Category: Using FaxBurner

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Can You Fax Without a Phone Line?

/ June 21, 2018 / Comments

Can I fax without a phone line?Traditionally, faxes were sent over a phone line. Homes and businesses would get a separate fax line to accommodate their faxing needs. And it many cases, that’s still how it works today.

But as fewer people have landlines, and more of us work remotely we don’t always have a fax line or fax machine.

So the question is… can you fax without a phone line? Here are some options that are available using your computer, smartphone, or other technology.

Faxing Without a Phone Line

If you’re part of a small business or you have an off document you need to send via fax, it may not be economical to buy a fax machine. It’s also unlikely that you’ll want to pay a monthly fee to have a dedicated phone line.

One option is to go to an office or printing store that will send or receive a fax for you. But that can be time consuming.

It’s also not necessary anymore.

That’s because you are able to send a fax without a phone line – thanks to online fax services and/or your computer.

Online Faxing Services

FaxBurner is a convenient online fax app that allows you to fax your documents without a phone line (you can use your smartphone though!).

Using the app, email, or your online account you can send faxes. You even get a free fax number that others can use to send faxes to you. These faxes are stored in the cloud and can be accessed via the app or online. A copy of sent and received faxes is always sent to your email as well.

Rather than having to scan a document, you can simply “attach” a PDF file, or even take photos of documents using your smartphone camera. Best of all, you can send and receive a high volume of faxes, with everything stored in the cloud.

Faxing from your computer without a phone line is as easy as sending an email. The subject line is the fax number you’re sending to. The body of the email is the cover letter. And the attached PDF is the document to fax. Simply send from the account you used to create your FaxBurner account to the email address provided in your backoffice.

No phone lines needed.

Enterprise Fax Server

Another option for faxing without a phone line? Try an enterprise fax server. These servers are similar to an online fax service, but the difference is that an they are operated internally by an organization. For the most part, these types of servers are used in larger organizations rather than by an individual.

An Alternate Location

Technically, this isn’t faxing without a phone line, since you’ll be using a physical fax machine at a place of business like a copy shop. Regardless, if you choose to fax from a retail outlet that has a public fax machine, you do not need your own phone line to send a fax.

This option works best if you only rarely have a fax to send. It also helps to be close to place that offers this service. Otherwise the online option or investing in a fax machine and fax line is advisable.

Summing Up How to Fax Without a Phone Line

Don’t have a fax machine or dedicated phone line for faxing? No problem. You CAN send and receive faxes without a phone line using your computer or phone.

From online fax services… to enterprise fax servers… to your local copy shop’s fax machine, there’s an option (or two) that will fit your needs.

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A Guide To Faxing From Android Devices

/ June 14, 2018 / Comments

Can I Fax From Android?

Our increasingly paperless world means that, chances are, you only occasionally have a need to fax. The good news is that technology is continually evolving and with that, so are operating systems.

In fact, you don’t even need a physical fax machine to fax anymore.

So let’s say you’re on the road one day and you find yourself needing to send a fax. Fortunately, there are services like FaxBurner, which operate as a virtual fax machine.

Better yet, they’re accessible with nothing more than your Android phone.

Android Fax Services

Online fax services are dedicated fax numbers hosted by a particular service provider. One of the primary benefits is that such services can be used to either receive or send faxes by merely using a tablet or an Android phone, computer, or email.

By contrast to conventional fax machines, online fax services don’t rely on a dedicated phone line available in your house, as they offer the capacity to manage or access communication from anywhere in the world where there’s a reliable internet connection.

The best part:

You are able to use the same account to send or receive faxes from any smartphone – Android or iPhone.

Additionally, interfaces are relatively similar to a web-based email account. In other words, the transition is quite smooth and accessible to anyone. You can also fax using the camera feature on your device. Easy!

How You Can Send a Fax

When it comes to the process of sending a fax, it will all depend on the service you’re using. Nonetheless, as a general rule of thumb, it can be done in a few ways, including:

App

You can download the Android app from the Google Play store, for free. Similar to the conventional way of sending a fax, you enter the destination number, add coverage page comments, and attach your file from your device, Dropbox, or by taking pictures with your phone’s camera.

