Expert Articles

What may be simple and second nature to one person, may lead to confusion and hair pulling to the next. Let's take internet fax for instance. This technology has been around for quite some time now but there are still many people out there who could not tell you how it works or how to send an internet fax. People tend to fear what they don't understand. Some may be afraid that using internet fax is going to be too complicated. Nothing could be further from the truth.

How Internet Fax Works

Internet fax technology isn't really all that different than using a traditional fax when you break it down. Both convert faxes into binary data (1 for white, 0 for dark) to send from one location to another, called a "handshake" - an electronic agreement of how to send and receive the information. The only difference is that internet fax technology allows you to do it with a few clicks of the mouse.

How to Send an Internet Fax

How you send an internet fax will change slightly depending on your provider. However, there are 2 basic ways to send an internet fax. One is directly from a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, and the other is from an online control panel through your internet fax provider. For example, you have just written a document that needs to be faxed out to a client. Let's examine the 3 possible ways this can be accomplished:

Sending on a Traditional Fax Line

1. Open the document you want to fax.
2. Select print.
3. Go to the printer and pick up your document.
4. Walk over to the fax machine, load it in the fax machine and dial the outgoing fax number.
5. Wait as the fax is being sent out.
6. When finished, retrieve your document, and take it back to your desk.
7. File the document away for future reference.

Sending an Internet Fax Using Fax Print Software

1. Open the document you want to fax.
2. Select print and choose Fax printer.
3. Enter in the recipient's fax number.
4. Click send.

Sending an Internet Fax Using an Online Control Panel

1. Login to the online control panel.
2. Upload the document you want to fax.
3. Enter in the recipient's fax number.
4. Click send.

Receiving Your Internet Fax

Receiving internet faxes is even easier than sending them. When a fax is sent to your internet fax phone number, the provider will then forward it to your existing email address. The file will come as an attachment and with a double click of the mouse, you have your fax. Just as with sending your internet faxes, there will most likely be an option to access your faxes from an online control panel as well.

Internet fax is a simple and convenient solution for small and home based businesses today. With internet fax, sending faxes is now as easy as printing and receiving faxes is as easy as checking your email. Don't be intimidated by this user-friendly technology. Overcome your fear and check out internet fax for yourself.