Can my modem receive faxes when my computer’s asleep?
I’m running a fax modem with Windows 7, and it’s been fine mostly. When my computer’s awake and running it receives faxes beautifully, but when it’s hibernating or sleeping it doesn’t always work. I’d really like reliability on this thing.
There are two options that might help you here. Try the easier one first. Go to Control Panel and choose Devices and Printers. Find the modem from the available options and right click on the icon. Choose Properties and then Advanced. There should be an option for Remote Wakeup, and you can customize it there. Also, under the Power Management option in Properties, make sure you check the box for “Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby.”
If you’ve done that and had no luck, the other option is to change your BIOS on startup. When your computer is booting up, interrupt normal startup with the F8 button and select BIOS. Look in the motherboard BIOS under Power and find the option for “Wake On Ring.” That’s your ticket to a responsive modem, even when your computer is asleep.
Do you have a question about faxing? Send me your fax question.