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General discussion

Coordinating between Phone Line and Fax Line

Jan 25, 2009 7:40AM PST

We have an all in 1 MP830 Cannon printer and fax machine. In year's past it got a lot of use but lately, its use has been minimized. At times we still need to use the fax but rather than paying for two phone lines, we are interested in trying to hanle the incoming phone calls and faxes on the same telephone line. In the past there was some type of telephone switching device that detected phone calls versus faxes and avoided the problem of the fax taking over the phone line. Does this still exist and is it effective?

Discussion is locked

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Re: fax
Jan 26, 2009 5:44AM PST

I googled FAX PHONE SWITCH and got a few nice enough hits, I think.
And I'm sure your fax and phone equipment supplier has them or can order them.

Kees

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Fax Phone Switch
Jan 26, 2009 5:59AM PST

Thank you I tried google but did not use the right search terms earlier. Now I have to figure out which product to choose. There are several. It seems that many are similar but their prices seem to vary significantly.

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Phone/fax splitter
Oct 13, 2009 4:14PM PDT

Greetings jakeher:

I just purchased the Comcast Digital Phone Service. I have a HP Photsmart C-7280 All-in -One printer that has a fax program. I had previously used a separate fax machine for sending and receiving faxes. When the new digital phone service was installed I asked the Tech to set up my printer so that I could use the fax line in the printer which would take the place of my separte fax machine.

After the digital voice system was hooked up, I asked the Tech what the new fax number would be. He said it would be the same number as my second home phone number. When I asked him how the printer would know whether the incoming call was a regular call to my second home number or was a fax.

The tech told me I needed to get a phone/fax splitter that would identify the call and if it was a fax being sent it would go to my printer's fax line. I checked with google and found a line splitter being sold by Belkin for $19.95. It is a Belkin Home SurgeMaster 7-Outlet 1045J Surge Protecter, Model F9H710-12, Catalog # 55012505.

This Belkin product is not only a line splitter; it is also a surge protecter that will protect up to seven different machines in my computing processes, such as a printer, 5 external hard drives and my computer. Not bad for only $19.95

I just ordered the product and had it three days later by UPS. I have not set it up yet but when I do, I will let you know how it works out.

Your friend, Jim

Please have a great day with your best friend -- our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

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Belkin Line Splitter
Jun 5, 2010 6:54AM PDT

Hi Jim.

I read with interest your post on splitting your phone line for use with voice and fax with the Belkin line splitter. In your last post you had not set it up so there is no indication if it does the desired job. Has it now been set up? what is the result please?

Philsathome

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an easier way
Aug 27, 2010 3:53AM PDT

Really the easiest way is to forget about all the wires and splitters and don't bother using your printer/fax as a fax machine. There are online faxing services that are quite affordable. There are a bunch listed at faqsaboutfax.com (new online fax review site) - you can send and receive faxes directly via email and/or via a web interface that you upload documents to. All you need is a scanner to scan paper documents into your computer. I'd recommend trying Metrofax as an email fax provider or checking out some of the other one's listed at that review site I mentioned above.

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Belkin Line Splitter
Apr 21, 2011 4:27AM PDT

Hi philsathome:

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I hope you're happy with what you got, but it's not the same
May 20, 2011 7:48AM PDT

A splitter simply allows two pieces of equipment to use the same line, albeit not at the same time. However, a switch will actually take the line away from one piece of equipment under the designated circumstances and give it to the other piece of equipment, hopefully accomplishing your desired consequences of sharing the line. Now if one of the pieces of equipment attached to the line through a splitter is intelligent enough, it may be able to do what a switch does and grab the line away from the other piece of equipment, so it is still possible for your goal to be met if you have the right combination of equipment, but to reiterate, a switch is not the same as a splitter, and anyone reading this post should be on notice that the Belkin item mentioned is not a switch with a suppressor and whatever else is included in that item, but rather a splitter plus suppressor, etc. As always, Caveat Emptor.

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Phone Line
Oct 5, 2011 12:21AM PDT

Use fax and phone in online would be not problem, because most fax set after one dial fax start printing, but when call coming then its continuously ringing.

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(NT) phone line fax splitter
Jan 8, 2012 8:18PM PST