How to Configure Email to Accept Incoming Fax
Although you can configure your email service to accept a fax, the process is a bit tedious and requires that you be a pro in handling computer hardware-which you may not be. The best and the easiest alternative you have, is to consider buying an online service that does the whole job. With this, you can treat your fax like an email and vice versa. There are no busy signals, broken lines or poor quality fax output.
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Instructions
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Choose an Internet fax provider. Your selection should take into account the amount of fax documents you want to receive every month and the amount you are willing to pay. There are various providers available on the internet such as eFax, MetroFax, and MyFax, just to mention a few. Charges differ and you should check out which service works best for you.
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Sign up for your desired service. You will be assigned a dedicated fax number which will work with your email. Or you may suggest your own number that is easy to remember, provided that it is available. If you want to use your existing fax number with a service, that will work too. For instance, if you sign up on MetroFax, you will receive a ten digit fax number including area code followed by @metrofax.com.
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Choose the type of fax number you wish to have. For instance, the service provider eFax, like most providers in this business, offers local as well toll free numbers. With local numbers, you can receive and send fax in more than 2,000 cities around the globe. However, the usage of toll free numbers is restricted to US, Canada and some European countries. For more information, you should consult the customer support of your service provider.
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Give your email to the internet fax provider. Your email address is then ported to the fax number you received earlier. Any fax documents sent to you, will end up in your email box as attachments.
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Select a format for the incoming fax documents. Usually, providers offer the two more common formats such as TIFF and PDF, but other formats are also available. TIFF is used mostly for scanned images and PDF is used for documents. Save the faxed file somewhere on your hard disk, just like any other attachment you receive in your email.
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Tips & Warnings
When searching for the right company, look for per page and per line rates offered and your usage. Some providers charge a flat monthly fee, while other charge based on numbers of lines in your document. You don't want to be charged a high price for using the service just a couple of times in a month.
Some providers may not use encryption to safeguard your privacy. It is up you to inquire about the security of your Internet fax service.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit fax image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
