Connecting Fax to Phone Line

Yea, I don't think that feature is available anymore since Cox upgraded a year or so ago. That was the same upgrade that allowed for visual voicemail. 

Whats the model number of your printer? There may be a option for the device to only pick up when it detect fax tone. The problem is that is not a perfect solution since it can cause some false connections. Another words someone calls you and gets your fax machine because for some reason the fax machine thought it was a fax.

If you only use it once in a while, it may be god to connect the phone line to the fax, but turn the fax off? Then just keep your fax machine off unless your expecting a fax. 

Hi Laurie, 

Without the distinctive ring feature, the only other option would be to add a second phone line if you want to distinguish between a phone call and a fax. As Health Edge suggested, there may be a option in your settings for the all in one device that will only pick up when it detect fax tone. I would recommend checking your manual or you can select your manual online at the following site: http://www.manualsonline.com/brands/canon/. There would be no other way to distinguish between the two on a shared phone line. I hope this information helps.

I have a similar problem.  I have an HP all in one j3600 office jet  fax printer, I need to fax and realized I have no phone dial tone.  I probably haven't had one in a while.  I don't use the phone only have as it is part of the bundle.  I do need to fax something now and currently have no dial tone on any phone in house. I did recently get a new modem and router it is possible I hooked something up wrong.  The way it is set up now is the phone is going into fax/ printer 2 ext. and the fax printer line 1 is going into wireless modem..  nothing is going into the phone port on the wall.

If you have no dial tone in any phone in your house then seems like you have a different problem then the orginal poster. I suggest making a new thread. Include what kind of phone equipment you have.

Are we talking specifically about Cox Voicemail here only?

I have Cox phone and an HP All-In-One Printer Fax machine and separate Answering machine (no Cox Voicemail).

The Answering machine is set to pick-up on the 4th ring

The Fax is set to pick-up on the 5th ring.

The Fax starts listening for the Fax tone as soon as the phone rings,
if no Fax tone is received, the call goes to the Answering machine,
If a Fax tone is detected the Fax machine takes the call.
Every incoming Fax is successful.

The Phone line goes through the Fax Machine first then to the Telephone/Answering Machine
Phone Jack > HP Fax > Answering machine

Have an HP 8600 printer but I don't have a phone jack nearby.  I was hoping to be able to connect it to the PC.  I'm guessing that won't work? Can I set it up with a cordless phone somehow.  

That printer has a digital fax option, but that is only to send the Fax from the printer to the PC AFTER it is recieved normally via the phone wire into the fax. There are software options that allow you to send faxes through the internet, but all the ones I know of work via the computer and don't tie into the fax except to use it as a printer to print the faxes from the PC.

Do you have a phone modem? If so, how is it connected to your phone lines? Is it possible you could move the phone modem into the room and connect the fax directly to it?