Is there a maximum telephone cord length I can use on my OfficeJet Pro 6978?

[MrManFam]

I just got the 6978 and everything works fine (including incoming and outgoing faxes) yet my fax test always fails the last parameter, i.e., line noise). I called my cable company to confirm that I don't have DSL/ADSL nor PBX.

I currently use a 10 meter telephone cable. Is that the cause of the noise? How long can the cord be?

Can I just disregard the fail since my faxing is working fine, or will it bite me down the road? Thanks.

[Riddle_Decipher]

@MrManFam

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips,

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you out 🙂

As I understand you need information about the maximum cord length that can be used for your HP Officejet 6978 printer,

No worries as I'd love to help, however, I need a few more details to provide an accurate solution:

Did you diagnose what this noise is all about, is it dial tone or a grinding noise?

That said, if it's a dial tone there's nothing to worry about as it's considered normal, however, if you have any grinding noises, i recommend you check the steps mentioned on this article: Click here (Though the header/title may be different, the steps will help resolve your concern).

Alternatively, you could also perform a test with the Printing and Interpreting using the Fax Diagnostic Page: Click here to know more

Also to answer your question, there's no issues with the length of cable used to connect your printer, hence nothing should bite you down the road 😉

Let me know how that pans out, 

Feel free to post your query for any other assistance as well,

It's been a pleasure interacting with you and I hope you have a good day ahead.

If you wish to show appreciation for my efforts, mark my post as Accepted Solution.

And click on the Purple Thumbs up icon at the bottom of my comment.

Regards,

[MrManFam]

Thanks for the prompt response. Actually, I do not hear ANY noise. The only way I know there is noise is because I keep failing that parameter when I run the fax test.

So far, faxing out and receiving faxes are working fine.

[Riddle_Decipher · Accepted solution]

@MrManFam

Thank you for the update,

I appreciate your time and efforts,

That's great, I'm not sure If I've answered all your questions, however, as I mentioned before the length of the cable doesn't really matter,

as long as your printer is working fine without any issues as such.

Feel free to post your query for any other assistance as well,

It's been a pleasure interacting with you and I hope you have a good day ahead.

If you wish to show appreciation for my efforts, mark my post as Accepted Solution.

And click on the Purple Thumbs up icon at the bottom of my comment.

Regards,

[MrManFam]

Thanks again. Then I am going to disregard the "FAIL" result on the line noise parameter of the HP Fax Test.  This "disregard" should be included in the HP documentation of this parameter in some way, in my opinion.

F.Y.I., I talked to my phone company and they tell me there IS a limit to the length of the telephone line I have connected. They told me not to exceed 15 feet for a fax machine.

All is working fine right now, I appreciate your help.

[MKazi]

@MrManFam

You're welcome. 🙂

Riddle_Decipher is out of the office today, therefore, I'm replying to you. I will let Riddle_Decipher know that the issue is now fixed. Thanks again for keeping us informed. Cheers! 🙂

[MrManFam]

UPDATE: I purchased a 15 foot telephone cord and replaced my 30 foot cord with it. The two cords were exactly the same except for the length. With the new, 15 foot cord (which I could only find on eBay), I NO LONGER fail any parameters on the fax test! I even pass the "line noise" test! So, apparently, in my case, the length of the telephone cord DID make a difference in regards to the fax test. Again, even with the 30 foot cord and the failed line noise parameter, the faxing was working fine anyway.