| Author |
Message |
    
JonSel
Citizen
Username: Jonsel
Post Number: 22
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 4:57 pm: |     |
Anyone know of a decent way to receive faxes online (either through a website or forwarded to email) ? I'm trying to decide whether to add a second phone line to my house (and home office) or use some other fax service. The current situation is a pain in the neck, as faxes can only be received when I know one is coming and can set the machine. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9068
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 5:02 pm: | |
I currently use efax.com which is annoying because I don't like their software, and it blasts me with ads. But I don't receive many faxes, so it's not that bad for me.
I used to use callwave, because it didn't blast me with ads, and it was free, but now it's paid, and I can't justify a monthly fee when I get fewer than one fax per month. If you're going to receive a few, I recommend them. One thing I like about callwave is that they send you a standard graphics file in pdf or tiff format, so you can save it and read it with generic software. efax and jfax use a proprietary format, and you can only use their software to read the attachments.
It's nice to have a service like this, because you can receive faxes wherever you are near a computer, as long as you can pick up your email. And you only give out one fax number. And if you lose the printout, you can print it again infinitely, as long as you save the email or the attachment.
If there were a fax service that required me to pay for each fax I sent or received but didn't have a monthly fee, I would sign up, but I haven't found such a service.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 9069
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 5:04 pm: | |
Oh, check with your phone service. Some voice mail services allow receipt of faxes. Then you can reroute the faxes to a local fax machine or to email. They don't advertise it. My cell phone service (T-Mobile) allows this, so I could give my cell number as my fax number. It's possible that your home voice mail allows it, too. Just ask your service provider.
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Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 7114
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 5:22 pm: | |
I use ureach.com
Very easy to use and low monthly fee ($6); comes with toll-free personal fax no. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1277
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 5:30 pm: | |
I use e-fax, too. I get like one ad-mail from the per week. That's not so bad compared to all the other spam that I get.
You do need a free software from their site(if you only want the free service for receiving, don't get the 'plus' version).
Their format is proprietary, but you can export to tif and some other formats. |
JonSel
Citizen
Username: Jonsel
Post Number: 23
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 8:38 pm: | |
I should add that I'm on a Mac and don't want to deal with proprietary software which has most likely been grudgingly ported to my platform.
I never even considered getting hit with lots of spam. Are they ads from the service themselves or all sorts of other businesses that probably bought the subscriber list? |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1278
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 9:48 pm: | |
The adds are usually free digital subscriptions to magazines like PC Magazine and once a month there is an offer for a software called GoToMyPC which is nothing you would be interested in anyway.
But really, it's not all that bad, they all come from the same e-mail address and none of the offers are for Viagra, Penis enlargment, super sized boobies, or get rich tonight schemes.
There is a Mac version of their software, but I don't know how good that is. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 7115
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 9:57 pm: | |
UReach is completely web based. No software to install. |
TomD
Citizen
Username: Tomd
Post Number: 140
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 8:40 am: | |
uReach is very cool, I did some work with them a few years ago when I was a dot commer. I spotted using them when they decided they had to charge money.
I'm cheap and I send a receive very few faxes, so I use a free service now, http://www.k7.net. They give you free fax to email plus free voice mail. It's a use it or lose it thing. If your account is dormant for 30+ days they close it. It's all free, free, free.
I remember when uReach was free...ah, the heady days of the internet when giving stuff away was a business plan... |
Cubeless
Citizen
Username: Cubey
Post Number: 210
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 12:10 am: | |
Are there any services out there that will allow you to SEND a fax via email...either as an attachment or straight text?
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Soulful Mr T
Citizen
Username: Howardt
Post Number: 734
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 6:29 am: | |
i've been using eFax for years...it's free and works well. The advertising is limited and fairly benign. Id recommend it. As for SENDING faxes, I think Microsoft Office apps allow you to do this. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1281
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 11:47 am: | |
Cube,
Efax allows for that, however you need to subscribe which costs (I think) about $5 a month. So, if you are faxing a lot it might be worth it, for me, I just connect my computer to my phone, but use that for outgoing only. |
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