Running on the Amazon cloud, our digital fax service is very reliable. We very rarely have any technical issues of downtime.
We're available for support by phone and e-mail.
Faxes Not Arriving
- Test the fax number by manually dialing to check for a fax tone.
- Not ringing or no answer indicates a fax line issue. Contact us.
Outbound Fax Failing
- File may be too large. They should be less that 25 pages or 7MB
- VoIP lines may need 'Error Correction' settings enabled
Missing or Dirty Pages
- The sending 'machine' is usually the problem; dirty rollers
Busy Signal
- You should never get a busy signal from FAXtopia service
- If the receiving fax is busy we automatically make 3 attempts.
Testing a Fax Number
Dial the number from your phone to confirm it's working. You should hear a fax tone within one ring. If you hear a fax tone the service is working. There should never be a busy signal. A busy signal or endless ringing would mean that there is a problem with the phone line carrier. Contact us and we will get it resolved.
Faxes Not Arriving
Send yourself a fax through the FAXtopia portal. You will get an e-mail response showing if the fax was successful, or, an error message outlining the issue. Larger faxes, or high resolution images, can slow the process.
In general, faxes will take about one minute per page. So, a 10 page fax it may take ten minutes to process. Faxes over 30 pages or 7 MB in size can have a higher rate of failure and may need to be sent in 2 separate transmissions.
Over Limit Warnings
If you exceed the 'outbound' fax limit (100 pages per month on a standard account) you will receive an 'Over Limit' warning. You can call us for a temporary increase or upgrade to a higher limit account here.
Resolution and 'Dirty' Faxes
Faxes in general are always sent at a low resolution, typically 72 dpi. If you use a fax 'machine' it will automatically become a low resolution document. Generally, images and colored backgrounds do not process well. Click here for a sample fax page.
The best type of document is a white background with black letters, preferable in a 12 point font or larger. The term 'dirty fax' refers to the rollers in a traditional fax machine. They get dirty over time and can generate black lines and spots on a page. If you receive a dirty fax it is because of the conditions on the senders fax machine. Electronic faxes always process cleanly.
Costs of Incoming Faxes vs. Outbound Faxing
The common industry practice is to charge a flat monthly fee for fax services with limitations on both inbound and outbound fax services. Our $9.95 program that includes 1,000 incoming pages and 100 outbound pages per month. High volume fax accounts are also available.
