Buying guide forbest fax machines
While pagers, eight-track players, and CRT monitors have all long since been replaced by newer, smaller, and more powerful technologies, one tech relic has survived the years: the fax machine. Even in the age of the smartphone, people still transmit copies of pages across phone lines and count on their fax machines for critical business. Faxing is simple, reliable, and a widely accepted standard.
If you need to send faxes on a regular basis, buying a fax machine is the most cost-efficient way to send pages, so long as you find the right model. Because fax capabilities are often bundled with similar technologies like scanning and printing, it can be easy to spend a lot of money on features you don’t need.
Read our shopping guide to fax machines and get to know the must-have features and the gimmicks to avoid so you can find the model that suits you best.
Key fax machine features
All fax machines perform the same basic function: sending one or more printed pages to other fax machines. But modern fax machines can do a lot more, making them much more useful in your home or office. Here are the features we consider essential.
“All-in-one” functionality:While you can buy a machine that’s only a fax machine, it’s a better idea to buy anall-in-oneprinter/scanner/fax machine. You’ll save money and space by consolidating these functions.
WiFi:Many fax machines have built-in WiFi, so you can send documents directly from your smartphone,tablet, or computer to be faxed to a specific number. Much like wireless printing, wireless faxing is an incredible convenience that will leave you wondering how you ever lived without it.
Speed dial and memory:Faxing documents takes a while – even the fastest fax machines go one page at a time. Many models cut down on the time required to fax by having local storage for frequently used phone numbers, and offering speed dial for them. If you primarily send faxes to the same numbers, save yourself the hassle of redialing and pick up a fax machine with memory and speed dial.
Caller ID:Surprisingly, caller ID isn’t available on every fax machine, although it probably should be. Caller ID makes it easy to see who’s sending you a fax. If you’ll be using your fax machine to receive a lot of faxes, make sure the model you buy supports caller ID.
Physical fax machines vs. internet faxing services
As you’re shopping online for a fax machine, you’re bound to encounter internet faxing services, which can send documents from the web directly to a fax machine. While that may sound great, there are pros and cons to both traditional fax machines and web-based fax services. Here’s what you need to know.
Fax machinesuse traditional phone lines to establish a one-to-one connection with other fax machines. They’re loud, bulky, and boxy, as well as secure, reliable, and the best solution for anyone who sends faxes on a regular basis. If you buy a fax machine, you’ll be responsible for supplying paper, ink, and a phone line, but your cost per page will be lower over the long term than it would be with a web faxing service.
- Internet faxing services根据使用情况收取费用发送电子纪录片nts to physical fax machines. While using an internet faxing service is more convenient, it’s both less secure and much more expensive. Most online faxing services also typically ask you to sign a user agreement that gives them the right to read the documents you fax, which is a major concern for those who prefer privacy.
Fax machine prices
传真机可以贵,主要是因为金属氧化物半导体t do several things other than send faxes. You can expect to paybetween $30 and $700for a fax machine. Here’s what you’ll get for your money, depending on how much you want to spend.
Inexpensive:You’ll find fax machines that are only fax machines (and don’t include scanning or printing) or low-quality all-in-ones forbetween $30 and $99. If you just need a fax machine on a limited basis, or you’re looking to add fax functionality to your existing printer andscannersetup, you don’t need to spend a lot. If you’re looking for a solid printer/scanner/fax machine, you’ll need to shell out a little extra.
Mid-range:You can expect to encounter all-in-ones (fax machines that also print and scan) of varying quality forbetween $100 and $399. As you spend more, you’ll get additional features likeWiFisupport, as well as qualitative upgrades – expensive all-in-ones can scan at high resolutions, speed up faxes with auto-dialing, and even offer laser printing. If you need a fax machine that will last several years and consistently produce high-quality output, plan on looking at the higher end of the range.
Expensive:Fax machines that are part of large all-in-one devices – network laser printers that are built to be used by an entire office – costbetween $400 and $700. Models in this price range are heavy but also include every possible feature you’d need, ranging from color copying to email-to-fax services. If you need a fax machine for a small- to medium-size business, or you simply need an all-in-one that does everything in perfect quality, it will be expensive.
Tips
If you need to fax a double-sided document, you might need to send each side as a separate fax. Most fax machines don’t support double-sided faxing, so if you have a document that has print on both sides, you’ll likely need to fax one side and then the other in order for both sides to reach the recipient.
If you don’t already have a place to put a fax machine, you might need to buy a printer stand.Most fax machines are pretty bulky and take up a decent amount of room, so as you’re shopping, note the measurements of various models and make sure you have enough room in your computer space.
- If you need to send a fax to a phone number with an extension, include the extension when dialing on your fax machine.Most fax machines are able to understand and work with additional numbers on a phone number, including country codes, area codes, and phone extensions. Whenever you’re entering a fax number into your fax machine, be sure to include everything you can to ensure it reaches the proper destination.
FAQ
Q. How long does it take to send a fax?
A.Several factors impact how long it takes to send a fax. It depends on how fast of a connection the two machines have, as well as the length of the fax itself. In general, it takes about 30 seconds to one minute to fax a single page.
Q. Can I send a fax with a fax machine if I don’t have a landline?
A.No. Fax machines depend on traditional telephone landlines to transmit pages and have historically had problems when used with VoIP lines. While you might find accounts of individual users getting fax machines to work with VoIP lines, widespread compatibility isn’t there yet.
Q. Can I send a fax directly from my computer to a fax machine?
A.Yes, depending on the model. Some high-end fax machines (typically all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machines) feature WiFi, which lets you send documents directly from a computer or mobile device to the fax machine for faxing. If this is a must-have feature for you, make sure the model you buy supports WiFi.
