Internet fax FAQ

What is Internet Fax?

Using your computer, Internet and the email system to receive and send facsimile messages is called Internet fax. This can be done anywhere and at any time without the traditional fax machine and the dedicated telephone connection. You have to subscribe to an Internet fax service through a provider who would charge a monthly fee for the service.

How do I send a fax from my computer?

All computer modems come with a fax function or can be used as a fax modem. The fax modem can be inserted into an internal PC slot, which connects to the telephone line via a regular cable. You can also sign up with an Internet fax provider who would offer a local fax number and you would be able to send and receive faxes through your email system.

How do I receive a fax on my computer?

Faxes can be received through a telephone line to the fax modem, if you have installed the modem and uploaded the software. There is no need for any hardware or software if you are a subscriber to an Internet fax service, where you can receive your faxes as email attachments, usually in TIFF, PDF or a JPG format.

How do I read an inbound fax?

Incoming faxes come in as email attachments on an Internet fax, in TIFF, PDF, JPG or other formats. To read these faxes you would need a viewer; most computers are equipped with the Adobe Acrobat Reader and Windows also has the Windows Fax Viewer with the latest version.

Do Internet faxes remain secure and private?

Many Internet fax providers are compliant with security rules and regulations like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley and HIPAA in the USA and also utilize SSL and PGP encryption when sending faxes. While this encryption does ensure some amount of secure transmission, the faxes are still stored securely on their systems.

How do I track my faxes?

The Internet fax service provider will inform you about the success or failure of the transmission. They would send an email or you can log on to your Internet fax account to find out the status.

What is Fax Broadcasting?

Sending a particular fax to a large number of people is called Fax Broadcasting. The Internet fax service companies provide this facility to organizations, which occasionally need to send a particular document like a newsletter or press release, to several recipients.

What is Junk Fax?

Junk fax is any communication transmitted through the Internet fax like advertising services and products, without the permission of the recipient. A resource that can stop these junk faxes is http://www.junkfax.org.

What file types can be used for Internet faxes?

The most common format for Internet fax is Tagged Image File (TIFF) and others are JPG, PDF and JPEG. There are several formats which can be converted to the fax mode and one should find out from the service provider, which formats are being used or can be converted for the fax facility.

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