How to Fax over the Internet

Last Updated: September 16, 2021

You never know when you need to send a fax until you have to do it. Of course, you can use the fax machine at work to send a quick form to someone. However, what if you don't have a fax at work to fill that same need? Even if you don't have a fax machine, you probably do have the Internet! So even if the person you're faxing is insisting on bringing back 1997, you don't have to.

Steps

1
Search for a free internet faxing service. There are plenty of free services that will allow you to send a fax to a remote fax machine. Search for "Free internet faxing" in a reputable search engine for some free services. Research how many faxes you can send within a given period.
- Here is how a free internet faxing service might work:
  - You provide your name, your email address, the message or files you wish to fax, along with the recipient's name and fax number.
  - Follow the instructions on the page. Type in any relevant information they ask for, including any confirmation codes.
  - Know that your free internet faxing service may come with ads, limits on how many pages you can fax, as well as daily quotas.
2
Choose an email-to-fax service such as eFax. Be able to send and receive faxes using only your email, without a fax modem. The recipients of your faxes will never know that you're not using traditional faxes.
- You need to install a file onto your computer to make the faxing possible. This piece of software is provided by the fax service when you sign up.
- Access your fax program account from any computer to send a file to someone. All you have to do is call up the program, log in and you're ready to go.
- Convert the file you want to fax to a .pdf or .txt format. There are many other formats that work as well. The fax service will provide instructions on how to access the file, send it to "print" to the program and enter the recipient's fax number.
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3
Consider purchasing a fax modem. Conexant sells a fax modem, as do other online companies and retail store locations. This is not as convenient as the online fax services, but is easier to use. You just need to send the file straight to the designated printer.
- A fax modem is like a data modem, but it's designed to send out data to and receive data from a fax machine nearby.
- Many, but not all, fax modems work as data modems. These dual-process modems can either be external or internal.
4
Fax an already printed sheet of paper by scanning it. If you need to fax an already-printed document and you don't have a printer or fax machine, you can try scanning the document and then sending it via one of the services listed above.
- Scan the document into a .pdf or .txt file, using a multifunction printer or a scanner.
- Use one of the services listed above to send a fax out to a physical fax machine.

Community Q&A

Question

Is a fax secure?

Community Answer

That depends. If you're sending a fax to an individual, then yes, it's fairly secure. If you're faxing something to an office, it's much less secure as anyone could see it.

Warnings

Fax modems only work with phone lines, not Internet call receipt services. Check this out before committing to an Internet phone service.

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