Fax help please (and please don't call me think lol)

appleblossom

Have been using efax on trail and had they not had cut the trial short and altered the fax number without notifying me, would have stuck with it, so looks like I am going to have to get a 'proper' fax machine. Now, I've never owned one before, and don't really know about the set up, could anyone help me out?

1/ I assume it has to plug into a phone socket - how does having a broadband filter going into the phone socket effect this?

2/ If you buy a fax machine is the fax number therefore your telephone number? If it starts ringing, how do you know if it is the phone or the fax ringing?

3/ Do fax machines still run on that horrible flimsy paper or do they use proper paper nowadays? does this vary from machine to machine?

4/ How do you get billed for the sent faxes? do they just come up on your BT phone bill? Can you fax cheaper if you use 18185?

Can anyone recommend a half decent but reasonably priced machine, that is quite compact as I really have no idea where I can put it - only have 2 phone sockets, one in the hallway and the other in the kitchen!! I will only be using the machine occasionally but still need to have it for work purposes.

Thanks in advance - don't mind looking an idiot on here but not keen going into a shop not having a clue what I am talking about/looking for!!

derrick

Yes it does go into the phone socket,(also power point), if you have broadband, any other phone socket that is to be used requires a filter

The number will be the same. Depending how it is set up, you will know if it is the fax, because when you answer the phone you will hear the fax machine tone and not a person speaking

Different machines, different papers, roll or A4 copier paper.

Faxes billed as phone calls, so if you use 18185 it will be 4p per fax,(conn charge as a phone call), although 1899 is still 3p per call.

Can't help with the actuall machine, I have a B T PaperJet 55 and as yet have not had any probs

maxamos

Don't think I can answer all your questions but I'll do my best

You just have to plug your fax machine into your phone socket, unless you have a seperate line for a fax it will use your normal phone number. Most (if not all) modern fax machines can tell the difference between a normal phone call and a fax and will switch automatically allowing you to answer the phone normally after a couple of rings. A broadband filter will not affect the fax machine.

The cost of sending a fax will be your normal telephone rate for the time it takes so will vary depending on how large the fax is.

You can get multipurpose fax/printers/scanners/copiers etc. nowadays that are either laser or inkjet based and take normal A4 paper so you don't need to go for any of those horrible thermal ones.

I would probably look out for one of theses multifunction machines that comes with a phone as it will cut down on space, not too sure of any products to recommend at the moment but I'll have a look.

HTH

Max

appleblossom

Thanks max, we just replaced our printer and prev. had an all in one inc. a fax, but this time didn't bother with the fax bit as didn't think we would use it!!, so I already have printer/scanner/copier, I really want just normal paper to print on as I need to send the faxes out to ppl as soon as i get them and hate that flimpsy paper (reminds me of primary school toilet paper.... going back a bit there lol), the main problem is going to be where to put it without having to have another phone socket put it (don't want a second line as the number of times it would be used wouldnt warrant it). Have had a look in argos and they only have 7 machines in there, though there is a compact sharp one that is inkjet - so presumably this is normal paper? There was me thinking it would be easy!!

derrick

You need one of THESE although you can get them cheaper, Argos, Pound shop,etc

espresso

derrick wrote:

You need one of THESE although you can get them cheaper, Argos, Pound shop,etc

Not necessarily, if you get a fax machine with a built in telephone. see here

:T

derrick

espresso wrote:

Not necessarily, if you get a fax machine with a built in telephone. see here

:T

Yes that is another way