ability to access them from any computer, which means they need to be in my email. This way I can have people fax me no matter where I am.

I refuse to pay $10 for the fax line, and then still have to pay for the fax to email service on top of that. So I won't be forwarding to a fax server as you do.

Posts: 48 · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:38 am Post subject:

mehardin wrote:

I'm using MaxEmail.com for inbound fax service. ... For outbound faxes, I use faxzero.com.

Thanks. Useful resources.

I use fax infrequently, on average maybe a two or three page fax outbound a month. Inbound I'm able to get almost everyone to send e-mail. However, a few times a month someone can only send fax.

If Vonage were to make it's current fax service more useful--and usable both in- and outbound, I would be willing to pay a few dollars a month for the convenience or, perhaps better, pay a per-transaction charge.

Within a few years there will probably no faxes sent or received so this is a "technology-in-transition" kind of problem. Meanwhile, it is indeed a hassle.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 28, 2006 Posts: 1

In the above posts, it looks like there might be a fix coming. For years, I've been using call forwarding on my Vonage number to route faxes to efax. Since the end of December, no faxes will forward. Help!