How Does Internet Faxing Work?

Basic Requirements

Internet faxing is another way to send faxes using a computer or a handheld device without touching an actual printer. There are three basic requirements in order to do Internet faxing. The first important requirement is an Internet connection. Since faxing will happen by way of the Internet, it is important to have access to one, whether it is in your home, a public connection called hotspots or a connection at your workplace. Secondly, you need an email account. Most Internet faxes come and go as email attachments. Therefore, having an email account is important. The last important basic requirement is a subscription to an Internet or online faxing service. Some online faxing service providers would require a full year subscription, while others allow a month-to-month subscription. Some companies offer free fax services, however, sponsor's ads will appear on your cover fax sheet.

To send a fax, you can start by writing an email, and then attach the document you want to fax. You will address the email to a fax number of the recipient, and include the extension of your service provider (e.g., 18001234567@faxsample.com). The online or Internet fax service provider will then encode the attachment as fax data upon receipt. Finally, the service provider sends it across a phone line to the recipient's fax machine.

To receive a fax, your Internet fax service provider will assign you a toll free number, which becomes your designated fax number. The sender dials that number when sending a fax via a regular fax machine. Then your Internet fax service provider will convert the data into an email attachment upon receipt, and then sends to you in an email format with the attachment. You can read the attachment simply by opening it.

PDA
If you are using a PDA to send fax, you will need the same requirements as the computers. The manner of connecting to the Internet may vary depending on the model and service your PDA has. Some PDAs have the ability to connect directly to a modem to connect to the Internet, while others connect and synchronize with a computer to get the connection. Smartphones, such as Blackberry devices and iPhones, have the ability to connect or use wireless Internet on their own. Once you have your Internet connection on your PDA or handheld device, you can send and receive faxes the same way as computers do.

Traditional Fax Machine
Internet faxing can save a user a lot of money. It eliminates the need for a separate fax machine, it saves on paper, toner and ink expenses, it also eliminates having to get another phone line just for faxing alone. You can also save money on electricity since fax machines need to be on at all times so that you do not miss incoming faxes. Another great advantage is that you can fax anywhere at any time you want, especially if you are using a mobile device, such as a PDA or a wireless laptop. You will also not miss any important fax even if you are away since you can receive faxes via email.

Internet faxing also provides other features that can come in handy, such as tracking and reporting of faxes, scheduling faxes, archiving faxes, password protection of files, creating groups for frequently sent faxes, as well as, broadcasting faxes to multiple recipients at the same time.