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Question

2 line phone. voice, fax and answering machine.

Aug 9, 2016 9:30AM PDT

Small business with 2 telephone lines delivered by Comcast. I have an HP OfficeJet V40 used exclusively to send and receive faxes. I have and ATT 1782 2 line answering machine. Office phones are all 2 line Panasonic Easa-Phones. What I have now. 2 lines go into fax (a one line machine) and answering machine follows fax. Therefore fax and answering machine only work on line 1. I consistently use line 2 for outgoing calls.

The problem is becoming serious. Customers are using the call back function on their phones and reaching line 2 where there is no answering machine. Also faxes are going to line 2 where there is no fax if line 1 is busy. I used to have a 2 line switch that would direct the calls to voice (either line 1 or line 2) or to fax (either line 1 or line 2). That switch died and the only one I can find now costs in excess of $400 (Stick II) and is capable of doing so much more than I need.

What can I do (cost effectively) so that both lines 1 and 2 can simultaneously receive Voice, Fax and Answering Machine?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I'm surprised they didn't tell you to dedicate the lines.
Aug 9, 2016 10:00AM PDT

Here we set it up with one line being for fax. It has its own phone number so no mistake for the fax number.

If you are calling out on the fax line I can see that as problematic and a source of trouble. Maybe you need a third line?

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Yes but the continuing monthly charge is too high.
Aug 9, 2016 11:57AM PDT

Yep. That would solve my problem, but at what cost? At $40 per month plus fees and taxes, the one time expenditure is more attractive.

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At least they talked about it.
Aug 9, 2016 12:02PM PDT

It appears you know this area inside and out.

Long ago another client used something and it was some box I can't remember where the fax needed an access code. Said box would answer the phone with the message like "Press 1 to connect to the fax machine or stay on the line to talk to Jim."