Need help getting faxes with FIOS and Verizon Voicemail

[mrsr11]

Can anyone tell me how to set up my fax and phone so I can get incoming faxes? I have a Brother Fax-575. Thank you in advance.

[vz_ric]

You should be able to get it working using the fax manufacturer's instructions. Just note that if your fax machine and telephone voicemail are sharing the line, only 1 can pick up the call at any point. Basically whichever picks up first. You can set how many rings you want each device to pickup, but even then, whichever one is set for less rings will get all the calls. If you don't want to get a 2nd line and want to use your voicemail, you can keep the fax disconnected till those times when you are either sending or receiving allowing the voicemail system to take the calls as usual.

[lasagna]

Well that's a tough problem ... you see, you can't really have voicemail from Verizon and a Fax machine in answer mode at the same time on a regular phone line.   If youy set the fax machine to answer on a low number of rings it will either interfere with your ability to get to the phone before the machine answers or it will always answer before voicemail kicks in which means no calls will every go to voice mail.   If you set the fax to ring on a higher number of rings, then the calls will always kick over to voice mail and you'll never receive a fax.

The way to solve this problem requires subscribing to either a second phone line (just for fax's) or distinctive ring with a second number associated with the fax line (this changes the ring pattern when someone dials the "fax" number and the brother will recognize that and answer when it sees the appropriate ring pattern).

Do you have either of the latter?   If not, then the only option is to set the brother a low number of rings before answer and keep it turned off unless you expect a fax (and give up voice mail during this time).