Faxes can fail during sending or receiving for a variety of reasons. Some possible causes for this situation include:
Reliability issues with the modem hardware or modem drivers
Many of the operations that are performed by the FaxTalk software are dependent on the quality of the modem hardware and modem drivers.
- With the exception of some fax modems, you should use the latest modem drivers supplied by the modem manufacturer for your modem model and operating system. Modem drivers supplied by Microsoft as part of the Windows operating system instead of custom drivers provided by the modem manufacturer may not be complete or reliable for faxing, or voice. Some generic drivers do not support voice, or do not answer calls properly.Unless specified by the modem manufacturer, the generic modem drivers provided by Microsoft as part of the Windows operating system provide basic data/Internet connectivity for dial up connections and are not considered reliable for fax or voice operations.
- If possible, avoid using a USB hub when connecting a USB based fax modem to your computer. USB fax modems should be connected directly to the computer. If you having problems with the fax modem installed to a USB port, try installing on a different USB port. You may need to reconfigure the FaxTalk Modem settings after reinstalling the fax modem on a different USB port.
- Connect your USB modem to a USB 2.0 or lower port. USB 3.0 (specified by a blue color port) may not be compatible with some USB fax modems.
- Avoid using 2 or more USB based fax modems on the same computer, unless it is supported by the fax modem drivers./li>
- Turn off power saving features of your operating system (if applicable) specific to your USB based fax modem.
- Problems with the modem hardware can also result in problems sending or receiving faxes. If updating the modem drivers does not help with the problem you should try using a different modem to see if that corrects the issue.
- Not all fax modems are created equal. If you are using a software based fax modem. Try another fax modem if available, preferably a controller-less or controller based hardware fax modem. We offer them on-line at https://www.getfaxing.com/shop
- If your fax modem is not answering after 1 ring, try setting FaxTalk to answer in 2 or more rings. Some fax modems do not properly answer within 1 ring. If modem does not answer calls, check for correct modem drivers or telephone connection.
Telephone line quality
The quality of the telephone line connected to the modem being used by FaxTalk to send faxes can have an impact on the ability to reliably send or receive faxes.
- Static or other “noise” on the line can force the fax transaction to have to resend data multiple times and in some cases automatically drop the sending speed to attempt to compensate for the line condition. Faxes may fail during sending if these methods for compensating for line quality issues are not successful. You should verify with your telephone service provider that there are no quality issues with your telephone line.
- If your telephone line has DSL Internet service (on the same telephone line where your fax modem is connected to) you may require to install a DSL filter between the fax modem and telephone connection. Not all DSL services require additional filters, so check with your DSL service provider to determine if you require to install a DSL filter. If you have DSL filters installed for each telephone in your home or office, you will also require a filter for the fax modem. Extra DSL filters are available from your internet service provider or at a local computer dealer.
- Some fax modems may be not be able compensate for a poor or fair quality line and cause errors when sending and receiving faxes. If possible, try a different fax modem that is hardware based (controller-less or controller based). We offer them on-line at https://www.getfaxing.com/shop
- Try disabling or unplugging other devices that are connected to the same telephone line as the fax modem. A fax machine, an answering machine, an external caller id device, a telephone switch box etc. connected on the same telephone line could cause interference when sending or receiving faxes.
- Try changing the telephone jack location, and/or the telephone cable. The length or quality of the telephone cable could also be a factor in poor transmissions.
- Use of Voice Over IP (VOIP) (Vonage, MagicJack etc.) or Cable Bundled telephone service (Comcast Digital Voice, AT&T U-Verse, Rogers Digital Phone etc.). VOIP based phone service uses a packet based data transmission that can sometimes cause problems with sending or receiving faxes. For voice use, packet loss is unnoticeable but for fax can be the difference between a successful or a failed fax. Your internet connection and the internet connection to the local switch where the fax is being transmitted is a major factor here. Too much jitter or packet loss will cause faxes to fail. A fax transmission expects a continuous connection between two machines when sending and receiving data throughout the fax transaction. If you use a VOIP based telephone service which separates the data into individual packets you can encounter situations where the communication between both fax machines is out of sync or no longer valid which will cause errors and failures. Successful fax transmissions over a VOIP connection will depend on the quality of the VOIP connection. There are many who use this successfully, and some that complain about the reliability (which is generally related to the VOIP connection quality and the VOIP hardware used). In some cases reducing the sending speed to 9600 bps or lower in FaxTalk can compensate for issues with VOIP connections. If your VOIP hardware is connected via a wireless connection, try connecting directly to your internet router via network cable.
Lower your fax speed in FaxTalk
Adjusting the speed can help when having difficulties sending or receiving faxes. To change the default fax speed settings in FaxTalk:
- Open the FaxTalk program.
- Click on the Tools menu and select the Options command. The FaxTalk Settings application will open.
- Click on the Modem selection in the list to display the Modem configuration page.
- Select the modem from the list and click the Properties button.
- On the Modem Settings dialog click the Fax tab.
- On the Fax tab under the Modem speed settings, select 9600 from both the Fax transmission speed and Fax receive speed dropdown lists.
- Click OK to save the change and close the Modem Settings dialog.
- Click OK to close the FaxTalk Settings application.
Adjusting (ECM) Error Correction Mode in FaxTalk
Error Correction Mode (ECM) can improve fax transmission quality by verifying the data received is the same as the data sent. This may help in cases where VOIP connections result in some minor data packet loss. However, when there are many errors and retries due to line noise or packet loss/jitter, faxes will usually fail completely. To enable or disable Error Correction Mode (ECM) support in FaxTalk:
- From FaxTalk, click on the Tools menu, and click Options.
- In the configuration list on the left, click Modem.
- On the Modem configuration page, click Properties.
- On the Fax tab check Enable Error Correction Mode (ECM) support, uncheck to disable..
- Click OK to close the Modem Settings dialog.
- Click OK to save the changes and close FaxTalk Settings.
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