User's Manual

If you have an answering machine on the same phone line with the printer, you might have one
of the following problems:
Your answering machine might not be set up correctly with the printer.
Your outgoing message might be too long or too loud to allow the printer to detect fax
tones, and the sending fax machine might disconnect.
Your answering machine might not have enough quiet time after your outgoing message to
allow the printer to detect fax tones. This problem is most common with digital answering
machines.
The following actions might help solve these problems:
When you have an answering machine on the same phone line you use for fax calls, try
connecting the answering machine directly to the printer as described in
Case I: Shared
voice/fax line with answering machine on page 221.
Make sure the printer is set to receive faxes automatically. For information on setting up the
printer to receive faxes automatically, see
Receive a fax on page 62.
Make sure the Rings to Answer setting is set to a greater number of rings than the
answering machine. For more information, see
Set the number of rings before answering
on page 73.
Disconnect the answering machine and then try receiving a fax. If faxing is successful
without the answering machine, the answering machine might be causing the problem.
Reconnect the answering machine and record your outgoing message again. Record
a message that is approximately 10 seconds in duration. Speak slowly and at a low volume
when recording your message. Leave at least 5 seconds of silence at the end of the voice
message. There should be no background noise when recording this silent time. Try to
receive a fax again.
NOTE: Some digital answering machines might not retain the recorded silence at the end
of your outgoing message. Play back your outgoing message to check.
If the printer shares the same phone line with other types of phone equipment, such as an
answering machine, a computer dial-up modem, or a multi-port switch box, the fax signal level
might be reduced. The signal level can also be reduced if you use a splitter or connect extra
cables to extend the length of your phone. A reduced fax signal can cause problems during fax
reception.
To find out if other equipment is causing a problem, disconnect everything except the printer
from the phone line, and then try to receive a fax. If you can receive faxes successfully without
the other equipment, one or more pieces of the other equipment is causing problems; try adding
them back one at a time and receiving a fax each time, until you identify which equipment is
causing the problem.
If you have a special ring pattern for your fax phone number (using a distinctive ring service
through your telephone company), make sure that the Distinctive Ring feature on the printer is
set to match. For more information, see
Change the answer ring pattern for distinctive ring
on page 73.
The printer cannot send faxes, but can receive faxes
The printer might be dialing too fast or too soon. You might need to insert some pauses in the
number sequence. For example, if you need to access an outside line before dialing the phone
ENWW Solve fax problems 129