# Need help with faxing



## irishluck

So I'm little new with faxing and what not as I've never really done it or anything.

My boss would like to be able to send a fax from his computer through our fax machine to the "receiver"

We have a Brother MFC-6490CW fax/print/scan machine.

Its already hooked up to the phone line(the printer) and the printer is hooked up to our computer through usb.

But is there a way to send a fax from the computer through the fax machine to the receiver?

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks in advanced


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## PohTayToez

If sending faxes from the computer is something you do regularly, you'll probably want to invest in a subscription to a digital faxing service.  It's also possible to do this (without a monthly service) by hooking a phone line directly to your computer and using some sort of faxing software.  This will take a little extra know-how and setup, and possible cost depending on what software you go with, but would save you money in the long run.  

In short, if you want to send faxes directly from the computer, there is absolutely no need for an actual fax machine.


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## irishluck

PohTayToez said:


> If sending faxes from the computer is something you do regularly, you'll probably want to invest in a subscription to a digital faxing service.  It's also possible to do this (without a monthly service) by hooking a phone line directly to your computer and using some sort of faxing software.  This will take a little extra know-how and setup, and possible cost depending on what software you go with, but would save you money in the long run.
> 
> In short, if you want to send faxes directly from the computer, there is absolutely no need for an actual fax machine.



so basically, i can just send a fax through my computer without hooking it up to a fax machine or anything and I don't need to get a fax modem then right?


But now can we do this? can we get a fax modem for a computer, hook up a phone line into the computer to the fax, then a phone line from the fax into the phone line and such and will that work?


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## PohTayToez

irishluck said:


> so basically, i can just send a fax through my computer without hooking it up to a fax machine or anything and I don't need to get a fax modem then right?



You'll need a fax modem if you want to send the fax through a phone line.  I believe most if not all dial-up modems can send faxes.  However, if you want to send a fax using an internet fax service, you do not need a modem.




irishluck said:


> can we get a fax modem for a computer, hook up a phone line into the computer to the fax, then a phone line from the fax into the phone line and such and will that work?



No.


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## Nanobyte

PohTayToez said:


> You'll need a fax modem if you want to send the fax through a phone line....


You may be correct but why can't it be possible if your ADSL ISP was also your telephone land line supplier?  Same cable, company.  Instead of having to use a fax modem you would only need some software to send the data down the wire as a fax stream.


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## PohTayToez

A DSL modem uses much higher (non-audible) frequencies than a fax modem, which is why DSL is capable of simultaneous voice and data transmission.  It would be possible to send a fax through a DSL line using a DSL line filter and and fax modem/machine, but this would be basically the same thing as setting it up through a normal phone line.

 Bottom line: if you want to send faxes over a phone line, you need a fax modem.


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## irishluck

now you guys just said something bout if i wanted to send a fax over my internet connection that i would have to use some faxing software.

Well on my computer there is some "fax wizard" on there, it lets you upload the document that you want to fax, and the number your sending it to and supposedly sends it, does this work? or does anyone know what I'm talking about?


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## tremmor

I have a Microtek scanner. its supposed to fax through the internet. i will try out later and report back.


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## Nanobyte

I had further thoughts.  What has not been really addressed by us is whether you can create a fax on your PC and send it to your fax machine via USB.  That was your original question!  It seems so.

If you do not have it already, download the manual here, the Software Users Guide.  Go to Chapter 6, Brother PC-FAX Software.


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## irishluck

Nanobyte said:


> I had further thoughts.  What has not been really addressed by us is whether you can create a fax on your PC and send it to your fax machine via USB.  That was your original question!  It seems so.
> 
> If you do not have it already, download the manual here, the Software Users Guide.  Go to Chapter 6, Brother PC-FAX Software.




well the fax is hooked up through the pc via usb. But when we use this fax wizard it just tells me to put in the fax number and the document wanting to fax and it just "faxes" i guess. but we haven't really tested it to see if it really does fax though


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## Nanobyte

irishluck said:


> well the fax is hooked up through the pc via usb. But when we use this fax wizard it just tells me to put in the fax number and the document wanting to fax and it just "faxes" i guess. but we haven't really tested it to see if it really does fax though


You don't use the Fax Wizard, you use the Brother PC-FAX software that I assume came with the printer.  The manual I linked you to is for that software.  It's probably on the same disk as the drivers etc.  If it's not installed you will have to do that.  Then read Chapter 6.

If you want the nitty gritty on what you will be aiming at, look at page 132. "Create a file in any application on your PC.....Click Start to send fax"


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## irishluck

sorry i havent responded back to you guys sooner, been crazy busy at work, im going to look at the manual now, so if you are suppose to use the software from the fax machine itsself, what exactly is the intention of the fax wizard on windows then?

UPDATE: I got it all working, turns out i only had the printer driver on the computer and not the whole entire software driver that i needed. Its been loaded on there now and looks like its going to work!

Thanks for the help guys


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