Email

With FaxBurner, another option is to simply use email. Using the email address associated with your account simply send an email to send@faxburner.com.

  • Put the fax number in the subject line
  • Add cover letter notes in the email body
  • Attach the document you wish to fax as a PDF

All from your Android’s email client and without even opening an app.

Their both easy. Just choose the method that’s easier for you.

How You Can Receive a Fax

Just as with the process of sending a fax, you are able to receive a fax through an app or through email. Regarding the online fax service, you will have the service provider acting as a host for the fax infrastructure.

Instead of a physical machine the fax service routes what the sender is putting through to your cloud-based account – accessibly by phone, tablet, or computer. Typically a copy is also sent to your email as well, with the fax as an attachment. Very convenient!

Even more convenient is that your Android fax app lets you view, edit, and sign faxes and send them back. All without printing.

What You Will Need

To complete the process without any problems along the way, you will need to have an Android phone with either an active and stable data, or internet connection – whether it is cellular data or Wi-Fi.

An excellent piece of advice is installing the latest software version, helping with any app compatibility issues. Afterwards, you will need to find a free service, if available, or choose a subscription to an online fax service of your choice. Once that’s done, just choose your document and then you’re all set.

Summing Up How to Fax from Android

Yes! It is certainly possible to fax from your Android device. Options exist for both occasional and frequent users of fax services. The process is very simple, and user-friendly. FaxBurner is one such app that lets you send and receive faxes from your smartphone. You can sign up for a free account here.

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How Can I Fax from an iPhone?

/ April 5, 2018 / Comments

How do i fax from iPhone?

For most people operating in the modern world, faxes are considered a rather outmoded communication method that’s strictly relegated to the corporate world.

However, it is important to acquaint oneself with fax.

That’s because fax is still widely used, and many of us find ourselves needing to receive, sign, or send a fax every now and again. Without a fax machine (and hoping to avoid a trip to a copy shop) it would be nice to have a fast and painless option to turn to.

The good news is that many technological developments have been made to make faxing more accessible.

In fact, it is even possible to send or receive fax messages through your iPhone these days, thanks to the advent of online fax services. This comes as especially good news to loyal Apple users, who have probably had a hard time with the software’s faxing abilities, which have always left much to be desired.

So… how do you fax from an iPhone? Let’s take a look…

The Beauty of Online Fax Services

This term refers to a service provider hosting your unique fax number, and enabling you to send and receive faxes without a machine or dedicated phone line. You can access this service online through your email, their app, or a web interface on your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook.

The beauty about an online fax service is that it can work without the conduit of a phone line. In turn, it gives you the mobility to send and receive faxes from virtually anywhere in the world.

You can do all kinds of convenient things like take photos of documents, sign documents using your finger, attach files, add cover page copy, and more.

Requirements

In order to set up an online fax service and start faxing from your iPhone, you’ll need to make sure that your device has a reliable internet connection, regardless of whether you’re using WiFi or data.

Other necessary requirements for this service include getting a subscription of your choice, which you are able to get tailored here on FaxBurner. Lastly, you’ll need the document which you’ll be faxing.

While there are a number of paid subscriptions available at different price points, there is also a free account that lets you send 5-pages (lifetime) and receive 25 pages of faxes, every month!

How to Send the Fax

Once you have access to the service, you’ll be able to choose your sending method from a number of options, including:

App

It is now possible to send a fax from your iPhone with our iOS app. You are able to download the application for free from the iPhone’s App Store. You get a free 24-hour fax number, any time you want one with one tap.

If you want to keep your fax number, you may upgrade to one of our premium plans for increased inbound and outbound capabilities. Either way, you get many features and it gets the job done quickly and easily.

Email

In addition to sending a fax through the app, you can send via email on your iPhone as well.

Just use the email address associated with your FaxBurner account and send an email to send@faxburner.com. The number you’re faxing to goes in the subject line. The cover letter content goes in the email body, and the JPG or PDF attachment contains the fax. It’s that easy!

