No recognition of external Fax Modem

I have an Apple External Fax Modem connected via USB. It does not always respond to incoming faxes.
Although it shows up in the Preferences, Print & Fax as idle, it periodically does not answer when incoming Faxes come in.
Sometimes, when I reconnect, it will respond. Other times, no.
I have tried restarts with no avail. It just seems to be a random occurrence.

This solution is a "workaround" and will not affect in any problems, like I saw that they will happen after:
1.) Removing and changing "IOSerialFamily.kext" : ("The system extension '/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext' was installed improperly and cannot be used....")
2.) or go back to OS 10.5.5... (latest security-updates not included)
Go to your System-Prefs -> Printing and Faxing
chose the Fax-Modem -> Options
1.) to receive faxes: choose "receive faxes on this computer"
2.) to send faxes: choose not to "receive faxes on this computer",
plug your modem out, wait 5 seconds and plug it in.
Now you can send faxes, but not receive,
before you choose "receive faxes on this computer" again.
To send, you have to start with 2.) again...
It's strange for a mac, but better than 10.5.5 or a corrupted system...
APPLE-STUFF: HERE AGAIN: FIX THAT FAX-PROBLEM FOR 10.5.8 QUICK PLEASE - IT'S IMPORTANT!!!
trollius

Similar Messages

Which external fax modem is compatible with deskjet 3050 All-In-One j611 series

I would like to use my HP DESKJET 3050 All-In-One j611 series printer to send and receive faxes. Which external fax modem do you recommend?

Hi 1937,
The Deskjet 3050 j611 printer doesn't support faxing. If you need a printer with fax capabilities check out the following link below.
http://shopping2.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Printers/Printers?SearchParameter=%26%40QueryTe...
I am an HP employee.
Say Thanks by clicking the Kudos Star in the post that helped you.
Please mark the post that solves your problem as "Accepted Solution"

Apple external fax modem

i just bought apple external fax modem and looking for a free program that I can use to Send & receive faxes and also store these faxes for further use. I now go through the network in order to send and after I send I lose the message.

Apple stopped selling the little fax dongles some years ago - are you sure that is what you purchased? If so, and if your OS (10.6?) supports it, you should be able to use the Print & Fax Preference Pane in System Preferences. I've not used this feature in years, so I don't remember the steps one has to go through, but (as far as I know) you can save any text document in any folder you like. Here is a link to the Apple kb article search page for "fax" with a lot of different information for you to check:
http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search&src=support_site.home.search&local e=en_US&q=fax

Apple fax modem significantly increases kernel_task load

I discovered that plugging apple's external fax modem into a USB port causes the kernal_task CPU load to increase from ~0.3% to 7.9%. With the modem plugged in, the kernal_task load stays pegged at 7.9 to 8.1 percent.
This was with the modem plugged into one of the USB ports of my Cinema display. My printer is plugged into the other Cinema USB port.
Moving the modem to one of the ports on the front panel of the MacPro reduced the kernal_task load to about ~4.8%.
I noticed that having the modem plugged in fires up a process named AppleModemOnHold. This process uses a negligible amount of CPU time, but apparently, it's slamming a system service ... or the modem itself is slamming a system service ... way too often. Not sure if this is a configuration problem, a feature of dubious utility (FODU) or a design flaw.
8% is a pretty serious chunk of resources to sac for a device I don't use very often ... sure, I can just unplug it ... but I really ought to have the convenience of having it just be there when I want it without it needing so much attention by the system.
Comments?

Follow up:
For the 1st time in a month, I actually sent (successfully) a fax. After sending the fax, the kernel_task CPU load is now 0.3% (did not return to 7.9%).
Examination of prior faxes shows my last fax attempt (a few weeks ago) failed.
Could the failed fax have left the fax driver in a state of limbo that persists through power cycles (and thereby caused the kernel loading I have been seeing) ?

Re: newer iMac (mid-2010 w/Snow Leopard) fax operation w/o external fax machine

Noting that Apple no longer offers an external USB fax modem product, are similar kinds of devices (like, for example, USRobotics5637 or Zoom3095) reliable for sending (via the print menu in OS X 10.6.x applications) and receiving?
An existing "automatic fax switch" is already connected to the landline, and it routes incoming calls now to the phone handset (after initially listening for incoming fax handshaking signals, which it is assumed would be routed to the iMac -- where they are archived and displayed is yet to be determined) or to the voice answering machine if the handset isn't picked-up after a few rings. This has been serving admirably as a way to screen incoming calls, BTW!)). My Internet connection is an ISP DSL, which wouldn't come into play if I'm sending/receiving fax via landline, at "dial-up" speeds and protocols through te external USB fax modem, as I understand it.
My understanding is that the USB external fax modem would be connected to a USB port (USB keyboard or rear panel of the iMac) and the RJ11 connector on the other end of that fax modem would be connected to RJ11 "fax modem" receptical on the existing "automatic fax switch". I'm guessing that the "automatic fax switch" would go off-hook and dial up the phone number of the distant fax machine, from phone number data provided in the "send a fax" set-up invoked when "send a fax" is selected as a "print" option in an OS X 10.6.x application.
Please advise if the equipment and scenario described, and elaborate on anything I'm missing, will work for the intended goal.
thanks,
dL

