# Tip: Get a dedicated fax number (free)



## Rodney

*Here's a quick tip: *

When running a business, it's good to have a fax number at least for incoming faxes. Sometimes a vendor will need to fax you a proof of a design or a (maybe wholesale) customer may want to fax you some information.

* Instead if spending money on a second (or third) phone line, you can get a free incoming fax number from companies like eFax:* http://www.efax.com

The free version doesn't give you a "local" fax number, but for incoming faxes and when you're just starting out, that doesn't really matter. What matters is you can say "yes" when someone asks if you have a fax number and that you don't have to say "fax between 5pm and 7pm, that's when I'll turn my computer's answering machine/fax on and wait for you call". *It's more professional to have a 24/7 dedicated incoming fax number.*

What's cool about efax is that the faxes that are sent to you get automatically scanned and sent to you via email. Using their free fax reading software *you can set them to be sent to you as easy to open PDF files.*

* For outgoing faxes, you can either go to your local kinkos* or office supply store. Better yet, you buy an inexpensive phone/fax machine for less than $50 to use as your main phone line for your home office. You do have a separate phone line for your business right ?


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## vomsaton

It`s not free service.
You can get separate phone line for the same amount of money...


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## Rodney

vomsaton said:


> It`s not free service.
> You can get separate phone line for the same amount of money...


Actually, they do have a free service here:
Internet Fax - Fax Service for Home or Office


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## DAGuide

Rodney, I have been using this service for over a year. I travel a lot and need to view faxes while on the road. This service allows me to get the faxes electronically when I get internet access. You can also keep the faxes in an electronic format if necessary. The free service only provides you a document in their specific electronic format (which is not a pdf file - it is an efx file). To get a true pdf file, you will need to have the upgrade service. But the efx file looks like a pdf file until you try to save it. You can save the efx file as a TIFF.

The only negative (as you have pointed out), is that you can't send faxes using the free service. I believe you can pay a nominal fee and forward faxes to others as a pdf file. However, I can always plug in my fax machine into my regular phone line and send it that way after printing it out. When done, I unplug the fax and plug the phone back in. I tried using the splitter plugs (two lines from 1 line), but I forget to unplug or turn off the fax machine and it fax picks up prior to the voicemail.

Ultimately, I do recommend this service to anyone that only has one line. I personally hated getting junk faxes and wasting ink / paper.


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## cohort

There are some local companies in various areas that do the same thing. For example, K7 Unified Messaging, free Fax and voicemail to email. provides a free fax/voicemail-to-email service with a Seattle area code, but you have to keep it active by receiving a fax or voicemail every 30 days - ie, someone needs to call it once a month.


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## rainbird1099

DAGuide said:


> Rodney, I have been using this service for over a year. I travel a lot and need to view faxes while on the road. This service allows me to get the faxes electronically when I get internet access. You can also keep the faxes in an electronic format if necessary. The free service only provides you a document in their specific electronic format (which is not a pdf file - it is an efx file). To get a true pdf file, you will need to have the upgrade service. But the efx file looks like a pdf file until you try to save it. You can save the efx file as a TIFF.
> 
> The only negative (as you have pointed out), is that you can't send faxes using the free service. I believe you can pay a nominal fee and forward faxes to others as a pdf file. However, I can always plug in my fax machine into my regular phone line and send it that way after printing it out. When done, I unplug the fax and plug the phone back in. I tried using the splitter plugs (two lines from 1 line), but I forget to unplug or turn off the fax machine and it fax picks up prior to the voicemail.
> 
> Ultimately, I do recommend this service to anyone that only has one line. I personally hated getting junk faxes and wasting ink / paper.


Can you set the voicemail to pick up on 3 rings, and the fax on 4?


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## DAGuide

Unfortunately, it will not work this way. The voicemail will pick up on the faxes and it will not come through. There are some services that have you press a button to send a fax, but most of the suppliers will not pay attention to this. The current setup is not that bad. Even if I had a fulltime fax line, I would still need the fax to come electronically. I am very happy with the free service from eFax.


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## marcelolopez

I have tried K7 and I couldn't get it to receive faxes.
Then I got magicjack for my office, with a local number, then I gave up my K7 service.
Then I signed up with efax last week, I have send myself several faxes to test and it did work ok. I don't use a local number, but I don't care. In difficult times there are nothing cheaper than free.



Thank you Rodney for the info.


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## SPaMx182

hi. i cant locate the free service. how do i get to it? 
thanks for the tip, this would be a great help


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## Rodney

SPaMx182 said:


> hi. i cant locate the free service. how do i get to it?
> thanks for the tip, this would be a great help


Here's the direct link: Free Online Fax Service from eFax


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