Summing Up How to Fax from iPhone

Sending and receiving faxes has been made much simpler than having to rely on fax machines. Whether it’s through an app or your email, you are now able to send and receive faxes from your iPhone through FaxBurner’s free fax service.

Or, for regular fax users, a monthly or yearly subscription will give you all the sending and receiving you need, without having to rely on a fax machine or phone line. Give it a try today!

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How to Fax Online – Send & Receive Faxes by Email, App or Computer

/ March 30, 2018 / Comments

How do I send and receive a fax online?Fax, facsimile, telefax or telefacsimile – these are just some of the many names used to refer to the telephonic transmission of documents and images to another telephone number connected to a printer or output device of some sort.

Facsimile technology has a long and interesting history. However it wasn’t until 1964, when the first commercial fax machine was introduced by the Xerox company. From that point onwards, fax machines have become a part of everyday life.

In recent years however, the fax has begun to feel like dated technology. That has prompted some to wonder, “is the end of the fax machine upon us?”

More importantly “can I fax online?” The  answer is a resouding “Yes!” It’s not only possible, it’s easy, fast, and often free.

In today’s post we’ll tell you how to fax online, including both sending and receiving faxes. But first…

Why Is Faxing Still Around?

The internet has taken over almost every single aspect of our lives and has allowed us to share information with just a few clicks. In fact, the internet, along with email, have changed the way we work.

With just a scanner and an online connection, or even just a smartphone, documents and images can be shared effortlessly. In stark contrast, fax machines require a physical machine, paper, ink, a dedicated line, and can take several minutes to send a single page.

All of this has resulted in reduced usage in favor of other communication methods.

So why is faxing even a thing?

via GIPHY

Well, not everyone has given up faxing. Not by a long shot. Many industries, governments, and organizations still rely heavily on the humble fax technology. Contracts, health forms, and other formal documentation also drive significant fax usage.

Furthermore, fax technology has been around for more than half a century and is deeply integrated into many business process systems.

Even in Japan – a nation on the cutting-edge of innovation – faxes are still very much a part of daily life. This can be attributed to several reasons – for example, much of the senior management in Japanese businesses are well into their 80s. Thus, they are not very computer literate. Japanese culture places a great deal of importance in handwritten notes.

All of this, can present a problem for the many among us who have long since recycled our fax machines.

Good thing for the internet and faxing via smartphone app.

The Shift to Faxing Online

Fax technology has evolved together with the introduction of WiFi and smartphones. As a matter of fact, newer generation services utilize the PSTN network, or the T.38 protocol, which allows fax machines to be VoIP compatible, unlike the older T.30 protocol.

This gives virtually anyone the ability to send a fax over the internet or email. Options include faxing directly from a website, or even more conveniently, using a smartphone app. There’s no need for a fax machine, a fax line, or paper. Everything is electronic.

FaxBurner is one such option.

Introducing FaxBurner

FaxBurner has nearly 1 million subscribers, offering an easy, modern way to send and receive faxes online. Not only that, our service catalogs incoming or outgoing faxes – via email and the cloud. All accessible from your phone or computer.

Best of all, this convenient fax method is inexpensive or even free for infrequent users. And for regular users, a small monthly fee covers everything. Either way, when compared to the more traditional fax machine the expense is modest, and offer a host of conveniences and environmental benefits.

How to Send a Fax Online

Just get yourself an account, online or via our Android or iOS app. Depending on how many pages you need to fax get yourself a free or paid account.

How to send a fax via the app:

  1. Just enter the fax number you wish to send to
  2. Add cover letter notes
  3. Then attach a PDF to fax, or use your smartphone camera to “scan” a printed document

How to send a fax via email:

  1. Using the email address you used to open your account, compose an email to send@faxburner.com
  2. Put the fax number in the subject line
  3. Put the cover letter notes in the email body
  4. Attach the document to the email

How easy is that? A copy of your fax will be sent to your email, and saved in the cloud.

How to Receive a Fax Online

As soon as you create your account you can “Request a fax number” via the app or online. Simply give out your fax number, and you’re done.

