A fax modem is a device that lets computers send and receive fax documents over a telephone line. It converts the digital data like a PDF into analog signals like beeps and tones, which enable the data to be transmitted over the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and received by a traditional fax machine.
Once the traditional fax machine receives the analog signals, it will turn the signal into the data necessary to print the faxed pages. Modern fax machines and multifunction prints usually save faxes as digital files, allowing employees to access faxes from their computers and mobile phones.
If this all feels a little old-fashioned, you can use an online fax service that handles all the encoding and transmission. This is what we recommend. Online fax is legitimate and legally-binding — you don’t get bonus points for sending analog signals over copper wire.
Do I already have a fax modem?
Some devices come with built-in fax modems, especially older laptops and multifunction printers.
To see if your laptop or printer has a fax modem, look at the ports on the device. If there’s an RJ-11 port, chances are you have a fax modem. An RJ-11 port fits a phone line, and is often labeled “Phone” or “Line.”
You can also check out your system specifications if it’s a Mac, or your Device Manager if it’s a Windows computer. If you see a fax modem listed in either one of those places, your laptop most likely has one.
Do I need a fax modem if I have VoIP?
The short answer is yes. You need a fax modem because transmitting fax over Voice over Internet-Protocol (VoIP) is unreliable. It can work, but since people are usually faxing important documents, they don’t want to leave it to chance.
Many VoIP phone service providers also provide fax as a capability, but it’s often an add-on feature. And even where fax services are bundled with VoIP, these services are powered by different technology.
So if you have VoIP and are unsure of whether or not you can fax, check with your provider — fax services may be bundled in already, or available as an add-on service.
In some cases, VoIP providers don’t offer fax at all, in which case you would need to purchase a standalone fax service. Here’s a breakdown of VoIP phone system costs and what you should know before signing a VoIP contract.
Types of fax modems
Though there are many different kinds of fax modems, they are most commonly broken down into internal fax modems and external fax modems.
Internal fax modems are expansion cards that are installed inside of a computer, usually one that’s connected to a PCI or PCIe slot on the motherboard. These were once quite common in older desktops, but you can occasionally find one in a newer desktop or laptop.
More common these days are external fax modems, which are standalone devices that connect to a computer via a USB port or a serial port—also called an RS-232 port. These look like little boxes that get hooked up to your computer so that fax traffic can be routed through them.
Most standard external fax modems cost about $30 to $45 and come with basic functions for you to send simple faxes from your computer. In some cases, these modems can add an extra means of internet access to your computer, which can be useful if you need to use a wired connection.
Business-level fax modems often work with more than one device, and are able to handle much higher rates of data than standard fax modems. Businesses still use fax because it works. Maybe they have a lot of old equipment they are going to ride until it dies. Sometimes their vendors or clients rely on fax, so businesses will keep a fax machine around.
Most often, fax is used by organizations in highly-regulated sectors. For example, hospitals, banks, law offices, and financial services companies still use fax, though many organizations have ditched the multifunction printers and moved fax entirely to the cloud.
Using a fax modem
Using a fax modem is usually fairly straightforward. First, connect the fax modem by plugging it into your computer, connect the phone line, and make sure the drivers are up to date.
Next, grab the document you want to fax and open your fax software. On a Windows machine, this is normally going to be Windows Fax and Scan.
When you’re ready, enter the fax number of the person you want to send the fax to and attach the document. The exact way you do this depends on the software you’re using, but normally you’ll select the document from your computer’s file system or drag and drop it into the program.
The last step is to hit send and wait for the fax software to show you a confirmation.
How to avoid using a fax modem altogether
While fax modems can still get the job done, there are a lot of alternatives that are much less expensive than buying an external device.
Your local library might have a fax machine or multifunction printer you can use. If there is a UPS Store or other type of print shop in your town, they can definitely help.
But the easiest, cheapest, fastest alternative is using an online fax service. If you only have to send a few pages, you can usually do it for free.
Online fax services do the same encoding and transmission as an old school fax modem, but the entire process is handled in the cloud. On the user-side, it’s just like sending an email, except you type in a phone number instead of an email address.
Once you register with an online fax service, you’ll be able to send and receive faxes from your laptop, phone, or computer. The best part is that all your faxes will be stored digitally for easy access — you never have to print a single fax if you don’t want to.
Moving on from traditional fax modems
There are a number of benefits to using an online fax service, with the main one being convenience.
You can send and receive faxes from anywhere you have the internet, without having to worry about being in the office or finding a working fax machine.
Online fax services are also typically very cheap, with most offering fixed monthly fees or pay-as-you-go pricing. This tends to be much more practical than a traditional fax machine, mostly because it doesn’t require you to buy paper and toner or update your machine every few years.
Furthermore, since a digital option removes the need to print out and keep track of physical faxes, your document management is a lot simpler. Any faxes you send and receive can be stored in the cloud, making it easy to organize and retrieve files.
From a business perspective, online fax services can be a great way to expand your communications tech stack without having to add a bunch of expensive new equipment to your office. Even organizations that are subject to strict privacy and security requirements can use fax.
Bear in mind that not every online fax service meets these regulatory requirements. If your organization is subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), for example, you need to ensure that the provider is willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), enforces role-based access controls (RBAC), and so on.
If your organization is subject to such laws, secure online fax services are a must. SRFax, eFax, and iFax are all good examples of online fax services that have gone the extra mile to help their clients ensure that all fax communications are secure, private, and reliable.
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