Unable to receive fax

Issue description

Determine the symptom that best describes your fax receive issue.

• Fax receive failure from ONE fax machine
• Complete fax receive failure

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Solution

Fax receives failure from One location.

The steps below conclude that you can send and receive in almost all other instances.

1. Confirm the following with the sender:

   • Make sure to enter the fax number correctly.
   • Method in sending a fax; Fax Shortcut or manual entry. Test both method.
   • Correct dialing prefix; e.g., 9, 99, 991, 1...
   • Proper country dialing code.

   Note:  It is recommended to contact the phone provider or their fax device manufacturer.



2. Ask sender to resend the fax. If successful, you can suggest to the sender that they consider the following:

   • Reduce their fax machine's Send Speed or baud rate to accommodate a poor phone line condition.
   • Increase their fax machine's Redial Attempts and Redial Frequency to accommodate heavy fax traffic conditions.

   Note:  If both fax devices are on a digital phone line connection, try to reduce the Receive Max Speed on the Lexmark MFP.



3. Ask sender to try the following tests:

   

   1. Send a fax from a different fax machine on a different phone line.

   

   2. If available, connect and send a fax from a different fax machine on the same phone line.

   

   3. Try to receive a fax on the failing machine.

   

   4. Send a fax to a different location.

   • Did any faxes transmit?
   • NO, fax failures persist and all tests fail.
   • The sender has a problem with their phone line or fax device.
   • Ask the sender to contact their phone line provider or fax device manufacture.
   • YES, but only if the fax is sent from a different location.
   • Possible causes:
   • Sender has a phone line issue.
   • Fax device configuration issue
   • Fax device modem firmware issue
   • YES, the sender is able to send to other locations, except for the Lexmark fax device.
   • If possible, ask the sender to send a fax from a different machine. Otherwise, proceed to Step 4.


4. Check to see whether Block Faxes is engaged on the MFP. If so, make sure that the sender is not using a private caller ID and the fax machine has a station name. Refer to How to 'Block Faxes' or Add a Fax Number to the 'Banned Fax List' with a Laser MFP to know how to block faxes.



5. Check your Banned Fax list to make sure the sender's fax phone number is not blocked.



6. Obtain the Call Log or Fax Job Log and identify the error code. Refer to Fax error codes and recommendations for Fax Log Status Errors and recommendations.



7. If you still fail to receive faxes from this sender, contact the sender and ask following:

   • Correct fax number.
   • Transmission log from their machine.
   • Manufacturer and model of the fax device.
   • Is there any other fax send issues have been reported.
   • Is the fax machine connected to a digital phone line or voice-over IP (VOIP).

Other suggestions

These suggestions are not listed by relevance, but they have been identified as possible reasons for fax failures.

• The MFP was configured to forward incoming faxes; e.g., e-mail, FTP, LDSS, eSF, and more.
• Printer intervention conditions; for example, an empty tray or some other error message.
• Error correction mode (ECM) must be activated on sender's fax machine.

Complete failure to receive faxes

The steps below take into account that you can send faxes.

1. Verify that Receive Fax is enabled.



2. If using a distinctive ring, confirm that your MFP is configured properly to pick up the correct ring pattern.



3. Reduce the Max Send and Receive speed.



4. The MFP was configured to forward incoming faxes; e.g., e-mail, FTP, LDSS, eSF, and more.

   Note:  Fax Forwarding is found under Fax Receive Settings and is only available on some MFP models.



5. Change the Rings to Answer value under Fax Receive Settings. It is possible another phone device (i.e., answering machine), is competing with your MFP.



6. Capture fax logs and identify the status message.



7. Printer intervention conditions; for example, an empty tray or some other printer error message.

100% fax failure rate

If you cannot send or receive faxes, try the following, and then contact your telephone phone line provider.

• Verify that the phone line is active; e.g., connect an extension handset to the extension telephone wall jack at the back of the MFP, or to the telephone wall jack on the wall.
• Try a different phone line or phone cord.
• Listen for a clear, loud, and static free dial tone.
• Attempt to receive a phone call on the same phone line from an outside * individual or telephone.
• Dial a phone number and establish contact with an outside individual or telephone.
• Again, listen for a clear, loud, and static free signal during the conversation.
• Perform more fax send and receive tests with a different fax machine connected to the same line.

* Refers to a telephone number or handset not within your building or calling environment.