Fax picks up on outgoing call

[artinnj]

I see a lot of items here about preventing the fax from interrupting an incoming call that you answer before the number of rings. I also have the same problem when I make an outgoing call. I have an M283fdw. That should not happen, yet it does. Is there some setting I am missing that will prevent the fax from trying to pick up the line while I am on it?

[Sneha_01]

Hi @artinnj 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like your HP M283fdw printer is mistakenly trying to pick up the line during an outgoing call, which shouldn't be happening. This could be due to the fax settings being too sensitive or misconfigured, causing the fax machine to try and intercept the line even when you're actively making an outgoing call.

Here’s how you can resolve this:

1. Check Fax Setup:

• Automatic Fax Receive Mode: Your printer might be set to automatically answer the phone line to receive faxes. In most cases, this is fine for incoming calls, but it can cause issues if it tries to grab the line when you're making an outgoing call.
• Setting the Fax to Manual Mode:
  • Go to the printer’s Control Panel.
  • Navigate to Fax settings.
  • Set the Receive Mode to Manual rather than Automatic. This way, the printer will not attempt to intercept the line when you're on a call. You'll have to press a button on the printer to manually receive faxes, but this prevents the issue of the fax machine trying to pick up during outgoing calls.

2. Check Fax Ring Detection:

• The fax machine uses a feature called Fax Ring Detection to determine when a fax is being sent. If it’s too sensitive, it might pick up during calls when it detects a small variation in the tone of the outgoing call.
• Adjust the Ring Count or Ring Detection settings:
  • In the printer’s Fax settings, you may see an option like Rings to Answer or Ring Delay.
  • Make sure that the Ring Count is set to a value that works well for your setup (e.g., 2-4 rings) so the fax doesn’t interfere with outgoing calls.

3. Turn Off the "Auto Answer" Feature:

• On some models, the fax is set to auto-answer the line after a specific number of rings.
• Turn off Auto Answer or set it to a higher number of rings so that it doesn’t mistakenly pick up during outgoing calls.

4. Check for a Phone Line Splitteror External Answering Machine:

• If you’re using a phone line splitter to share the same line between your fax machine and phone, check the setup. Sometimes these splitters can cause interference or confuse the fax machine.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support