Internet Fax | RapidFAX

Internet Fax

Internet fax uses the internet to receive and send faxes.
Internet faxing (or "online faxing") is a general term which refers to sending a document facsimile using the Internet, rather than using only phone networks (traditional faxing).

Depending on the specific method/implementation (see below), advantages of using the internet can include

no extra telephone line required for the fax
paperless communication, integrated with email
send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously
reduction in phone costs
ability to receive and send faxes from any location that has Internet access

Internet fax servers/gateways

The Internet has enabled development of several other methods of sending and receiving a fax. The more common method is an extension of computer-based faxing, and involves using a fax server/gateway to the Internet to convert between faxes and emails. It is often referred to as "fax to mail" or "mail to fax". This technology is more and more replacing the traditional fax machine because it offers the advantage of dispensing with the machine as well as the additional telephone line.

Reception:

Fax machine → Phone line → Fax gateway → email message (over Internet) → computer email account
A fax is sent via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to the fax server, which receives the fax and converts it into PDF or TIFF format, according to the instructions of the user. The fax is then transmitted to the Web server which posts it in the Web interface on the account of the subscriber, who is alerted of the reception by an email containing the fax as an attached file and sometimes by a message on their mobile phone.

Sending:

Computer → Internet → Fax gateway → Phone line → Fax machine
From his/her computer, in the supplier Web site, the user chooses the document s/he wants to send and the fax number of the recipient. When sending, the document is usually converted to PDF format and sent by the Web server to the fax server, which then transmits it to the recipient fax machine via the Standard Telephone Network. Then the user receives a confirmation that the sending was carried out, in his/her web interface and/or by email.

An Internet fax service allows one to send faxes from a computer via an Internet connection, thanks to a Web interface usually available on the supplier's Web site. This technology has many advantages:

No fax machine → no maintenance, no paper, toner expenditure, possible repairs, etc.
Mobility → All actions are done on the Web interface; the service is thus available from any computer connected to Internet, everywhere in the world.
Confidentiality → The faxes are received directly on the account of the user; he is the only one who can access it. The received faxes are then less likely to be lost or read by the wrong people.
No installation of software or hardware → All actions are done on the Web interface of the supplier, on the account of the user.
No telephone subscription for an additional line dedicated to the fax.
Many faxes can be sent or received simultaneously, and faxes can be received while the computer is switched off.
Early email to fax services such as The Phone Company and Digital Chicken were developed in the mid-1990s.

Fax using Voice over IP

Making phone calls over the Internet (Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) has become increasingly popular. Compressing fax signals is different from compressing voice signals, so a new standard (T.38) has been created for this. If the VoIP adapter and gateway are T.38 compliant, most fax machines can simply be plugged into the VoIP adapter instead of a regular phone line.

Fax machine → VoIP adapter → VoIP gateway → Phone line → Fax machine (or vice versa)
As with regular faxes, only one fax can be sent or received at a time.

Fax using email

While the needs of computer-to-fax communications are well covered, the simplicity of quickly faxing a handwritten document combined with the advantages of email are not.

"iFax" (T.37) was designed for fax machines to directly communicate via email. Faxes are sent as e-mail attachments in a TIFF-F format.

iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → computer email account
iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → iFax machine (using email address)
A new fax machine (supporting iFax/T.37) is required, as well as a known email address for the sending and receiving machines. This has limited the standard's use, though a system for looking up a fax's email address based on its phone number is under development.

To work with existing fax machines, all iFax machines support standard faxing (requiring a regular phone line). Alternatively, an iFax can be used in conjunction with a fax gateway.

iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → Fax gateway → Phone line → traditional Fax machine (or vice versa).

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Internet Fax Internet fax uses the internet to receive and send faxes. Internet faxing (or "online faxing") is a general term which refers to sending a document facsimile using the Internet, rather than using only phone networks (traditional faxing). Depending on the specific method/implementation (see below), advantages of using the internet can include no extra telephone line required for the fax paperless communication, integrated with email send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously reduction in phone costs ability to receive and send faxes from any location that has Internet access Internet fax servers/gateways The Internet has enabled development of several other methods of sending and receiving a fax. The more common method is an extension of computer-based faxing, and involves using a fax server/gateway to the Internet to convert between faxes and emails. It is often referred to as "fax to mail" or "mail to fax". This technology is more and more replacing the traditional fax machine because it offers the advantage of dispensing with the machine as well as the additional telephone line. Reception: Fax machine → Phone line → Fax gateway → email message (over Internet) → computer email account A fax is sent via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to the fax server, which receives the fax and converts it into PDF or TIFF format, according to the instructions of the user. The fax is then transmitted to the Web server which posts it in the Web interface on the account of the subscriber, who is alerted of the reception by an email containing the fax as an attached file and sometimes by a message on their mobile phone. Sending: Computer → Internet → Fax gateway → Phone line → Fax machine From his/her computer, in the supplier Web site, the user chooses the document s/he wants to send and the fax number of the recipient. When sending, the document is usually converted to PDF format and sent by the Web server to the fax server, which then transmits it to the recipient fax machine via the Standard Telephone Network. Then the user receives a confirmation that the sending was carried out, in his/her web interface and/or by email. An Internet fax service allows one to send faxes from a computer via an Internet connection, thanks to a Web interface usually available on the supplier's Web site. This technology has many advantages: No fax machine → no maintenance, no paper, toner expenditure, possible repairs, etc. Mobility → All actions are done on the Web interface; the service is thus available from any computer connected to Internet, everywhere in the world. Confidentiality → The faxes are received directly on the account of the user; he is the only one who can access it. The received faxes are then less likely to be lost or read by the wrong people. No installation of software or hardware → All actions are done on the Web interface of the supplier, on the account of the user. No telephone subscription for an additional line dedicated to the fax. Many faxes can be sent or received simultaneously, and faxes can be received while the computer is switched off. Early email to fax services such as The Phone Company and Digital Chicken were developed in the mid-1990s. Fax using Voice over IP Making phone calls over the Internet (Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) has become increasingly popular. Compressing fax signals is different from compressing voice signals, so a new standard (T.38) has been created for this. If the VoIP adapter and gateway are T.38 compliant, most fax machines can simply be plugged into the VoIP adapter instead of a regular phone line. Fax machine → VoIP adapter → VoIP gateway → Phone line → Fax machine (or vice versa) As with regular faxes, only one fax can be sent or received at a time. Fax using email While the needs of computer-to-fax communications are well covered, the simplicity of quickly faxing a handwritten document combined with the advantages of email are not. "iFax" (T.37) was designed for fax machines to directly communicate via email. Faxes are sent as e-mail attachments in a TIFF-F format. iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → computer email account iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → iFax machine (using email address) A new fax machine (supporting iFax/T.37) is required, as well as a known email address for the sending and receiving machines. This has limited the standard's use, though a system for looking up a fax's email address based on its phone number is under development. To work with existing fax machines, all iFax machines support standard faxing (requiring a regular phone line). Alternatively, an iFax can be used in conjunction with a fax gateway. iFax machine → email message (over Internet) → Fax gateway → Phone line → traditional Fax machine (or vice versa).
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