Gaston,
This is not the correct Feedback venue for your issue.
Please select an appropriate product from those displayed HERE and use the corresponding form to communicate to the correct department.
ali b

10.5.8, External USB Modem, and Receiving Faxes

Hello,
I bought a Zoom external usb modem today, and am attempting to set up my computer to receive faxes on it. I followed the instructions that came with the unit and was able to send faxes. But when a call comes in, the computer doesn't pick up the call. I have the software set to answer on the 2nd ring, but it goes through all 4 rings before the answering machine picks it up.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get this to work? I'm working on the latest Mac Pro tower, running 10.5.8.
When I was setting up this machine, I used the option to copy over all the files from my old G4 tower. That tower was running 10.2, had an internal modem, and I was working with FaxSTF. Is it possible an old file associated with that program is causing a conflict with the new software (in that the OS seems to have the ability to answer a call)? FaxSTF won't even detect the external modem on the new tower.

Hi megamom,
with an OS after 10.5.5 much people have problems with sending or receiving faxes automatically.
This solution is a "workaround" and will not affect in any problems, like I saw that they will happen after:
1.) Removing and changing "IOSerialFamily.kext" : ("The system extension '/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext' was installed improperly and cannot be used....")
2.) or go back to OS 10.5.5... (latest security-updates not included)
Go to your System-Prefs -> Printing and Faxing
chose the Fax-Modem -> Options
1.) to receive faxes: choose "receive faxes on this computer"
2.) to send faxes: choose not to "receive faxes on this computer",
plug your modem out, wait 5 seconds and plug it in.
Now you can send faxes, but not receive,
before you choose "receive faxes on this computer" again.
To send, you have to start with 2.) again...
It's strange for a mac, but better than 10.5.5 or a corrupted system...
APPLE-STUFF: HERE AGAIN: FIX THAT FAX-PROBLEM FOR 10.5.8 QUICK PLEASE - IT'S IMPORTANT!!!
trollius

Fax modem won't work - Apple USB external modem

I am new to Mac, well relatively.... It's been 8 years, and now I am back!!
Anyway, I got an iMac 3 weeks ago, and love it. However, I can't get my external modem/fax modem working. I bought the Apple USB external modem, hooked it up, setup a fax printer, and NOTHING. I try to print to the fax and it won't even dial. I call the fax number, and it won't answer. I know it's a live phone line b/c I can hook it up to my fax machine and it works fine, both for incoming and outgoing messages. Is there a trick? Do I have to set up an actual external modem interface in the networks panel just to use an existing phone line? Thanks for your help....

You actually need to configure your iMac as a fax machine to send and receive faxes through the Apple USB modem.
From Faxing in Mac Help in the Finder Help menu;
*To set up your Mac to receive faxes*:
1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences and click Print & Fax.
2. Select the fax modem in the Printers list.
3. Type your fax number in the Fax Number field. This is used to identify your computer when you send or receive a fax.
4. If you want to control your computer’s fax functions from the menu bar, select “Show fax status in menu bar.” If you don’t want to receive faxes automatically, you must select this option. If you receive faxes automatically, you may want to select this option so you can view status information more easily.
5. Click Receive Options.
6. Select “Receive faxes on this computer,” and choose the number of rings before your computer answers a fax.
a. If you want to receive faxes automatically, make sure your computer answers the phone before any other device that may be connected to it, such as a phone answering machine.
b. If you don’t want to receive faxes automatically, set the number of rings to the highest number possible, and use the Fax status menu to receive faxes manually.
7. Choose what to do with the fax after it arrives; you can save it as an image file, email it, and print it to a printer.
*To send a fax:*
1. Choose File > Print, and then choose Fax PDF from the PDF pop-up menu.
2. Type the fax number in the To field, or click the Address Book button to the right of the To field to select a number. If you want to paste a number into the To field and the Edit > Paste command isn’t available, hold down the Control key as you click the To field and choose Paste from the menu that appears.
3. If your phone system requires you to dial a prefix for an outside line, type it in the Dialing Prefix field.
4. If you want to include a cover page, select “Use Cover page” and enter a subject and message.
5. Make sure the correct fax device is selected from the Printer pop-up menu.
6. To change your options, choose the option category from the print options pop-up menu. For example, to choose your modem’s behavior when faxing, choose Fax Modem. You can choose whether to dial with touch tones or pulse tones, whether to listen to the modem as it dials, and whether to wait for a steady dial tone before dialing.
7. Click Fax.

