Re: Fax is pending, sent before

Angel Blue01 wrote:
A user came to me a few months ago asking if he could send a fax from
his computer. He has a Dell Dimension 4500S with Windows XP Home. I
sent a test fax to our fax number. It worked successfully.

A few days ago he came to me and said he could not fax. He had
disconnected the phone line. I plugged it back in and tried it. I could
not fax. The wizard completes but pauses when it reaches the sending
step.

I look in the Fax Console and it says the fax is pending.

It seems to be able to send when I restart the computer while Windows
is loading. But I hear an electronic sound that sounds like an error
from the operator.

I don't understand why this doesn't send. This worked before in March!
There have been no significant changes since I sent the test faxes. I
did not have to restart the computer or do anythign other than print to
the Fax printer and follow the wizard. I don't know why this no longer
works,

Thanks.


You don't indicate if you could hear the relay click when the modem went off hook, dial tones or touch tone sounds from the computer speaker or a mini speaker on the modem board. There should be audible dial tone before the dialing tones. Count the dialing tones to see if they are all being generated.

Also no mention of any automated voice error message content from the phone company (like "If you would like to make a call...").

Reason for the problem could include, but not be limited to:

Cord plugged into wrong jack on modem. When modem is "on hook" the two jacks are connected to each other, allowing you to hear a dial tone or talk on a phone attached to the modem. When the modem is "off hook" for a data connection or fax transmission ONLY the jack intended for the cable to the wall is linked to the modem circuitry, disconnecting the jack for daisy chaining a telephone. If the cord to the wall is plugged into the wrong jack the modem disconnects itself.

Phone service provider changing dialing "rules" to accommodate all the cell phones, fax machines and modems in your local calling area. Sometimes a LOCAL line you were once able to access with a seven digit dial requires a ten digit dial. This allows multiple area codes in your toll free calling area and frees up a few more number combinations for exchanges (fourth through sixth digits of a area code plus number combination) to accommodate additional customers in each area code.

Slow dial tone makes phone company equipment miss one or more tones. some people add commas to the phone numbers, but it's better to add them to the dialing rules. This could also occur on a business PBX phone system.

Noisy line (on either end) interfering with transmission.


Interesting incident happened to me one time:

Suddenly couldn't dial with either of my early model touch tone phones. I could hear the dial tone and push the buttons all I wanted, but no dialing tones would be generated. Modem could touch tone dial out without problems. It turned out some phone company technician had reversed the polarity of my wire pair. With the phone off hook the line wasn't providing the proper DC polarity to power the phones' touch pads. Later model phones apparently have an inexpensive design modification that isn't bothered by the reversed polarity, so the technicians had developed a "doesn't matter" attitude.
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