Send faxes via email (for free?)

JDMurray

Can anybody recommend a free service on the Web that will allow you send an email to a fax machine? Does Skype offer this capability?

I need to send a fax, like, once every five years, so I'm really behind on this particular aspect of Internet-based services.

Plantwiz

jdmurray wrote:

Can anybody recommend a free service on the Web that will allow you send an email to a fax machine? Does Skype offer this capability?

I need to send a fax, like, once every five years, so I'm really behind on this particular aspect of Internet-based services.

Now that you mention it, I could use this too.

We've lost our fax line though some reconfigured phone routing options and currently do not have a fax. I send a fax like....well NEVER, and this week I could have sent 2.

SO, I'm curious about this too!

(sorry my post doesn't help you any )

bighornsheep

why dont you get a fax modem? they're like practically costless, and most of them already give you a decent program like WinFAX.

Plantwiz

bighornsheep wrote:

why dont you get a fax modem? they're like practically costless, and most of them already give you a decent program like WinFAX.

"cause there must be a way to do it and do it reliabliy

Plantwiz

These sort of things exist, but I've not known someone who has used them.

http://www.tpc.int/faxbyemail.html

http://www.efax.com/en/efax/twa/page/homePage?CMP=OTC-us_mi

bighornsheep

A simple google search gave me this:

http://www.savetz.com/fax/#cani

Plantwiz

bighornsheep wrote:

A simple google search gave me this:

http://www.savetz.com/fax/#cani

Yep, google is a great place to start.....however, I cannot speak for JD, but I'm looking for someone who has USED this sort of service before I invest a bunch of money into something I'm not going to use. A monthly fee of $19 isn't worth it, and a mediocre free service won't fly either.

So the question for myself (after hijacking JD's thread) is has anyone used a e-mail to fax program that is either inexpensive or free and had success for sending less then 10 faxes a year?

JDMurray

bighornsheep wrote:

A simple google search gave me this:

Yes, I am well aware that Google turns up a multitude of free Internet faxing services. I am interested in finding one that other people have used with good results and have a recommendation for. Setting up a phony Internet faxing service is a good way for spammers and phishers to obtain active email addresses, and I don't want that to happen to me, now do I?

TheShadow

Just curious as I have nothing to really add to the thread but is it because you have no access to a normal outside line? Faxing is built into Windows XP and any old modem will work even with an obsolete external 14.4 sitting in a closet. The XP fax program is free and handles send and receive just fine. I understand that everything is moving to the net but for the occasional fax, I just use a modem rather than paying for a service.

RTmarc

I don't know at what level you are looking for this type of service (personal, business, etc.) but RightFAX is a very decent program. The business I used to work for used it and I don't recall having too many issues with it at all. Incoming faxes went straight to your inbox and outgoing was just as easy.

If you are looking for a personal service, eFax used to be a good service. For a while they offered free, but long distance, numbers but I believe they've switched over to a pay/month service.

EDIT: I just checked the eFax website and they still offer a free account but you are limited to the number of incoming/outgoing faxes/month and also the types of formats you can receive. It's more geared towards receiving faxes. If you want to send them you are required to sign up for a monthly service plan.

techED

www.rapidfax.com
has a free 30 day trial period.

sprkymrk

I have to agree with the "modem" option. If you have a laptop, I am sure you have a modem either built-in or on a PC card without going to any extra expense. Most cable/dsl providers (ISP's) provide a free dial up account for traveling users and/or as a backup when the primary service fails. Usually limited to 15-20 hours a month, but for faxing that's plenty. The W2K/WXP fax capability works just fine. Add a dial up account and I think you set up the fax driver in the Printers.

Danman32

You woudn't need a dialup internet account simply to do a POTS direct fax. The modem would be used as a fax machine, not as a modem.

Many of us no longer have a fax/modem or it is not compatable with XP or the MoBo we have. I have also seen cheap fax/modems have problems connecting to recipients who are also using a fax/modem to receive faxes, thinking it is a modem and handshaking that way rather than as a fax machine.

I also would just assume send a fax through a service and be done with it. If the fax service uses a VON, then the long distance faxes don't cost any more than using POTs, unless it is an international call.

JDMurray

After doing some more research, I'm beginning to wonder if a lot of these free faxing site are really phishing Web sites that collect email addresses and other information in people's faxes. I see that some of them are advertising supported, but that's no insurance that the site is legit. Not even the FedExKinko's site supports free online faxing.

TheShadow

Danman32 wrote:

I have also seen cheap fax/modems have problems connecting to recipients who are also using a fax/modem to receive faxes, thinking it is a modem and handshaking that way rather than as a fax machine.

That has always been a problem from long ago. There are two fax standards so it depends on which one your modem supports. The init string must be modified to support the right one and that is a function of you modems driver. Chose the wrong driver model and you will have fax difficulties. If the receiving modem has problems connecting then a real fax machine will normally disconnect where the fax modem will attempt to fall back to standard modem handshaking. The winfax pro manual used to have warnings about this.

Plantwiz

TheShadow wrote:

Just curious as I have nothing to really add to the thread but is it because you have no access to a normal outside line? Faxing is built into Windows XP and any old modem will work even with an obsolete external 14.4 sitting in a closet. The XP fax program is free and handles send and receive just fine. I understand that everything is moving to the net but for the occasional fax, I just use a modem rather than paying for a service.

No POTS line for a modem to connect to, and for us the very, very few that would be sent it just doesn't make sense to run a line and pay for POTS.

sprkymrk

Plantwiz wrote:

TheShadow wrote:

Just curious as I have nothing to really add to the thread but is it because you have no access to a normal outside line? Faxing is built into Windows XP and any old modem will work even with an obsolete external 14.4 sitting in a closet. The XP fax program is free and handles send and receive just fine. I understand that everything is moving to the net but for the occasional fax, I just use a modem rather than paying for a service.

No POTS line for a modem to connect to, and for us the very, very few that would be sent it just doesn't make sense to run a line and pay for POTS.

It is a valid idea for the many who have a POTS line available. I really don't trust the free fax services out there for the reasons mentioned by JD. That leaves options such as paying for COTS software/service that can be verified as legit, use a fax modem, buy a real fax machine, or (barring a POTS line as you mentioned) drive to your nearest Office Depot/Office Max/UPS Store and pay a few cents (okay maybe a couple bucks) to have them fax it for you - which is not a bad option as both you and JD mentioned you only send:

Plantwiz wrote:

very, very few

jdmurray wrote:

once every five years

jd/Plantwiz - let us know if you do find anything that you like. Thanks.