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General discussion

3in1 Copy/Scan/Fax that can receive faxes directly to PC?

Nov 29, 2009 11:47PM PST

I have been pulling my hair out trying to find a decent 3 in 1 that has reliable software for receiving faxes directly to a PC (as opposed to printing the incoming faxes on actual paper).

Here is my situation:
Small Business (<20 employees)
Networked PCs using Windows XP Pro

We receive quite a bit of correspondence from our clients via fax, sometimes 50+ pages, and need the ability to save those incoming faxes as an image file instead of wasting all the toner and paper on hard copies that ultimately get scanned and then destroyed.

Currently Using:
HP LaserJet M1522nf

It has the ability to receive incoming faxes to the USB connected PC, but the included HP ToolboxFX software is not dependable (we often miss faxes when attempting to receive to the PC and end up having to "reprint last" multiple times a day to confirm that we didn't miss an important client correspondence). I have gone around and around with HP tech support to see if there is a software solution, but have not been successful. Also, the default folder that the software uses to store the incoming faxes is "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Hewlett-Packard\ToolboxFX\Settings\FaxLogs_USB001" which according to our IT dept, is a horrible place to save files if you want to share them over a network.

Recently Returned:
Canon imageCLASS MF4370dn

When I purchased this new 3 in 1 to replace the HP, it was because of it's professed improved PC faxing abilities and software. Unfortunately, once installed and configured it came to light that the software only allows you to send an Outgoing fax from a PC and not the other way around.

So, I'm returning the Canon, have re-installed the HP and am in the market for a better solution. And this is where the cnet community comes in to play.

Are any of you using a machine with the aforementioned functionality and can you recommend a good, dependable 3 in 1 with software for saving incoming faxes on a PC that actually works? I'm considering the Dell 2335, but before I purchase, I wanted to reach out to you all and see if you have any better suggestions for me.

Thank you in advance!


Cliffs:
I need a Scanner/Copier/Fax with dependable software which will allow me to save incoming faxes to a networkable folder on a PC instead of printing them.

Discussion is locked

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3 decades later.
Nov 29, 2009 11:51PM PST

And I never found a solution save this. We ended up with 2 fax machines. One that worked most of the time but the other was for people that couldn't send a fax to the first machine. It took months to figure this out. I tracked it down to the sender's fax machine model that would not work with our and other people's machines so we pulled an old fax machine and put it on a backup line.

The few that can't send to the main line send to the second line.

Here's the hard part. Many think this is a flaw in the receving fax machine. But when you change out the sending fax machine then it is fixed.

So here we are 3 decades later and 2 machines.
Bob

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That sounds frustrating...
Nov 30, 2009 12:19AM PST

but it's not quite the same issue that I'm hoping to resolve.

I don't have a problem with people not being able to send a fax to our office (to be honest, we've attempted to get all our clients to simply e-mail their correspondence, but many still cling to their antiquated fax machines), my issue is needing to save the incoming faxes as image files on a PC instead of printing a hardcopy into the tray.

I should mention that we did try installing a modem directly in the PC and using Microsoft's included "Fax Console" program, but had similar, unsatisfactory results.

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Let me be clear.
Nov 30, 2009 1:27AM PST

I have none of these issues. But the brew of the machine and fax machine is still running WINDOWS so when I hear this issue I often find a Windows machine which means it will be unreliable at times. More so when it's not dedicated to the task or built from parts. Long discussion could be had about that.

If it must be reliable, get rid of the machine. Read http://www.efaxcorporate.com/scorp/solutions/Compatibility/Industry-Compatibility

Bob

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I have actually suggested using efax to the owner.
Nov 30, 2009 10:05PM PST

But we do need a scanner and a copy machine as well, so he can't justify the cost for the efax service, when we'll be needing a 3 in 1 anyway.

I was just hoping that someone in the cnet community could share a recommendation after going through a similar situation so I could feel a little more confident about the purchase. But it looks like I'll just order the Dell 2335n and do the whole trial and error thing myself.

Thanks for your input, Bob. I'll update this topic once I have a chance to try out the software that comes with the new machine.

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Sorry to repeat this.
Nov 30, 2009 10:17PM PST

But after 3 decades of fax the brutal realization for us is that we can't have one fax machine. Well, yes you can but today's crowd won't accept that it could be the sender and then we have downtime on the primary machine (you pick a reason from down phone, power, ink, paper, isn't on, dead, incompatible, LONG LIST.)

Once you bow to the inevitable and get the second line of defense in and develop a routine of "If your fax didn't get here try our other fax line" then life isn't so rough.
Bob

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What we have here, is a failure to communicate.
Nov 30, 2009 11:23PM PST

Bob, you have been very forthcoming with assistance and I appreciate the help, but the issue you are addressing is not the issue I'm having. Our clients have never had a problem with being able to get through to our dedicated fax line.

The incoming faxes are consistently received by the fax machine, are stored in the unit's memory and are available to be reprinted as hardcopy. My problem is that the software that came with the HP professes to be able to save those incoming faxes as PDFs but it does not always work correctly. So, as a result I always end up having to choose the "reprint last" function on the machine and go through the various previous faxes until I find the one that HP ToolboxFX failed to save. Which ends up using all the toner and paper I was attempting to conserve. I understand this may be a Windows issue, but I can't get away from Windows at this point, so I just need to find a machine with better software.

To recap: I'm not trying to find a fix for frustrations with faulty faxlines, friend.
I'm simply soliciting suggestions for setups with a superior software solution. Happy

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This will cost you.
Nov 30, 2009 11:33PM PST

I did read your posts and shared what we ended up with.

-> Today's software offerings seem to never be bug free. Do demand it but you are on Windows and there is a deep issue there that I work with all the time.

I didn't reveal this but I write software. On embedded machines, PalmOS, Windows Mobile, Windows, DOS and more. Let's get away form that for a moment and look at the other old solution.

HYLAFAX. Google that and you find the most common industrial solution with clients on Windows for looking at and retrieving the faxes.

Sad to write this but the bug in the software you noted is wide spread. "Bug free" is not something I find today.
Bob