Got U-Verse today. Prior to ordering the service, I told the sales rep that I work from home and need a fax - she said not a problem. This morning, after a very long conversation with several high-level people, I had someone hook me up and activate me, all except my fax. He said I would have to check w/the manufacturer to see if it would work with a digital phone service (VOIP). I could not find any specific HP info online.

With this setup, I received four dsl filters. The guy who walked me through setup and activation said I DON"T need the filters and to hook phone from jack directly into the modem Phone Line. On the modem I have an additional Line 1/2 and Aux inputs. From the fax, I think I used to - from the dual phone/dsl filter - connect dsl into my Phone (lines 1/2) and the other half of the filter (phone) into the other dual phone/dsl filter that went into the jack. These might be reversed.

Later, a woman tried telling me that I can hook the fax into line 2 of my two-line phone even though I only have ONE phone number on a dual-line phone. She may be right, but that doesn't make sense.

With unexpectedly losing phone and internet at 9 this morning, with borrowing a cell phone to call for help, I moved very quickly without saving the connections, because things were going to be "different" and "easy."
I can only reconstruct based on where the original cords are located on the floor and frayed memory at this point.

I think the only way I can reconnect this is if i go back and use the DUAL FILTERS on both ends (the fax end and the jack end). If it turns out that I need to buy a new MFC that is manufactured specifically for a digital phone line, then I will chalk it up as another lie - but I don't see anything indicating that my HP officejet 8500 is or is NOT digital ready and cannot differentiate between a fax sound and a phone sound. I couldn't find any specs mentioning VOIP - and naturally, you can't call HP and I can't find a diagram.

Two strikes against AT&T all in one short week.
Thank you.

Filters are used for analog phones and devices plugged into a DSL line. If you are using VOIP, then your FAX machine is a "phone" on your wiring that should all be plugged into the VOIP modem.

I'll try not to make it confusing.

The line coming to your house from the pole can carry DSL and/or analog POTS (dial-up). If you only have DSL and no analog, then all of your inside wiring to phone extensions are carrying DSL only and no jack will give you anything other than DSL.

VOIP plugs into your Internet service. It can be part of the modem/router, sit between a modem and the router or plug into a router as a "device" on your network. Your provider defines what hardware you use and how to hook it up.

In the simplest form, you plug a single analog handset into the phone jack on the VOIP device. That is now the only place you have phone service. A base station for a multiple handset phone set with several cordless phones lets you put extensions around the house. They all talk wirelessly to the single base station that plugs into the VOIP device. Another, more complicated, setup is that you disconnect the inside phone wiring from the box outside (or inside) that distributes the phone lines throughout the house. You then reconnect the wiring so that the outside line only connects to the line that the DSL modem is plugged into and all other extension lines do not connect to the main line. You connect a phone line from the VOIP device to the phone box that will now feed all of the extension lines except for the line that the DSL modem is connected to. Now all other wall jacks can be used with analog phones.

Okay, I know that was still probably terribly complicated.

The bottom line is that in a typical "easy" setup all of your inside jacks cannot be used for phones or FAX machines or answering machines as they only carry the DSL signal. Your FAX machine can be hooked up to the VOIP phone jack, though not all FAX machines will operate properly on a VOIP line as it is slightly different than a POTS (analog) line.

Your 2 line jacks are worthless if you only have service on one line and especially if that service is DSL only.


-steve

_________________
stephen boots
Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020
"Life's always an adventure with computers!"

I read your lesson, which is great for background.
I even understand a lot of what you said. Maybe the two-prong adapter (formerly used for phone/answering machine) that I took off the bedroom phone is what I need. AT&T is coming Monday for both fax hookup and to fix the bedroom phone (not a handset, but a discrete phone) which no longer has a dial tone. ALL phones are supposed to work. AT&T is trying hard to move people away from DSL.

Maybe I can have him look at the internet also (re: Send/Receive).

I know now that the fax may not work. I will have all the answers Monday.

As always, you are great with details.
Thank you, Stephen.