It’s frustrating when a fax doesn’t go through – the good news is that there are plenty of simple troubleshooting steps you can try to get things working.

These tips can help you solve some of the most common transmission problems with fax machines, online fax services, or trying to send a fax from your computer.

Why is my fax not going through?

It could be a lot of things – that’s what someone who knows this stuff will tell you.

There will be one set of problems if you are using a traditional fax that transmits documents over the public switched telephone network, and a completely different set of potential problems if you are trying to send a fax over the Internet using a online fax service or business phone system.

The good news is that some of the most common reasons why a fax won’t go through are easy to fix. These fixes require next to zero technical skill, and if you end up asking someone for help, they’ll be proud that you tried all of these steps first.

7 simple tricks to send a fax

Tip 1: Check the number

Before you try to clean the machine or diagnose a network problem, take one last look at the fax recipient number. There is a chance you misheard or copied the wrong number.

There’s a chance the organization you’re trying has a new fax number and hasn’t updated their website information yet. This is what happens.

And if this turns out to be the reason your fax won’t send, consider yourself lucky. Usually, when you enter a wrong number, the fax will only go to that number. Whatever information you were trying to fax would have been to a complete stranger.

A fax will not be sent if a number is not in service, so check that the number is correct and contact the organization for clarification if it still does not work.

Tip 2: Check your settings

This applies to both online fax services and analog fax machines, as setup issues are very common reasons why faxes of all types fail to go through. If you do not receive a confirmation page after a fax appears to be sent, or if the fax machine or service does not initiate the send in the first place, this is likely the problem.

If you use an online fax service, make sure you have set up the service correctly. Most services walk you through the setup process, but you can always go back and restart.

With an analog fax machine, make sure it’s set up according to the manual for your model. If you don’t have the manual, look for one online, as most manufacturers publish PDFs for easy reference.

Tip 3: Clean the fax machine

If you’re working with an analog fax machine, this is by far the most common reason why faxes don’t send correctly. Faxes are complex pieces of equipment with dozens of moving parts. If something goes wrong with any of them, it could cause a problem.

Using a fax machine that has accumulated dust and dirt can interfere with its operation, so if you hear clicking or grinding sounds – or if you experience frequent paper jams – you probably have a cleaning problem.

Start by checking the automatic document feeder (ADF), which is the roller that feeds paper through the machine. Also inspect the corona wire, which pulls the ink toner out of the cylinder and onto the paper. Both parts need routine cleaning and maintenance to keep the fax machine working properly.

If the ADF, corona wire, or other mechanical parts appear dirty or broken upon inspection, turn off the fax machine and disconnect the power cord from the power source before cleaning or fixing, if possible. You may need to replace these parts or have a specialist service the car.

Tip 4: Check your internet connection

A fax will not send if the connection is unstable or unusable, so if everything seems to be working fine but the fax just won’t send, check your phone or internet connection.

If you are using an analog fax machine, check all cables and make sure they are connected correctly. If you do not hear a ring tone when you pick up the phone from the fax machine, there may be something wrong with your phone cord or phone service.

If you are using an online fax service or analog fax machine with ATA, check your network again. If you have problems with the Internet, the fax will not be able to send, so make sure that the router is set up and that the Internet is working properly. It doesn’t have to be super fast to send a fax; it just needs to appear with a trust signal.

Tip 5: Make sure the other party does not have voicemail enabled

If the person you are trying to send a fax to has voicemail enabled, your fax may not go through.

This is especially common if you’re trying to send a fax to a person or business that uses the same phone line for phone calls and faxes, so if the fax doesn’t show up even though it seems to be working fine on your end, have them check this out.

Common culprits are voicemail settings, answering machines, and sometimes modems. Basically, if something can get to the phone before the fax machine does, the fax can’t send – and that includes people answering the phone, so make sure the other party knows you’re sending a fax and doesn’t know to pick up the phone .

If you are using an analog fax, make sure that the person on the other end does not have call waiting or anonymous call filtering set up. Additional services like this can cause your fax to be rejected, especially in cases where your fax will be seen as coming from an anonymous or automatically blocked number.

Similarly, if the person you are faxing to has a dialer menu that requires additional navigation, a fax will not be able to work with it. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you have added all applicable country codes or extensions to your fax number. The fax should be sent from one number to another without any extra clicks or beeps involved.

Tip 6: Check your privacy settings

This is true for both online and analog fax services.

For an online service, review the settings and make sure you haven’t accidentally changed a privacy setting that could prevent a fax from going out. You may also want to double check to see if there are any additional steps you need to take before sending the fax.

For example, some services may require you to check a box or add a confirmation that the information you submit is HIPAA protected, confidential, and so on.

Tip 7: Check the ATA

If you are using an analog telephone adapter (ATA) to send faxes over the Internetit’s worth rechecking all connections and device settings to make sure everything is working as it should.

Is it connected? If you don’t see any lights or hear a ringtone, that’s probably the problem, which is an easy fix.

If the ATA has power, check the other cables for any damage or fraying, then make sure everything is connected both securely and in the right place:

• The Ethernet cable connects the WAN or LAN jack on the ATA to the router.
• The telephone cable (RJ11) connects the fax jack on the ATA to your fax machine

This is about the limit of what a visual inspection of an ATA can tell you about not being able to send a fax.

What else can you do when a fax does not send?

I would ask for help if you do not understand computer networks and telecommunications technology.

If this fax is urgent, try using an online fax service. Sign up for an online service or download an app and you can start faxing from any device with an internet connection. Behold how to send a fax from iphone. It also works for Android. Or your computer. Or tablet. It’s easy.

That’s what I would do, if I actually had to send a fax. If I needed to fax an original document with a physical signature, I would find the nearest print and fax service.

For less urgent matters, you can order a fax modemwhich connects to a computer and allows it to send faxes. Fax modems used to be built in, but this is rare for devices manufactured these days.

If you have IT support, fantastic, humor them with a fax question. If not, contact your provider, your Internet or phone provider, your fax service, or your computer-savvy friend.

At this point, you’ve ruled out all the easy fixes. It could be from here type of firewall use, a misconfigured fax server, a random SD-WAN, or V-LAN problem or a broken machine. It could be none of these things. If you know how to troubleshoot these areas, good luck. If not, find someone who does.