Fax over VOIP problems....

[riffjim4069]

I switched over to a VOIP provider a few week back and love the service and savings (voice calls are clear as a bell and it's 1/3rd the price of a landline). Having said that, I am having a problem sending/receiving faxes: I can usually send a one or two page fax, but anything larger will typically fail. And I cannot receive faxes...period. I have a 2/3 year old HP 5110 all-in-one Officejet that has worked flawlessly prior to switching over the VOIP.

1. Checked FAX Setup...there are no options that would prevent the fax machine from sending/receiving faxes.

2. Ran a VOIP bandwidth/quality check at www.testmyvoip.com - my connection is pretty good: as low as 3.9 (better than a good cell phone call) and 4.4 (like calling next door).

3. Dishnetwork receivers dial-out...I've check my bill and ordered a PPV movie via the receiver.

4. Fax picks up at ring 3, voicemail was setup to answer after ring 6.

5. My landline won't be permanently disconnected until 8 May. I hooked it back up and the fax works without failure.

Ok, I stumped. The send/receiver errors are generic "a communication error occurred" and the only thing I can think of is that Adelphia (ISP) is blocking VOIP modem and fax call setup.

Any suggestions????????? I have a handful of proprietary/company sensitive documents that I cannot receive at my client site. It's so much more convenient to receive them at home than drive another 20+ miles. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to pay an additional $20 a month or drive to the company site and fork over $$$ at the gas pump.

 

[bryansr]

The first time I had to FAX something thru the VOIP service I use (Sun Rocket), I had a problem with it but I called them and in about an hour they had me up & FAXING. No more problems since then...... "KNOCK ON WOOD LOUDLY" >>>> LOL

BryanSR

 

[mikew]

The only way I can successfully fax is if my VOIP box is in front of the routher. My setup is DSL>VOIP Box>Router. When it is DSL>Router>VOIP Box I get many send/receive errors.

 

[riffjim4069]

The first time I had to FAX something thru the VOIP service I use (Sun Rocket), I had a problem with it but I called them and in about an hour they had me up & FAXING. No more problems since then...... "KNOCK ON WOOD LOUDLY" >>>> LOL

BryanSR

I'm with Sunrocket...however, when I called them the CSR said they no longer support fax issues and that I would have to contact the vendor or ISP. Offhand, do you know what they did to correct the problem?

The only way I can successfully fax is if my VOIP box is in front of the routher. My setup is DSL>VOIP Box>Router. When it is DSL>Router>VOIP Box I get many send/receive errors.

I placed my "Gizmo" in front of the router for this very reason. The only option I had to change on the HP all-in-one is setting connection speed from normal to slow...still no luck. I still say Adelphia must be zapping the connection during the handshake. This is the only think I can come up with at this point in time.

 

[riffjim4069]

SunRocket Fax Update...

After reading bryansr's comment, a testimonial on SunRocket's website about their Fax Support, and after reading the following support faq...SunRocket tech support pushed a firmware update to my Gizmo which should [hopefully] improve fax performance using the T.38, real-time fax over IP, protocol. Anyway, here's the info from the SunRocket website:

http://www.sunrocket.com/support/general/

Can I use a fax machine with SunRocket Service?
Depending on your equipment, a fax machine may work with SunRocket Service. If you purchased your equipment from a retailer, a fax machine will not work with SunRocket Service.

If you are using the SunRocket gizmo, SunRocket Service supports fax transmissions through the use of the T.38 standard for real-time fax over Internet Protocol networks. However, sending and receiving fax transmissions is not 100% reliable with SunRocket or any other Internet phone system. Some fax machines may not be compatible with the gizmo, and SunRocket cannot guarantee that fax performance will meet your needs at this time. SunRocket is working to improve fax support, reliability and performance.

Anyway, I'll test it later tonight.