Sending faxes by email

[Anonymous]

Having tried to use a free email to fax service mentioned in another post recently without success, I have spent a bit of time researching how to send faxes via email. Quite a few firms offer a service but most of them seem to want to send you advertising emails and faxes - for this you can get a free service, but for me, working with emails via GPRS, or via the SSB, that is unacceptable.

I have subscribed to a service 'interfax' Interfax The cost is £10 +VAT for 100 pages to UK or Europe - you prepay and get cheaper rates for larger quantities. They do not spam you and you can put a number of different email addresses in the system. Needless to say, I am not associated with them.

 

[jjc]

If you have a Vodafone try vodafone.net Fax,E-mail + ansafone all in one.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Try the following:-
www.tpc.int/

 

[Anonymous]

That was the first one I came across - I tried several times and it didn't work for me. Have you tried it?

 

[Steve Clayton]

Similar to earlier posting:

This link provides a web form

http://www.tpc.int/sendfax.html

You can also send a fax by direct email. Prep your mail in the usual way and then use the following address information in the "To" field.

remote-printer.Vodafone_Disconnection_Department@448701616500.iddd.tpc.int

so you would enter
remote-printer.Recipientname@faxnumber.iddd.tpc.int (Drop the 00 on the international code number)

You will receive an acknowledgement of fax transmission status

 

[Anonymous]

I tried the last of those several times and got bouncing emails each time. I've just checked what I sent again and it looks as though I didn't make any mistakes. Have you tried it recently?

 

[Steve Clayton]

Not recently. Might be that it's not supported by your internet service provider? It may not work for AOL or Hotmail.

Cut and paste my link to Vodafone Disconnect, send a test transmission, and see wnat reply you get

 

[Anonymous]

I'm connecting via square mile wifi at the moment but I have my own domain names hosted on a business web package - have never had any restrictions of any sort before.

It will be interesting to hear if anyone else has recently been able to use that service - I see that the web page was last updated in 2002 - quite a long time ago in internet terms.

 

[Anonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
Cut and paste my link to Vodafone Disconnect, send a test transmission, and see wnat reply you get

[/ QUOTE ]That's not easy for me as I don't have my own home fax to keep calling and I have to disturb family. I have already disturbed them enough asking them to switch the fax on for failed attempts so will have to leave that experiment to others.

As I said in the first post, the Interfax service does work albeit at a small cost of 10p per page, which I don't object to paying for the occasional fax.

 

[pvb]

Have you tried using Microsoft Fax?

For sending faxes, I fax straight out of Microsoft Word. Select File > Print, then under Printer Name, select Fax, and follow instructions. Works fine every time.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Have you tried using Microsoft Fax?

That only works when you have access to the PSTN. I need to send faxes via email via the HF radio - winlink and sailmail.

 

[Ships_Cat]

You mention GPRS so assume use of a cell phone for at least some of the time.

The easiest and most reliable way, but not the cheapest, for cellular service is to use a Fixed Cellular Terminal such as the Ericsson FT200 series (Siemens and others make them too) which is basically a cellular phone in a box. They mimic a PSTN connection so you can connect any standard telephone equipment to them eg receiver, fax machine, etc and they do the off hook, on hook, rings, etc, etc. That is what we use on board for business use.

They have a port (usually serial) for computer and so also do GPRS, SMS, data, etc from a PC for emails, txt messages, etc as well. Also means that you can do exactly as pvb describes sending faxes using the MSOffice or other fax client on the computer instead of using a fax machine if one wishes.

Am not sure that I would want to send faxes by ssb/email as there is much less security in the ssb link than in the email link. It is normally the security of the email link which drives people to fax so I would have thought that in most circumstances ssb would be even less desirable. Of course, some to whom one wishes to send a message may have faxes but no email and so security is not the driving issue then.

John

 

[ex-Gladys]

There are plenty of Fax services (such as E-Fax) which allow you to subscribe and send and receive faxes through e-mail.

 

[Anonymous]

As I said in the first post, there are plenty of services but look at the terms very carefully. I would not consider e-fax for use with HF email services as they reserve the right to send you junk faxes and emails. Interfax is the only service I found that does not. Junk emails wipe-out HF radio email systems.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Yes. But not recently!

 

[Ships_Cat]

Not asking what the reason is, but I assume that there some special reason why you need a fax.

I gave up fax altogether around 2 years ago and have not missed it at all. All my clients and business contacts (which are international) and also private contacts all have email and most documents exchanged are in electronic form in any event. I (and they) just scan any rare item which does not already exist in electronic form but which is needed as an attachment. For purchases, anyone that matters has secure email connections.

I realise that attachments are a problem if using Sailmail/Airmail, etc due to size but a fax, obviously, does not provide a way around that.

John

 

[Anonymous]

Let's prefix this anwer by pointing out that I am talking about sending while aboard a boat, probably at sea or at anchor - there might have been some confusion judging from some replies.

A year ago I started out with the notion that fax is more or less redundant, having only used my home/office fax a few times in the previous year. However, it all supposes that you have inexpensive and reliable access to telephone communications and access to reliable shore mail. I have found that most companies that do not specifically carry on online business will not reply to an email - or reply weeks later. This came to a head when I needed to extend my insurance last month, while cruising in N France - while my insurer had received the email it was not going to be handled for days, and I needed an immediate response. The same seems true of a lot of companies - many of whom will only communicate on the phone via expensive 0870 premium rate numbers, or fax. One is often out of mobile range and in any case it is very expensive, especially overseas if you don't have a local contract and you want to contact the UK.

80% of companies can send email without problems but only 20% seem to have a system that allows incoming mail to be routed to the right department without delay. Too many companies let mail go to named individuals whose mailboxes are not looked at while the employee off duty. Or it all goes to "info@nnnnnn" where it gets lost in a deluge of spam, general enquiries, admin stuff, etc.

Anyway, my faxes are not high-security but they are important. The idea that I can now put a fax into anyone's fax basket instantly from anywhere in the world feels very comforting! And all for 10p per page. I do not require an incoming fax service because companies seem to be able to reply by email having made contact via phone or fax in the first instance.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Yes I understood that you were meaning from a boat. However, I was not sure before but from your last posts interpret that you are getting good service from Interfax.

Ok on your explanation as to reason. It is, fortunately, not a problem that we seem to face here - if you ever sail as far as Australasia and in my experience also North America, you can expect to get reliable response and service from local suppliers, service providers, etc by email communication.

For emails I send from the boat, unless just trivial personal ones, I blind copy them to my land office for archival reasons and also for proof of transmission. I think I would probably do the same (or to a reliable family/friend for archiving if no land office) for important faxes initiated by email too for proof of transmission.

John