I recently installed Maverick as my OS. My external Apple Fax modem no longer works. I receive the message that the fax is offline. I repaired permissions, but still I have lost my fax capability. What needs to be done?

I recently updated to Maverick. My external Apple Fax Modem no longer works. I receive a message that it is not connected. What needs to be done. I have repaired permissions, and found no error.

Chances are it is a software-based modem. Update the drivers of the device to Mavericks-compatible driver from the vendor.

External USB Modem fax not working under 10.5.8

I upgraded my Mac Mini home office server (print, fax, backup) to 10.5.8 and now it appears that faxing is completely broken (or maybe the USB modem driver.)
I've verified that this is broken on another system.
After booting, the following is seen in the fax log:
efax: 33:57 command "+FAR=1"
efax: 33:57 waiting 5.0 s
efax: 33:57 .956 [<CR><LF>ERROR<CR><LF>]
efax: 33:57 response "ERROR"
efax: 33:58 command "S0=1"
efax: 33:58 waiting 5.0 s
efax: 33:58 .157 [<CR><LF>OK<CR><LF>]
efax: 33:58 response "OK"
efax: 33:58 waiting for activity
efax: 33:59 activity detected
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 command "Q0V1"
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:00 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:00 command "Q0V1"
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:00 sync: dropping DTR
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:00 command "Q0V1"
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:00 sync: sending escapes
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 Error: tcsetattr on fd=5 failed: Invalid argument
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:00 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:02 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:02 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:02 command "Q0V1"
efax: 34:02 Error: fax device write: Input/output error
efax: 34:02 waiting 2.0 s
efax: 34:02 Error: sync: modem not responding
efax: 34:03 done, returning 2 (unrecoverable error)
Anybody else seeing this?

This solution is a "workaround" and will not affect in any problems, like I saw that they will happen after:
1.) Removing and changing "IOSerialFamily.kext" : ("The system extension '/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext' was installed improperly and cannot be used....")
2.) or go back to OS 10.5.5... (latest security-updates not included)
Go to your System-Prefs -> Printing and Faxing
chose the Fax-Modem -> Options
1.) to receive faxes: choose "receive faxes on this computer"
2.) to send faxes: choose not to "receive faxes on this computer",
plug your modem out, wait 5 seconds and plug it in.
Now you can send faxes, but not receive,
before you choose "receive faxes on this computer" again.
To send, you have to start with 2.) again...
It's strange for a mac, but better than 10.5.5 or a corrupted system...
APPLE-STUFF: HERE AGAIN: FIX THAT FAX-PROBLEM FOR 10.5.8 QUICK PLEASE - IT'S IMPORTANT!!!
trollius

Fax modem w/distinctive ring recommendation

I need a USB fax modem recommendation for use with an Intel iMac. I understand that I can use Apple's external USB modem but I don't believe it has distinctive ring recognition capabilities which I need.
Does anyone know of a USB fax modem I could use with an Intel iMac with distinctive ring recognition?
Thank you.

Unfortunately, AFAIK, only the apple modem has drivers for OS X.

Can't get usb fax modem to work

I have one of those small white apple phone/fax usb connectors, and I am trying to send a fax of a word doc but I can't get the process to work.
It reports that there is no dial tone yet it is connected correctly from the computer to my phone line.
I recall being able to do this a couple of years ago, but now I can't figure it out.
Could there be a compatibility problem with the OS?
I used it before with Tiger and now I am on Snow Leopard.
Is there some setup that I need to do before using it?
When I plug it in, it reports that there is a new network interface detected called external modem and it needs to be set up in network preferences.
In the setup, it asks for a phone number an account name and a password, but which account is it referring to? My computer, my ISP, my network router?
It then disconnects and reports that there is no dial tone and to try connecting the phone line again, but it is connected and is working.
Thanks for any advice

Thanks.
It does appear correctly, and everything seems ok, but it doesn't work.
I've been reading around, and apparently the apple usb fax modem doesn't work with digital phone lines.
The last time I used it, in 2007-08, we had an analogue phone line but now we have a digital line as part of the Virgin media phone, cable and broadband service.
Unless someone has had positive results getting it to connect to a digital phone line, I have to conclude, sadly, that it is now obsolete hardware.
I can't even find a comparable item on the apple store website anymore, so they must know that it doesn't work with digital phone lines and stopped selling it.

Internal Fax Modem on Beige

My Beige didn't come with an on-board/internal fax modem, but has a slot for one above the A/V personality card. Anyone know if an Apple OEM 56K modem can still be had somewhere and, if so, can it be easily installed.
I'd like to get my US Robotics X2 modem off my desktop (clutter issues) and out of that serial port. I can't get it to work with OS 10.3.9 anyway.

