[misterdna]

Has anyone tried receiving faxes using Leopard? Did you have success or failure? If you had success, were there any tricks, or did it just work like it is supposed to?

I just got my USB modem in the mail, and it works perfectly connecting to the internet and sending faxes. But the built-in fax software just doesn't seem to sense the phone is ringing.

I saw a few people posted the same problem on the Apple support forums, but no one seems to have much to say regarding the issue.

Thanks for your input, if you have any to offer.

[Big Mac]

Yeah, I don't think the built-in fax driver is very good at all. If you want to use your Mac for faxing, this is the software you need:

http://www.smileonmymac.com/PageSender/index.html

[misterdna]

Thanks for the response. I'll try the free demo and see what happens. Then decide if I want to spend a total of $90, or just return the modem and sulk.

My old G4 with a 5 year old old version of OS X still works fine to receive faxes (using the built-in fax software), so I never figured I'd have to buy fax software again.

[misterdna]

I just installed the demo, and yes, now my top-of-the-line Mac Pro and the recent addition of a $50 USB modem can actually receive a fax. Mind if I now vent that it's annoying to me that the built-in fax capabilities of Leopard aren't fully funcitonal? It's been 10 years since I needed to pay for separate fax software, but looks like I have to again, thanks to Leopard.

I wouldn't be whining so much, but after doing a lot of posting and searching on various Mac forums, I found a lot of people have purchased Apple USB Modems but couldn't get them to work in Leopard. I found very few responses and no solutions. I hadn't even considered 3rd party fax software until BigMac suggested it. Glad you did, BigMac!

Now I have 30 days to either buy the software, or figure out a way to get Leopard to recognize the modem ringing. Other than not being able to receive faxes, sending faxes and dial-up internet work fine without 3rd party software.

[turtle777]

If you just want to receive faxes, why even bother with setting something up on your Mac.

There are plenty free services out there that give you a free dedicated fax number.

I have been using j2 for years, it's a great service.

-t

[Big Mac]

The problem with Apple software is that sometimes the company just lets integrated features that are sorely lacking just languish indefinitely. Built-in faxing was non-functional in Panther, and I assume it never got much better. Perhaps some day faxing will get the attention it deserves, but since it's such a legacy feature Apple may not give a shi†. Page Sender is really good third party software, although I guess they raised the price since I bought it. Apple should buy it and put it in OS X.

turtle, I had not known of j2 and could not find a truly free incoming fax solution that provided an actual dedicated fax number since eFax converted into a pay service. I even looked for one specifically for some time recently before arriving at the conclusion that there are no truly free fax services that provide dedicated lines anymore. I'll be trying j2 out, so thank you for the link.

[misterdna]

Turtle777, maybe I'm just stuck to the old days, but there's something about my fax machine (or fax-enabled computer) connecting directly to the fax machine at my lawyer or my bank (etc.) that seems a lot more secure than using a third party service, which is hardly a direct connection. People are advised not to email sensitive documents, and I follow this advice. However, it seems these service are based on email, so sensitive faxes are not that secure. Also (and this is a small point), if my email server is having problems, or my internet connection is down, or the 3rd party fax service is down, then that will affect my ability to send and receive faxes.

The other minor issue is, I have a business and have had my phone and fax number for a long time. It's printed on business cards, etc. I don't really want to change my fax number, and I think it looks hoaky for business to have a fax number that isn't a local number (the free service doesn't include a local or toll free number). I also don't like knowing my fax number is tied to a service that could go out of business at any time, decide to start charging a bundle at any time, etc. (and I have seen this happen when I experimented with a free fax service years ago).

Also, sometimes I'm on the phone with someone, and they are asking me to send them a fax while they are standing at the fax machine. I don't know if you have that much timing control with a 3rd party service.

So, those are my fears, and reasons why I have kept away from a 3rd party service. If I were on a tight budget, and didn't care about a lot of the details mentioned above, then I could see opting for a free service (and I too, didn't think there were any truly free Fax services).

