Tiny prog to respond to fax tones and take the call?

[RF]

Hi Experts,

I use WinFax to send faxes and I can set it to
take a fax call - but it responds to ALL calls. Is
there a mini prog that would recognize the fax
tones, pick up and then "lay down" the phone after
the call?

TIA

 

[Jasen Betts]

Hi Experts,

I use WinFax to send faxes and I can set it to
take a fax call - but it responds to ALL calls. Is
there a mini prog that would recognize the fax
tones, pick up and then "lay down" the phone after
the call?

there's no way to hear the tones without answering the call.
perhaps you can find answering-machine software.

 

[Jasen Betts]

So how do companies with the same number for phone and fax get round this?

they answer the call and listen for the tone.

 

[RF]

they answer the call and listen for the tone.

Interesting comments.

In the late 80's and to mid 90's I had a small fax
program on my Windows 3.1, believe it or not, and
it did take the calls but did NOT lift the phone.
It did not pick up unless the fax tones were
present. I wish I could find that prog now but my
best guess is that it would not run on Win2K.

 

[Jasen Betts]

In the late 80's and to mid 90's I had a small fax
program on my Windows 3.1, believe it or not, and
it did take the calls but did NOT lift the phone.
It did not pick up unless the fax tones were
present. I wish I could find that prog now but my
best guess is that it would not run on Win2K.

perhaps you had two phone numbers in the 80s one for fax
and one for voice, both on the same line but with a different
ring cadence for calls to the fax number.

 

[Rich Webb]

perhaps you had two phone numbers in the 80s one for fax
and one for voice, both on the same line but with a different
ring cadence for calls to the fax number.

No, I seem to recall something from that era, as well, that would use a
"fax/modem" to receive a fax onto the PC by listening between the
incoming ring tones.

 

[Mark F]

Hi Experts,

I use WinFax to send faxes and I can set it to take a fax call - but it
responds to ALL calls. Is there a mini prog that would recognize the fax
tones, pick up and then "lay down" the phone after the call?

TIA

It is done with distinctive ringing, an option you can get from
your telco if you wish.

Two phone numbers, one line. When the "fax" number is called, the
ring will (for example) be ring-ring,,,, ring-ring, which the fax
machine detects as being for it, and it answers. Assuming the
resident humans haven't been stupid enough to do so.

I can see, out of the corner of my eye, a "Ring-o-Matic" which
someone may have for 5 bucks plus postage from V8K2E9 Canada,
formerly sold thru Radio Shack, and made by a friend's company.

Line powered, one line in, two out, one for each device.
Now that I think about it, it won't pass the fax ring to the
phone, so that even stupid humans are less likely to answer...
/mark in Canada