Fax using the Vodafone 3G card

[magus]

Theoretically it should be possible to use the 3G card as a modem, and send faxes with it. Clearly one will be billed for the fax call at normal cellphone rates.

Indeed, when I try to set up the 3G card in Winfax, it finds it and configures it just fine. However, when I try to use it (i.e. send a fax) then it says the TAPI modem is busy. 'Disconnecting' and closing the Dashboard makes no difference.

Is this just me? I would appreciate any advice.

 

[ic]

Since you cannot make telephone (cell) calls from the data cards, I doubt it would work for fax...

 

[vodacom3g]

The only reason you can't make voice calls from the data card is because there is no Windows application for this, the card does have the capability.

With faxing, you can use the Windows fax capabilities and it should work no problem.

 

[magus]

The only reason you can't make voice calls from the data card is because there is no Windows application for this, the card does have the capability.

With faxing, you can use the Windows fax capabilities and it should work no problem.

That's what I thought. So what's the trick?

 

[pevans]

Just tried this for myself and I also can't get it right. Not on my Novatel card anyway.

Tried with the dasboard open.
With dashboard closed.

No luck!

Microsoft Fax didn't give me any worthwhile error messages either. Just said it failed.

Not that this is important to me. I just thought it'd be a cool extra feature to have.

 

[magus]

Not that this is important to me. I just thought it'd be a cool extra feature to have.

It's important to me and my quest to get rid of the last vestiges of Hellkom. Some Luddites still insist on fax. For incoming I can use fax-to-email. Outgoing is the problem.

 

[Edinetz]

Just tried this for myself and I also can't get it right. Not on my Novatel card anyway.

This may be a stupid question but have you had your sim provisioned for fax - its not there by default and not available on prepaid.

 

[magus]

This may be a stupid question but have you had your sim provisioned for fax - its not there by default and not available on prepaid.

There is no such thing as a stupid question. I am on a contract, but I have not had it expicitly provisioned. I will see about that today.

However, I suspect that the problem arises before that, in the interaction between Windows (XP Pro) and the modem driver for the Vodafone Option card. For some reason Windows sees it as permanently 'busy'

 

[pevans]

This may be a stupid question but have you had your sim provisioned for fax - its not there by default and not available on prepaid.

Definitely not a stupid question. I hadn't thought of it. But I checked my account and I definitely have Fax capabilities enabled.

So it's not that.

I agree with magus though, it definitely looks like a driver issue in windows. Possibly it needs something in the connection string to activate faxing. I'm guessing, since I haven't a clue how this Novatel card works.

Maybe when they release a driver that does not require the dashboard it'll work.

 

[magus]

Maybe when they release a driver that does not require the dashboard it'll work.

You can use the card without the dashboard. It even seems more stable that way. However, you lose your signal strength indication.

 

[pevans]

You can use the card without the dashboard. It even seems more stable that way. However, you lose your signal strength indication.

Option card without dash, Yes.

Novatel, No. As far as I know. I know that v3g did start testing a new driver for the Novatel that would allow it to work without the dash, but this is not open to all yet (again, as far as I know).

 

[magus]

Fax on Option Card

Any update on being able to send and receive faxes using the Option (or any other) card?