Big Mac, my old G4 (I think it's running Tiger, could be Panther) has worked flawlessly with the built-in fax software and modem. It was the main reason I have kept this machine running since I bought my new Mac Pro early this year.

[ibook_steve]

As far as not sending documents over email, you do know that you can password-protect pdf files with Acrobat, right?

Steve

[misterdna]

Originally Posted by ibook_steve 

As far as not sending documents over email, you do know that you can password-protect pdf files with Acrobat, right?

Steve

Sure, and that's how I send 'em when I do email them to someone (and then I'll call with the PDF password). But I assume the free fax service I am talking about does not send and receive password-protected PDF files... I'm pretty well versed in emailing documents, but I really am looking at faxing solutions -- there are many times that the person or business I'm communicating with can only send or receive a document via fax (or snail-mail). For example, just last week my health insurance wouldn't accept a change over the phone or via email, only via fax or letter. I also had a sensitive document I needed from my lawyer, but he didn't have the ability to password protect a PDF, so faxing made the most sense.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by misterdna 

I also had a sensitive document I needed from my lawyer, but he didn't have the ability to password protect a PDF, so faxing made the most sense.

You know that this is absolutely ridiculous. NOTHING about a fax is secure. Not more than email anyways.

If you ARE concerned about security, encrypted email is the way to go. Password protected PDFs come second.

If neither of these are available, email is as good as faxes, and at that point, it doesn't really matter if you have a dedicated fax landline, or a virtual fax service like j2.

-t

[misterdna]

I know nothing about encrypted email, but I will look into it. But that doesn't really help me when many businesses (banks, health insurance, etc.) seem to only want to deal with faxes when it comes to electronic transmission of a document. If they will take an encrypted PDF, that is what I send them. But I have never had a business offer to send me an encrypted email or PDF.

With a fax service, you have fax insecurity plus email insecurity. By pure logic, that seems less secure than pure fax to fax.

Anyway, this thread was originally about me trying to get my built in fax software to receive a fax. While I'm always up for these types of discussions, I guess no one really can say they successfully use the built-in fax Leopard fax software to send and receive faxes?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by misterdna 

With a fax service, you have fax insecurity plus email insecurity. By pure logic, that seems less secure than pure fax to fax.

You are right, but it's negligible.

It's like a house, where you have the front door open. In addition, you leave the windows wide open.
Do you gain any security by just closing the front door, but not locking it, while still leaving the windows wide open ?

-t

[misterdna]

Anyone with a computer and internet access can attempt to hack my email (which, is no more secure than my password). A much much smaller group of people have the ability to tap into the fax line to intercept a fax transmission. At least a fax has would have to be intercepted at the time of transmission. An email could sit on a server for a long time. Bottom line to me is, it seems like two very different sets of potential data thieves. I think exposing documents to just one set of thieves is safer than two sets. But this arguement seems worth very little, no matter who is correct.

Even if you're 100% right, I still believe I want to keep my on site fax cababilites for the other reasons I originally mentioned. Especially if I don't have to pay $40 to use software that is supposed to be built into the OS. Which is why I'm on this Mac forum in this OS thread, looking for advice on this OS function.

Not that I don't appreciate the heads-up on the free service. Maybe it's the right solution for most.

[turtle777]

Dude, easy fix, chose a secure password. Duh !

Essentially, it will take you 30 sec to make email as secure as a dedicated fax line.

-t

[Big Mac]

As usual, turtle's 100% correct.

[misterdna]

Who wants to debate someone who is 100% correct??? Not me!

[misterdna]

I spoke to a specialist at Apple about the problem I had with Leopard's built in fax capabilities, and he acknowledged that my problem receiving faxes was a known issue that they were working on, and hoped Apple would offer some fix in the next software update. He sent me a Data Capture app to see what's going on when Leopard doesn't respond to an incoming call, hoping that info will help them figure out this general problem. He also made note that PageSender does work, so they can figure out why it works and the OS does not.