Need a Special Answering Machine

[pscowboy]

I'm looking for a device that I can hook my fax machine AND answering machine to. It then receives the call; determines whether it is a voice or fax, and routes it to the right unit to pick up. Any tips?

 

[Syndil]

Ditch the fax machine and your answering machine, hook your PC to the phone line, and run fax/answering machine software. A Google search for "fax answering machine" turns up dozens of programs that would work.

<A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=fax+answering+machine" target="_new">http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=fax+answering+machine</A>

Or, you could buy a fax machine with a built-in answering machine. They do exist.

As for a device that you decribe, that would detect either a fax or a call and route it properly, they do not exist, that I am aware of. The only way to determine what is on the other line is to answer the call. Once the line is off-hook, the fax will begin transmitting, if it is a fax. If it is a person calling, the call cannot be routed to an answering machine, because the line is already off-hook. Answering machines operate by responding to a ring. And of course, once the line is off-hook, it is no longer ringing.

However now that I think of it, I suppose it would be theoretically possible to build a device that would be able to disinguish between a fax and a voice call, and then ring the answering machine or fax machine via a closed circuit phone line, but I have never heard of such a thing. It would be very Rube Goldberg-ish for such a mundane task. First, it would have to be able to recognize the presense or absence of the beginning-of-fax tone, which would require some sort of electronics. Then it would have to ring your fax machine or answering machine, based on its decision. However since the real phone line is already off-hook, the only way for that to be possible would be to emulate a separate phoneline for each device and ring them separately. It should be possible, but it is a ridiculous amount of effort. I'm sure one of you supergeeks out there will probably read this post and set about building the contraption though.

OK I lied. As I search the web, I have come across, "The Stick." There is such a device after all. Now I feel stupid. And of course, it can be yours, for the low, low price of $99.99! S/H not included.
<A HREF="http://www.globalmart.com/page/s/stick.htm" target="_new">http://www.globalmart.com/page/s/stick.htm</A>

<font color=white><b>_________________________________________________</font color=white></b>
Armadillo<font color=orange>[</font color=orange><font color=green>TcC</font color=green><font color=orange>]</font color=orange> at Lanwar and MML

 

[pscowboy]

Thank you for your superior research efforts! My try at canvassing the Net proved fruitless.

The "Stick" is exactly what I want.

All is good in the world.

 

[Howard]

www.heartlandamerica.com had one of those devices last time I checked.