# Solved: can you simultaneously receive fax online the same time on the fax machine?



## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

can you simultaneously receive fax online the same time on the fax machine?

is there a software or fax modems that enables me receiving fax on my fax modem at the same time the fax machine?

Thx !


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

double post sorry...


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

not sure I understand your question......are you talking about software that delivers the fax to the computer as well as the hard-wired fax machine?


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

sorry for not being clear , okay so, what im thinking is that, me being the receiver, if i split my phone line (same phone line just divided into two sub lines) and one connects to my USB fax modem and the other to my hard-wired fax machine, will i, if possible ,be receiving faxs both on my USB fax modem connected computer and at the same time, my fax machine will be printing out the hard copy fax.

is this possible ? if yes, what do i need to do ? install a software or there are some high grad fax modem that does this ? or this issiue actually has nothing to do with the hardware, so to speak software and its related to smth totally different say like its actually a phone line thing ? so yeah..i have no idea and yeah ...sorry again for being vague THX !!


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

I don't think you can, once you split the phone line........I would imagine neither would come through at that point in time, but I could easily be incorrect.

May I ask why? Seems like a lot of work. Probably be easier just to make a copy of it once it comes to one or the other.


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

well its acutally not me , its my friend, not really its my client but i see her as a friend

sooo shes getting both her offices renovated, one being on the forth floor the another on the fifth and two laptops are gonna be up on the fifth (yeah its a small office) with the fax machine stationed on the forth floor, shes wants one of the laptops up on the fifth will be able to receive fax through the same phone line thats being used by the fax machine down on the forth (hence the split) so yeah, it would be easier for the guys upstairs for they dont need to move up and down


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

Faxing is an analog, not a digital event. Taking the computer out of the mix, you would have to be able to receive the same fax on two separate machines as the same time. As far as I know, that's not possible. If she wants to receive faxes on computers, then she would need a different fax service that would route incoming faxes to e-mail, for example, but that would require additional setup and cost.


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

thanks you kind sir for the reply, soooo....like you said, taking the computer out , even if i wanted to receive the same fax on two separate fax machines (assuming using the same phone line ) that would actually be impossible ?nonetheless with computers..sooo is it possible to make a bold assumption, that, if i, wanted to receive fax through a certain phone line, my options would either be 

A) plug the phone line onto a USB fax modem receive fax by computer
B) plug onto a fax machine

because like mentioned, 'fax' is different event other than digital that i wouldn't be able to receive 'the fax' at both ends? and i'd have no other options? and hooking up both the fax machine & computer with the same phone line would just dismiss the 'fax' analog ? as before mentioned by vails.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

I'm not that familiar with faxing technology, but from what I know, you cannot receive a fax simultaneously on two separate fax machines. That means you could not receive a fax simultaneously on a computer with a dial-up modem and also a fax machine. Adding a computer with a modem into the equation doesn't change anything.

If you want to receive faxes on a computer with a dial-up modem, you need some kind of fax software installed and running that is capable of receiving faxes. I've never done this and don't have any suggestions.

A computer can't perform any magic here. Faxing is an analog phone line operation. As I said, your other alternative would be to use an Internet faxing service which involves obtaining other services.


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

Solve your problem by throwing the Fax machine away and replacing it with a network printer.
Receive the fax on the PC with a fax modem and software. Then use the same fax software to print it on the printer. You could trigger a task to print from the fax receive if the fax itself doesn't do it.


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

thank you everyone for answering, but...just one dumb side question....despite the fact of color scanning, whats really the different between scanning-emailing than online faxing ? 

Thx !


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

There is one big difference, which in turn tends to lead to then second reason.
Original Fax is a bit image scan of a document that is sent bit by bit over a voice telephone line and re-assemble and printed (as a tiff image) at the receiver. The quality of the picture is not good, but there is ONE important legal issue in that the document is not easily interfered with. Also you don't need a computer.

A scanned document is also done as a bit image, but at a higher resolution and saved as a picture or (using OCR software) translated to text (plus). Then sent by attaching to an email. The important bit here is that the document/picture could be manipulated from the original before being sent.

Many companies will not accept emails as a legal document, whereas original fax is OK. Quite where the online fax??? services figure legally, I don't know.


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

so...companies will recognize Online Fax as an legal Doc yes ?


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

Er.... read my last sentence?? I suspect not since the image could be altered before sending it to the online fax service.

In any case, it is entirely up to the recipient as to whether they will accept a fax as a valid substitute for the original document.
Some, but not many will accept emails, although more are (in my opinion foolishly).

But there again, I always have a healthy suspicion of everything.


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## DaveBurnett (Nov 11, 2002)

> Taking the computer out of the mix, you would have to be able to receive the same fax on two separate machines as the same time.


 And, by it's nature, Fax cannot be received successfully by two machines on the same line. There is a conversation going on that could not be held if two machines were involved at one end.


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## hellheavenz (Apr 24, 2012)

awesome guys , thanks again for all the help , especially DoubleHelix & DaveBurnett


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