You’ll be notified of your incoming fax on your smartphone, and a copy of the fax will be sent to your email, and saved online in the cloud.

Easy peasy!

Conclusion

Fax technology has proven time and time again that it has staying power. And it remains one of the most efficient and cost-effective methods of transmitting formal documents and images. Even in an age where the internet reigns supreme, businesses still need to be able to send and receive faxes.

That’s where online faxing from FaxBurner comes in. It’s fast, convenient, and inexpensive or even free. Perhaps it’s time to ditch your fax machine, and make the switch!

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Will Fax Machines Work With VOIP?

/ March 16, 2018 / Comments

Will fax machines work with VoIP?

In an age where the internet has taken over almost every facet of our lives, one may easily forget that fax technology is still very relevant. That especially holds true for heavily regulated industries such as government, healthcare and finance, that still rely on fax technology.

However, as fax machines become less common, people with only occasional fax needs have started to turn to internet and app-based faxing and fax to email technology to send, receive, and store their faxes. These technologies include VoIP and PSTN.

What is VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP aka IP telephony is the general term given to technology for the delivery of voice and multimedia communication sessions over Internet Protocol (IP networks) i.e. the internet.

Some examples of VoIP communications are WhatsApp, Skype or Viber, which utilize WiFi or mobile data to enable users to send messages or make calls.

Can Faxes Be Sent Over VOIP?

Short answer, yes. But it’s not especially reliable, and therefore not advisable if you want to be confident that your fax will be delivered.

To understand the limitations of faxes being sent over VoIP it first helps to understand how fax machines work. In a nutshell, facsimile machines transmit images or documents over analogue networks to a receiving machine. The receiving machine then interprets this message and prints out a copy of the scanned document.

Why Some Fax Machines Are Not VoIP Compatible

Traditionally, fax machines were designed to use analogue networks as a means to transmit data. As they utilize the older T.30 protocol, older fax machines were not designed to transmit information over VoIP networks. This is because fax data cannot be compressed. So VoIP transmissions for fax work by digitizing your voice and transmitting this information via “packets,” which are then reassembled and converted back into analogue sound.

However, fax transmissions are sensitive to packet delays and loss. So not all of the fax packets are able to be reassembled. Hence, the missing information cannot be read by the receiving fax machine.

When this occurs, your fax will fail to send.

What’s the Solution?

One solution – send to newer fax machines

Fortunately, most newer fax machines utilize a newer T.38 protocol. The gateway works by taking your fax machine’s signal and converting it into an internet compatible one, rather than first digitizing it into an audio signal. As a result, these machines can more reliably receive faxes sent over VoIP.

Of course, you often don’t know whether the machine you’re sending to utilizes T.38, so…

A better solution – use a PSTN service like FaxBurner

FaxBurner does not rely on VoIP. Instead we use analog or PSTN (public switched telephone network) lines – defined by Wikipedia as “the aggregate of the world’s circuit-switched telephone networks that are operated by national, regional, or local telephony operators, providing infrastructure and services for public telecommunication.”

Not only is PTSN a comprehensive connection of telephone, fiber optic, cellular, satellite, and even undersea networks, the lines conform to how fax data is intended to be transmitted.

Therefore, more than 99% of faxes are delivered and received.

How FaxBurner Works

FaxBurner is an internet fax service provider that provides users with a fax number (disposable or permanent), and a simple way to send and receive faxes via email, internet, and smartphone.

The service has both free and paid options to fit different needs.

Sent and received faxes are stored in the cloud for convenience and organization. Included is a fax-to-email service, in which a copy of each fax is emailed as a handy PDF as well as stored in your online account.  The mobile app, available on both iOS and Android, allows you to send faxes using your smartphone’s camera, and sign and notate wherever life or work takes you.

Conclusion

Faxes can be sent over VoIP. However, it is not the intended transmission method for faxing, which is why it often doesn’t work. However, technology is available to facilitate fast, easy, and convenient fax transmission without a fax machine. FaxBurner is a top choice, using a PSTN network that is intended for faxing, and fully able to send and receive faxes over the internet.

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