Fax Machine Turns On Wrong Time

[s***@mindspring.com]

Hello,

I have a Canon fax machine. Prior to that I had an HP fax machine. The
fax line share the same line as the phone line. I have an intermittant
problem where when another party calls us, the fax machine comes on
(tone come on trying to receive fax). Because of the two different
machines, I am concluding it has something to do with the phone line.
Can anyone advise me?

Thank you,

skim

[Earl F. Parrish]

Post by s***@mindspring.com
Hello,
I have a Canon fax machine. Prior to that I had an HP fax machine. The
fax line share the same line as the phone line. I have an
intermittant
problem where when another party calls us, the fax machine comes on
(tone come on trying to receive fax). Because of the two different
machines, I am concluding it has something to do with the phone line.
Can anyone advise me?
Thank you,
skim

If a fax machine is set on auto-answer, it will answer each call
without fail. That is what it is supposed to do. It needs outside
help to distinguish a fax call from a voice call. There are several
ways:

1. Distinctive Ring in which you have a second incoming number
which rings a special way. You give that number out as the fax
number and the fax machine answers only that ring.
2. Answering machine plugs into an outlet on the fax machine.
Either you or an answering machine answers each call. The fax
machine eavesdrops during the first ten seconds of the call. If it
detects the calling (CNG) tones from an incoming fax, it intercepts
the call and responds. If it detects nothing it lets the answering
machine or person continue the call.
3. An external device which answers all calls. It continues the
ringing sound after it answers and directs the call to the
appropriate port based upon what it detects when it picks up. The
destination could be a voice line/answering machine, fax machine/fax
modem or a data modem.