If not, how can I fax using a computer application?
I am also open to using an online application.
Best Answer
First, you can't use skype alone to fax, but there seem to be a number of skype plugins that would enable that functionality.
Most of the installed fax solutions are made now for high performance faxing or low volume occasional faxes. For instance, windows 7 comes with "windows fax and scan" app which if you have a modem and it's hooked up to a phone line, will absolutely send a fax for you without much fuss. If you needed to do a mail merge on top of that, you might have some difficulty
There are 100 and 1 online fax solutions out there. They range from the simple send an email to this special email address and we will fax it to the number in the subject line to fully integrated API solutions.
efax.com is the most popular of these, but I'm not convinced it's the best or cheapest, but you can't have that many customers without doing a lot right.
If you want to send/receive faxes, then just connect the machine to the phone line. The phone company does not sell/lease "fax" lines or numbers.
WiFi is for networking devices, not phone equipment. If you connect this HP by Wifi, then you could use the printer/scanner as a wireless network printer. Sending/receiving faxes from/to the PC using the HP over the phone line would depend on software installed on the PC and how the HP is configured (e.g. would received faxes be printed (on paper) immediately or sent (softcopy) to the PC?)
Addendum:
I do not use a regular phone line.
I have seen online services that allow this from the PC, is that the only way to do this?
The fax is a phone device/service. If you choose to use the "online service", then the fax capability of the HP is totally irrelevant. The Internet and your PC with the "online service" replace the fax machine at your location.
BTW most businesses have been able to accommodate me when I ask them to exchange e-mail attachments instead of faxes. Scanning the document(s) and then composing the e-mail is more work then sending a fax, but it is doable when your faxing requirements are so infrequent.
You can use a Voice over IP analog adapter, but there are two important caveats:
These are one-directional devices that assume you have existing VoIP infrastructure. They won't extend a normal analog line, but rather want to use an existing VoIP PBX.
Fax signals often have trouble using these devices. Look for one that specifically supports faxing. Some of these devices are advertised to support fax machines, but as a practical matter will not, so do your homework.
If you don't have or can't setup a VoIP PBX, you can buy appliances that make it easy... but even simple ones usually run a few hundred dollars. You might find something like the Nettalk duo more to your liking.
Best Answer
First, you can't use skype alone to fax, but there seem to be a number of skype plugins that would enable that functionality.
Most of the installed fax solutions are made now for high performance faxing or low volume occasional faxes. For instance, windows 7 comes with "windows fax and scan" app which if you have a modem and it's hooked up to a phone line, will absolutely send a fax for you without much fuss. If you needed to do a mail merge on top of that, you might have some difficulty
There are 100 and 1 online fax solutions out there. They range from the simple send an email to this special email address and we will fax it to the number in the subject line to fully integrated API solutions.
efax.com is the most popular of these, but I'm not convinced it's the best or cheapest, but you can't have that many customers without doing a lot right.