Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Sil Greene <quack AT ibiblio.org>]

from Tom Boucher:
> I'm thinking of getting it as a second line in the house 
> for those few times I need the phone when someone calls my wife.
> I'm looking at the 500 min plan basically and want to use it as
> a fax line, which if I read right to activate the fax service
> on the same line would be $9.99 one time charge.


I'm a little fuzzy on why you'd want to pay a phone company extra to
use a standard telephonic device over the line they're providing you.
How is that charge justified?


On the technical side, Jim Ray's comment is interesting:

JR> Fax and modem tones are more susceptible to interference from
JR> latency in packet switched networks like VoIP with Vonage.  You
JR> may experience incomplete transmissions if you go that route.
JR> Circuit switched networks like a plain old telephone line do not 
JR> normally have the same problem.


I think, were I in this situation, I might consider getting the VoIP
and using it as my primary voice line.  I could probably even transfer 
the number, then get a new number for the old POTS line and use that
as a primary-fax line.  Gets you to the same place (one POTS line and
one VoIP), but gives the fax machine a fighting chance.


You could also look into email-based faxing services like eFax 
(www.efax.com), which basically provide you with a fax machine you
never have to maintain.  Although this route doesn't solve the 
Mrs-on-the-phone part of the problem.  :)


HTH,
--Sil