Carl,
Faxing in Panther should be doable with your external serial port modem. So you might consider keeping it, if you can get it working. I have a BestData 56K serial port modem that I use for dial-up internet. When not connected to the internet I can send and receive faxes under 10.3.9, thanks to this tip on the Other World Computing, XPostFacto HOW-TO forum:
http://forum.macsales.com/viewtopic.php?t=1767
Fax to/from Panther using External Modem
I was very surprised that it would work, I thought that all serial devices, printers and modems, would no longer have driver support under OS X, like the floppy drive. If you use Ethernet for the internet you can auto e-mail received faxes, I'm not sure if that's magic or if you have to enable PostFix manually or with PostFix Enabler.
You might get some strange behavior if you enable fax receiving and auto dial-up to connect to the internet, you can't have the modem physically do both, and the drivers competing for the modem connection can lock things up. If you don't plan to use the modem for internet, then this isn't an issue for you. I don't enable receiving all the time, only when I really need to get a fax at home, I can enable it as needed.
I have just recently installed 10.4.6 and have set up my dial-up account to connect to the internet, but haven't tried to configure the fax yet. I hope that the Panther method will still work.
-Glen.

Can I use my iPhone as a fax modem for my MBP?

If I don't want to buy an external modem, can I use my iPhone as as fax modem using bluetooth or USB connection

yes you have to use an external modem for this purpose

Mistake Made During Reinstallation of Tiger; I Omitted the FAX/Modem Driver

I made a mistake while reinstalling Tiger: I omitted the FAX/Modem Driver, apparently, because I told the installer not to install ANY printer drivers.
1. This was OK for my Epson printer, since I had the special disk containing its driver, and I just installed that instead.
2. The problem is that now whenever I try to "ADD" the FAX machine as an additional printer, the operating system reports back that it can't because it doesn't have any printers to choose from.
3. I have an exact copy of the operating system as it was before I reinstalled it. This exists on a second hard disk. This is working perfectly and includes the FAX/modem as an available printer. I can boot from this external hard disk since it is attached through the firewire interface.
QUESTION: Can anyone please tell me where to go on the COPY to find the FAX/modem driver so that I can copy it to the new reinstallation so that the system will be able to "FIND" the FAX/modem as a printer available for installation?
Many thanks,
Jim Chumbley
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5) 30GB Hard Disk; 160GB External HD with a copy of the OS on it.

You can use Pacifist (versiontracker.com) to install only the pieces of the system you'd like to. Before you do that though, it's possible that the driver is already there - I believe it is installed as part of the system and not part of the printer drivers. Try launching Textedit (or any other app) and selecting Fax PDF from the Print Dialog. If the driver is installed and there's a fax modem installed, it should create the fax printer automatically. There isn't a way currently to add a fax printer through Printer Setup Utility, the way you would add other printers.
Hope that helps.

Resting the internal fax/modem

How can i rest the internal fax modem? Some times, if we receive a fax that fails, the modem hangs! The modem is not working until i restart the mac. Can i reset the modem from terminal or finder?

No, I have not tried resetting the modem, as the
method is rather complicated. I have set up internet
access via DSL and do not want to confuse the machine
by doing PPP dialup configuration just in order to be
able to issue AT commands.
You could try a much simpler method. Try using Z-Term. This will easily present you with a serial terminal window. When you launch Z-Term, it will hopefully find your modem. You can test this after a fresh start up. The default command for resetting the modem is "atz" (without the quotation marks). You could also try "ath0" (that's a zero at the end) to tell the modem to go back on hook. If it is the modem that is truly hung in the open state, you may not be able to communicate with it at all. This would indeed indicate that a restart of the computer would be necessary. That was one of the advantages of external modems. You could always recycle the power to reset the modem if it hung.
First: I cannot do this remote.
Second: This is complete non-apple-ish.
Third: This cannot be done automatically.
You can work on these after you find out if it is possible at all to reset the modem without a restart.
I'd rather take my chances kill()ing off processes
which is a 10 second effort, and I can even include
these in some automatic launchd configuration that is
ran regularly and upon awake from sleep.
You may be able to find out which processes are involved in receiving a fax by comparing the running processes at different intervals. This may best be done after a reboot of the computer. Open the Terminal and enter the command "ps awxx" (without quotation marks) and hit return. This will list the running processes. Now have someone send you a fax and look at what processes are running as you go through the process of receiving the fax. Sample the running processes using the same command as the phone rings, during the incoming fax, and after the fax is received. A text editor should help you compare the various output data. This may point to what processes need to be terminated when the modem hangs.
Mac Mini; B&W G3/300

No recognition of external Fax Modem

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