How to Use an Answering Machine With a Fax Machine
Fax machines with telephone receivers come in very handy when you want to cut down on expenses and avoid extra equipment. They are two-in-one machines that will allow you to send or receive faxes and make or receive calls. All you would need to complete a home office setup is an answering machine to record messages while you are out.
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Things You'll Need
- Answering machine
- Telephone line cord
- Fax machine with phone receiver
- Wall jack
Instructions
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Prepare the items you will need to connect your machines. You will need your answering machine, your fax machine, a telephone line cord and a wall jack. The answering machine should have a telephone line cord attached to it. If the fax machine does not have a telephone cord, you can easily purchase one from an electronics store.
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Look for the jack labeled "Line" on your fax machine. Plug in one end of a telephone cord. Plug the other end of the telephone cord into the wall jack.
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Locate the jack labeled "EXT" on the fax machine. Plug the telephone line cord from your answering machine into this jack.
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Set your answering machine to pick up after four rings or fewer. This will give the fax machine enough time to take the call if it senses that it's an incoming fax. Setting the answering machine to pick up after two rings would give the fax machine even more time to accept the fax.
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Record your outgoing message. You will need to allow five seconds of silence at the beginning of the recording which the fax machine will use to check for fax CNG signals. Make sure your message does not exceed 20 seconds. End your message with instructions for those calling to send a fax and include your fax receive code.
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Continue with the regular setup for your answering machine and adjust other settings. Do not set the toll saver feature because this will interfere with the fax machine.
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Know that although your answering machine is in charge of answering all the calls, your fax machine will listen in and take over if it recognizes fax CNG tones.
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Use your manuals for further instructions and contact your manufacturer if you are having problems with the connection.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not plug in an answering machine elsewhere in the house using the same phone line as the fax. You will need to connect it directly to the fax machine or they will fight for control.
