How to Troubleshoot a Digital Phone Line Into a Fax Machine

When your fax is not functioning on your digital line, it's time for troubleshooting.

With the increasing popularity of digital phone lines in offices and homes, there has also been an increase in issues with fax machines. While many fax machines manufactured since 2009 are digital-line compatible, several older models are not compatible with digital lines. If you experience an issue with your fax machine's performance over a digital phone line, there are a few steps you will need to take to determine what the issue is.

Things You'll Need

• Digital line converter
• Portable phone

Instructions

1. Plug in a standard telephone into the wall jack. Remove the line that connects your fax machine to the wall jack and test to make sure that the telephone connects and that you can hear a dial tone. If you can hear a dial tone, the issue is with either your digital line converter or with the fax machine. If you cannot hear a dial tone, you will need to have your phone lines tested. Contact either your IT department or your telephone service provider in this case.

2. Check the line switch on your fax machine. Newer fax models have a switch, either externally or one that can be accessed by the machine's menu, that tells the machine whether it is using a digital or analog phone line. Make sure that this switch or setting is set to "digital."

3. Check you digital line converter. Fax machines that are not compatible with digital lines need to use a digital line converter. These devices convert the analog signal from the fax machine into digital format. Digital line converters, like all electronic devices, are prone to failure. Make sure that the device is receiving power and that the phone lines are properly secured.

References

• Hardware Secrets: How Analog to Digital Converters Work
• Laptop Travel: Digital Phone Lines