General fax failures occur when the document being faxed is not sent successfully. Failed fax transmissions have different causes and are marked Failed when checking the BT Cloud Work Portal as well as on the Fax Message Transmission Result sent via email notification. The following are the most common things you need to consider to avoid fax errors.
Common Causes of Fax Failure
Below are the tips on checking the causes of fax failures. It is important to follow the guidelines to avoid these errors:
Email to Fax
• When sending faxes through email, make sure that you are using a trusted email address. You can only send faxes from a trusted email address.
• The file size of the document should be less than 20 MB.
• Send the fax using this format <faxnumber>@fax.btcloudphone.bt.com.
Internet Connection
• Make sure that your device is connected to the Internet. BT Cloud Work uses the Internet to send data.
• Make sure that the firewall at both the sender's and the receiver's end are configured to send/receive faxes.
File Attachment
• Make sure that the attached document is not corrupt. If unable to send the fax, try attaching another file and then send.
• Ensure that the document is a supported file attachment for faxes.
• When documents go beyond the printable area, it may be best to resize them using your PDF viewer at around 90-95%.
• The file name of your fax attachments should not include special characters (&, <, $) and the like).
IMPORTANT: Faxes are not automatically resent when they fail. After following the guidelines above, you need to resend your fax
Using Traditional Fax Machines
It is possible to use traditional fax machines with BT Cloud Work internet fax service. Here are some guidelines to ensure the best possible connection with our service:
Dedicated Licence for Fax
• Avoid using DSL phone filters and phone splitters. Either item may interfere with the ability of the fax machine to send or receive a fax.
• Use a dedicated fax Licence to ensure that the receiving fax machine is always available. Do not share this licence with additional phones. Some answering machines and caller ID devices can cause disruptions. The less equipment attached to a line, the better.
T38 Protocol
T38 is a Fax over IP protocol that describes how to send fax over a data network. This is needed because fax data cannot be sent over a computer data network in the same way as voice.
• If you want to use a traditional fax machine with your VoIP phone, use an ATA (Analogue Telephony Adapter) that supports T38 protocol that is designed to allow fax to travel over a VoIP network.
• Use a short telephone cord to minimise the chance of signal loss.
Fax Machine Advanced Settings
• Most fax machines have an “overseas” mode that will help resolve partially received faxes. It will lower the baud rate of the fax machine and turn off Error Correction Mode (ECM). If there is no overseas mode, adjust the BAUD rate to 7200 bps and turn off the ECM to get the same results.
NOTE: If you're still experiencing problems with sending or receiving faxes after completing the tips above, it may possible that your fax machine is not compatible with BT Cloud Work Fax Service. You can still send faxes using your email through your BT Cloud Work Service.
