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Hi All,
We have had this phone system for a few months now and are just learning some of the features on it. We are a small office (4 people). Currently our line 4 is programmed to allow outgoing calls and receive faxes. How to I change this to allow us to answer incoming calls that are not faxes?
Thank you for your help!
Tammy

get a dedicated line for the fax.......

mentorcap:

What kind of phone system do you have? Your vendor, who just put in that system, should be able to program that, if the system is capable of doing that. There are several small systems that do that.
The second way is to put a fax switch in front of your system---again---your vendor should be able to provide that and wire that up for you.
Good Luck

You will need a line sharing device.
something like the CS5500 or a CS3.0 by ComSwitch https://www.command-comm.com/
Datacomm Solutions, your original vendor would be happy to put one in for you.
Or you could do it yourself as it's a no brainer.
Keep in mind you may need some programming as I don't know how the ringing assignments are set up for line 4 and I don't know if the fax is actually on the system as an extension or line 4 is paralleled between the system and the fax.

some fax machines send ringing to the phone ext. port on the fax if it answers a call and doesn't get the handshake. You can put that kind of fax in front of the phone system and wire from the fax phone port into the system. Then just program the phones to ring on that line. Of all the solutions there are to this, a dedicated fax line is the best.
mark

You do know that the Partner supports Fax CNG Detection don't you, all you need to do is set up your programming and you will be able to use line 4 on the sets as well. But you will need voice mail to do it.

[This message has been edited by dtmf (edited March 03, 2005).]

How do you know which calls are faxes and which are not faxes until you pick up the handset and say "hello"?

You've gotten a lot of good responses, but this is the basic question, that the user never considers when trying to use their FAX line as another incoming line.

Without using any type of line sharing device, you could program your FAX extension for delayed ring on Line 4, the phones for immediate ring. Add an auto-intercom button for the FAX machine.

During open hours, if line 4 rings, and lines 1-2-3 are NOT all in use, the call is for the FAX machine, so ignore the ring, and on the 4th ring the FAX machine will answer.

If line 4 rings and line 1-2-3 ALL are busy, you don't know if it is voice or fax. Answer the call before the 4th ring, and if it is a voice call, talk to them! Put them on hold until you can finish up one of the other calls. But if you hear the incoming CNG tone, press the auto-intercom button for the FAX extension and hang up the handset. The FAX will now receive the incoming fax.

At night, the FAX will automatically answer any call on line 4 after 4 rings, but since the other 3 lines won't all be in use, it will only be a fax call.

Thank you all for your input....let me clarify my needs a little better. I apologize for not doing this to begin with.

About 4 times per year we need to use line 4 as an incoming phone line. Currently if we try to answer line 4 it continues to ring. I would like to be able to pick up live 4 and say hello.

We are currently using WinFax to receive our faxes. During the 4 times we need to receive calls on this line we disengage the modem and the WinFax program.

Am I clear as mud?

Thanks again for all your help!
Tammy

At the times during the year that you want to answer the 4th line -- go into program and program the 4th line to ring on the exts that you want to answer the calls. Do you have your fax machine working as an ext. off of the partner?

Tammy, the most cost effective solution is to have all your CO lines from an after market provider and have a dedicated fax line and 4 lines on your ACS system for incming and outgoing.
If you choose to stay with SBC and keep only the 4 lines then go with a "line sharing device" as I stated earlier.
Put line 4 in the hunt or "roll over" from your provider and set line 4 on the ACS to ring on all phones.
From he NID or Dmarc, line 4 will go into the line sharing device. This would answer all incoming calls on line 4, if it hears a CNG, (fax tone) it will route the call to the fax machine or win fax modem, whatever, if the device does not hear a fax tone it will send the call into your ACS system and line 4 will ring.
Nothing to unplug or disconnect, no program changing once it's set up and line 4 would always be available for outgoing use.

[This message has been edited by MrGemini (edited March 04, 2005).]