# Inexpensive recommendations for Internet faxing?



## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Ever since ditching Vonage and going with Ooma, which will really help financially, I have found that probably the single most frustrating thing about Ooma is their inability to offer a straight-up, 2-line adapter. With Vonage, my adapter (the actual device, that is) had 2 phone ports--one for my primary voice line and the other for my dedicated fax line. With Ooma, if one wishes to have a dedicated fax number and line, this can be done, but in a very inconvenient and costly manner.

Specifically, you have to use the Ooma Telo unit's phone port as your dedicated fax line (with its own number, a second number you choose or have ported). Then, in order to use your primary number, your voice number, you must do that through an Ooma Telo handset. You cannot use your own phones. This wouldn't bother me if the Ooma Telo handset was the only one I have and use. However, I just purchased an awesome Panasonic DECT 6.0 cordless phone system (with 3 handsets) because my old phone setup was on its last leg. I cannot use this and would have to purchase 3 Telo handsets, which run around $50 each. Kinda pricey, if you ask me, and not nearly as feature-rich as my Panny system I just purchased. (An alternative would be to buy a second Ooma Telo unit and activate that with its own dedicated fax number, but another unit would itself run around $200--obviously another pricey option.)

So, this leaves me with considering using some sort of eFax or Internet-based fax system. The problem I have discovered is that after doing a lot of research, I can't find one that's very inexpensive and convenient. I'm looking for a simple ability to send/receive faxes at my home fax machine on its own dedicated #, preferably one I can still port from Vonage. I'd like to be able to receive faxes when I'm not at home and when my PC is turned off. I don't want to be forced to leave it on to receive faxes. (This seemed to be a common requirement of several services.)

It really is important to have my own dedicated fax number through this kind of setup, so if anyone has any recommendations, chime in. Remember, if it gets pricey, it's not worth it, because I could have then stayed with Vonage and been paying what I had been paying for two lines with unlimited calling. (My dedicated fax line would not need unlimited calling or even international calling included.)


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

OK, I have to ask, why faxes? Why not scanned documents to email? They come in as .pdf or .doc files that you print on your normal printer.

And why would whatever have to receive when you're not there? With scan-to-email, you can print at will and always have an electronic copy. Plus, you can print from anywhere, you don't have to wait until you're home at a physical fax machine.

Search using the term 'fax to email' and you'll find several options including:

http://www.unityfax.com/

http://www.efax.com/

As far as I know, they are completely transparent to the sender. And yes, you can send faxes this way also.


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## Yoda-DBSguy (Nov 4, 2006)

I have absolutely no problems faxing with Ooma service; however I have the older unit (Hube and scout combination). You can still find them if you look hard enough (Fry's has a refurb Ooma hub for 129 or new on amazon for around 200. the Scout can still be purchased even from Ooma directly at a discounted price since it's on clearance or from a variety of other sources).

This combination lets you do exactly what your wanting to do. Connect the fax machine to "Hub" for a dedicated fax line and your own phone equipment to the "Scouts) phone port for your voice line).

I was lucky enough to have purchased from almost the get go so I'm not even charged the Taxes as I'm grandfathered in to their previous structure.

There's a simple solution if you don't receive faxes on a daily basis with even the hub. Why not share the line out from the "Telo". Why do you have to have a dedicated fax line? What I mean is why not run the phone jack out to the fax machine (as almost any fax machine have a built in switch allowing for the connection of user provided phone or answering machine combination) and then out of the fax to your Panasonic phone system.

I do exactly the above as my scout is connected to my " home line" panasonic system, while my hub is connected to a fax machine and in tern another Panasonic phone system for use with my business. When someone calls the business the fax monitors the line for any fax tones and if present takes over in order to receive the fax. If no fax tone is present, then the phone system works as normal allowing calls and picking up on the answering machine side. I still have to use a fax for a variety of reasons (some of my vendors including DirecTV will only fax work orders, and our medical benefits department reimburses for dental/vision and some other medical procedures from faxed in receipts, etc). 

At any rate, even if you wanted to get a second Ooma system for use as a dedicated fax system, it would still come out way cheaper then if you had stayed with vonage (24.99/mth phone service+9.99/th for 250 mins of outgoing fax+tax; totaling somewhere around 45/mth after taxes). With Vonage, that's $540/yr or so. Even with 2 ooma telo systems, it's only $84 in taxes or so------>or by adding 3 telo handsets to your existing telo in-lue of another telo you'd be spending the additional 150 for the headsets (a one time charge) and around 13.50 after taxes per month if you broke it down which includes the "premier" service feature set. Remember the Ooma Telo handsets also incorporate DECT 6.0 technology!


at any rate I'm just showing you and others there are choices available


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## shedberg (Jan 20, 2007)

I use efax and have for quite some time - works wonderfully well.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Been using efax for over 5 years without issue.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Is Winfax still around?


