sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information two fax machines on splitter

For my small office I have a acquired a second fax machine. The two fax machines are running successfully from a single wall jack, using a splitter. The only problem is that when I send out a fax on machine #2, and it sends the fax to the outside faxee, it also sends the fax to my fax machine #1. Great waste of paper.
1) any ideas?
2) would a "privacy adapter" solve the problem, by blocking off machine #2 when machine #1 is operating?
3) why do "privacy adapter" splitters seem not to be available in the US? They seem to be sold by internet vendors only in the UK, New Zealand, India, etc.

Why two machines ?

I believe privacy device here would do it availible from a US vendor

have you tried turning one fax machine to manual receive ?

or just unplug the unused machine while you send a fax

There might be a setting on at least one of the machines to disable this.

I'm not sure that privacy adapter will do anything as the second machine doesn't have to pick up the line, it only has to hear the CNG tone from the first machine to go into receive and I believe it will do through the adapter.

This is why I never advise two machines on one line. Some people don't understand that they don't operate like telephones.

-Hal

On incoming faxes, how does it know which one to go to??? Osmosis??? My question is WHY are there two on same line/ splitter?

Scott

Scott, I have several clients that do the same. Usually the 2nd machine is just to send a fax say from the boss's office.

then why not put the send only machine on a separate line (unless you only have one )

My point exactly, why not just turn 2nd fax to manual pick-up, so it doesn't receive faxes. Unless that's too simple of a fix.

Scott

Thanks for all your responses so far.
Machine #2 is the machine I have had a long time. Machine #1 is indeed in my office (the boss's office), for sending only, hooked to the splitter by a 75-foot (?) telephone cord. The new machine (#1) is an HP all-in-one, very convenient and fast for printing, copying, scanning, and being able to fax from my desk saves time.
The incoming faxes come only to the old machine, #2. That's what I want, but I have no idea why that bit works out so nicely. Since #2 is the machine I want to receive all the incoming faxes, I don't want to put that machine on manual receive.
My phone line is three lines with roll-over, and I am told it is digital and won't take a fax machine. The dedicated fax line is analog, so I'm told. I don't want to pay for a second fax line.
Thanks for the lead on the privacy device. I guess its at $25 gamble whether it will do the trick.

Just wondering what is the make & model of the office telephone system?

Since you're using a long line cord to get to the t-adapter where the old fax machine is located, try plugging that line cord into the "Telephone" jack on the old machine. That is, there will be a single line cord from the wall jack to the "Line" jack on the old (receiving) fax machine, and a long line cord from the "Telephone" jack of the old machine to the "Line" jack of the new machine.