How to Connect a Fax & Answering Machine
Your business may depend on a fax machine. From orders to contracts, you use a fax machine daily to send and receive important documents. But when your business is closed, you need an answering machine to accept voice calls and the fax machine to accept fax calls. If you are disconnecting the fax machine because you are afraid of voice callers receiving a fax machine tone, there is an alternative. You can connect both a fax machine and an answering machine to the same phone line. With the correct settings, both devices will function when they should.
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Instructions
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Turn the fax machine around so the back of the device is facing you.
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Locate the telephone line connectors on the back of the fax machine. You should see a connector labeled "Line" and two labeled "Tel." The connectors may be behind break-off tabs. Use a small screwdriver to break off the tabs.
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Place the answering machine next to the fax machine so the back of the device is facing you. You should see a telephone cord and power cord coming out of the back of the answering machine.
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Plug the telephone cord coming out of the back of the answering machine into one of the "Tel" connectors on the back of the fax machine.
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Confirm that the telephone cord coming out of the telephone jack on the wall is plugged into the "Line" connector on the back of the fax machine.
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Plug the answering machine's power cord into an electrical outlet and turn on the device.
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Set the "number of rings" on the fax machine to "5."
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Set the "number of rings" on the answering machine to "4" or less.
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Record an "outgoing" answering machine message that doesn't exceed 60 seconds. You don't want the message any longer or it could cause the fax machine --instead of the answering machine--to pick up a voice call.
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Select "Yes" to the "Silent Detect" option on the fax machine, if your fax machine has this option. This function allows the fax machine to receive faxes from older fax machines that may not always emit a fax tone.
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Set the fax machine to "Fax Mode."
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Confirm that the answering machine's "auto answer" light is on.
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Tips & Warnings
If the answering machine has a "remote turn-on" function or an "outgoing message only" function, these features cannot be used while the device is connected to a fax machine. The answering machine may miss voice calls because you fail to remotely turn on the machine, and the "outgoing message only" function doesn't record messages.