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

spartanstew said:


> Been using efax for over 5 years without issue.


I'm not paying $16.95 for that service. Its reviews went into the tank when it jacked up its rates almost 50% recently.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

SayWhat? said:


> OK, I have to ask, why faxes? Why not scanned documents to email? They come in as .pdf or .doc files that you print on your normal printer.
> 
> And why would whatever have to receive when you're not there? With scan-to-email, you can print at will and always have an electronic copy. Plus, you can print from anywhere, you don't have to wait until you're home at a physical fax machine.
> 
> ...


I'm more concerned with being able to have people send faxes to me the traditional method. There are some people I have in mind who aren't technologically too adept, so they'd need to send stuff via a standalone fax machine on their end and have it get to me.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Yoda-DBSguy said:


> I have absolutely no problems faxing with Ooma service; however I have the older unit (Hube and scout combination). You can still find them if you look hard enough (Fry's has a refurb Ooma hub for 129 or new on amazon for around 200. the Scout can still be purchased even from Ooma directly at a discounted price since it's on clearance or from a variety of other sources).
> 
> This combination lets you do exactly what your wanting to do. Connect the fax machine to "Hub" for a dedicated fax line and your own phone equipment to the "Scouts) phone port for your voice line).
> 
> ...


Well, the Ooma Scout is not an option, because I'd have to get the Hub, which is $200. Add the Scout's ~ $120 cost to it, and I'm already well over the price of a new Ooma Telo altogether.

I'd almost opt for a second Ooma Telo, but I don't use faxing enough to justify the cost.



> I do exactly the above as my scout is connected to my " home line" panasonic system, while my hub is connected to a fax machine and in tern another Panasonic phone system for use with my business. When someone calls the business the fax monitors the line for any fax tones and if present takes over in order to receive the fax. If no fax tone is present, then the phone system works as normal allowing calls and picking up on the answering machine side. I still have to use a fax for a variety of reasons (some of my vendors including DirecTV will only fax work orders, and our medical benefits department reimburses for dental/vision and some other medical procedures from faxed in receipts, etc).


The fax machine I use is a Canon all-in-one device that is actually used only for faxing. I've been trying to figure out if it can do what you mention above, but so far my determination is that it can't.


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## Yoda-DBSguy (Nov 4, 2006)

Lord Vader said:


> Well, the Ooma Scout is not an option, because I'd have to get the Hub, which is $200. Add the Scout's ~ $120 cost to it, and I'm already well over the price of a new Ooma Telo altogether.
> 
> I'd almost opt for a second Ooma Telo, but I don't use faxing enough to justify the cost.


Again, people should shop around as I can get a Hub for $129, and the Scout add-on for $39 for a total cost $168.



Lord Vader said:


> The fax machine I use is a Canon all-in-one device that is actually used only for faxing. I've been trying to figure out if it can do what you mention above, but so far my determination is that it can't.


 In any event, I know your wanting to keep cost down that's why I suggested the in-line connection method for the fax. All of the Canon all-in-one multifunction machines do indeed work in this manner. If you need help setting it up properly PM me......


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Yoda-DBSguy said:


> All of the Canon all-in-one multifunction machines do indeed work in this manner. If you need help setting it up properly PM me......


Done.


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## Yoda-DBSguy (Nov 4, 2006)

Lord Vader said:


> Done.


Done and doner :grin:


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Lord Vader said:


> I'm not paying $16.95 for that service. Its reviews went into the tank when it jacked up its rates almost 50% recently.


If you are only concerned about receiving faxes, you can get a free efax account. That's what I did. You will get a phone number that is most likely somewhere in CA, but I've never had anyone complain about that when sending me a fax. They just think it's strange that my area code for my fax is so different than my telelphone number area code.

- Merg


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## kfcrosby (Dec 17, 2006)

I've got Ooma and have been using eFax in conjunction with that service. Just made the best sense to me and I haven't looked back. I do not miss the $150.00/month for two POTS lines.

Kevin


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

The Merg said:


> If you are only concerned about receiving faxes, you can get a free efax account. That's what I did. You will get a phone number that is most likely somewhere in CA, but I've never had anyone complain about that when sending me a fax. They just think it's strange that my area code for my fax is so different than my telelphone number area code.
> 
> - Merg


I may have to look into that. It sounds like it might be what I'm looking for.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

The Merg said:


> If you are only concerned about receiving faxes, you can get a free efax account. That's what I did. You will get a phone number that is most likely somewhere in CA, but I've never had anyone complain about that when sending me a fax. They just think it's strange that my area code for my fax is so different than my telelphone number area code.
> 
> - Merg


How do I do this? This isn't listed on efax's website, and when I called to inquire, I was told, "We no longer offer that. The person who told you this is possible is not being truthful."


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