Distinctive ring setting for incoming faxes keeps resetting itself

[4500farmer]

Hi,

I recently installed an Officejet 4500 and in the fax setup wizard I chose "no" for having a distinctive ring for faxes.  I have tried but I am unable to receive incoming faxes and I have noticed that when I run the setup wizard again all of my previous information has been remembered by the choice for the ring setting has been changed to "distinctive ring".

Any advice is appreciated.

[Antonio99]

Run a FAX TEST from your printer.

-Press SETUP

-press the right arrow until you get to "TOOLS" touch OK

-press right until "RUN FAX TEST" 

Your printer should give you a read out of 6 or 7 items and marks them as PASS or FAIL.

What fails?

Also turn "ERROR CORRECTION" to "OFF" and "FAX SPEED" to "SLOW"from the FAX SETTINGS MENU.

Then Fax 1-888-473-2963. (1-888-HP FAXME) This is a FAX TEST line where you can test your OUTGOING and INCOMING FAXES. First you send a fax then a few minutes later you recieve a fax back if every thing is working properly.

[4500farmer]

Hi,

Thanks for replying to my post.

When I run the fax test there are six tests and they all pass.  I sent a fax to the number you gave me and the fax went through okay.  A few minutes later I got a phone call that turned out to be the return fax.  However the fax machine didn't catch it and instead the fax signal went to voice mail.  The fax is supposed to pick up after 2 rings and voice mail doesn't pick up until 4 rings.

I couldn't find any place to change the settings that you recommended:

Also turn "ERROR CORRECTION" to "OFF" and "FAX SPEED" to "SLOW"from the FAX SETTINGS MENU.

[Antonio99]

Oh OK..

Well, If you have VOICE MAIL activated on your phone line FAXING will not work..

You need a PHYSICAL answering machine for the fax machine to eaves drop and catch the fax tones.

You must DEACTIVATE your voice mail.

Then your faxing should work.

Also to find FAX settings

-press SETUP

-press the right arrow until you see FAX SETTINGS touch OK

-press right until you see FAX SPEED turn to SLOW

from the same menu

-press right arrow until you get to ECM or ERROR CORRECTION

-select OFF.

[4500farmer]

I thought voice mail was okay.  In the fax setup wizard there is a setting for phone lines that have voice mail instead of a physical answering machine and I chose that option.

[Antonio99 · Accepted solution]

Yor fax machine will not hear the FAX TONEs if your VOICE MAIL picks up..

Now you can set your FAX to pick up on lower rings than your VOICE MAIL... and it may work.

**but then your voice mail will not get any more messages, because your fax machine will answer your calls...

[4500farmer]

Yes, I see that you are correct.  The fax setup wizard has options for a shared phone line with voice mail but then it prints out -- ironically under the "congratulations" message -- that the fax machine will not answer any calls under this configuration.  I just never scrolled down far enough to read this before.