Hello all,
I just purchased a printer/copier/fax combination device. I successfully installed it, and its software on my PC. Going through the test procedures I was told my fax line has a weak signal. Are there any hints, tricks, or modifications I can do, before I have to call the telephone company?
Thank you in advance for reading.
Dan
You are responsible for interior wires. They are responsible for exterior wires. The interface is called a Network Interface Device (NID). Designed so that you do diagnostics up front. Run a phone wire directly from your fax to that NID (a long telephone extension cord). Open the box (with a screw driver). Unplug the interior wire from your building. Plug in the telephone extension cord. Now test the line.
If the signal is proper strength, then the problem is interior wiring. If the signal is low strength, then call the telco. Everything they do to fix the exterior wire is free.
If you d> I just purchased a printer/copier/fax combination device. I
Dan Beck wrote; "I just purchased a printer/copier/fax combination device. I successfully installed it, and its software on my PC. Going through the test procedures I was told my fax line has a weak signal. Are there any hints, tricks, or modifications I can do, before I have to call the telephone company? " _____________________________________ Re; What I would do is perform what is known as a "loop test". With all other phones and equipment "off of that line or on-hook", connect a
200-ohm, 1/4 watt resistor (you can use 2 100-ohm resistors in series) across the red (TIP) and green (RING) of that line at that telephone outlet. Within a few seconds (before the off-hook response), connect a DC voltmeter across this 200 ohm resistor. You should measure at least 4VDC across the resistor; indicating that at least 20 mA loop current is available.As a "line check", simply measure the DC voltage between the red and green wires at the telephone outlet in question; you should get at least
40 VDC.Be careful. The phone lines can deliver a mild shock, especially if a "ring" signal comes in from an incoming call. It is best to short them (green and red) together while you are handling the leads.
I hope that helps...
-Dan Akers
successfully
procedures
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The advice given by w_tom was okay, but his mistake was to not consider the fax machine as a possible suspect. If you measure the current of the phone line with a milliammeter and it's 25 to 50 mA, then that's a normal amount of current. If your phone is a long way from the central office and the current is well below 20mA, then you might consider it "weak". But there are fax machines out there that are just too critical and complain about a situation that's not really a problem. In that case, you might be better off replacing the fax machine.
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