Can I Receive PC Faxes While the Computer is Off?
I am a one-person shop and absent from the office (no staff) frequently. I have a dedicated phone line which I use for the computer-based MS Fax Console fax program. I must leave the computer on 24/7 to handle the fax program. The problem: I do not want to leave the computer on 24/7 (It has been on for more than two years.) I cannot give up my fax phone number and I do not want to get a stand-alone fax machine. I want the ability to receive into and fax out of my computer, where I can resend, cut and paste, etc.
It seems all of the various fax services cannot use my existing fax telephone number. Is there some memory device I can put between the computer and the phone line that will hold incoming faxes as TIFF or PDF files until I turn on the computer and then transfer them to the MS Fax program?
I’m not aware of a memory device that does what you ask, but there’s an easier solution to your problem: sign up for an Internet faxing service, and order the phone company’s call forwarding feature for your existing incoming fax line. Forward calls from your current fax number to the phone number given to you by Internet fax service. This way, faxes will be delivered even when the computer is off, and stored by the fax service. You’ll find incoming faxes waiting in your e-mailbox (or on a secure web site) when you turn the computer back on. (Bonus: you’ll also be able to retrieve faxes using your laptop when you’re away from the office.) It’ll be a TIFF or PDF file (depending on the service) so you can forward it, cut-and-paste, and so on.
Use FaxPrices.com to find a cheap Internet faxing service with unlimited receive pages. Since you like to send faxes from your computer, you don’t even need a service that can send faxes – although you might find it more convenient.