Microsoft Fax Modem Answers But Cannot Establish Link

When you are using Microsoft Fax to receive a fax, the modem may answer, but fail to negotiate a link successfully.

This problem can occur if Microsoft Fax is not the program answering the phone. Or, some other non-fax program (such as Dial-Up Networking Server) may be set to answer the phone after fewer rings.

Disable Auto Answer mode in the program that is answering the phone, or set it to answer the phone after a greater number of rings.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows.

You can set Microsoft Fax to answer after a minimum of two rings. Dial-Up Networking Server answers the phone after one ring, by design. When Dial- Up Networking Server (or any other non-fax program) tries to negotiate a non-fax link with the calling fax machine, the negotiation fails and no link is established.

The TAPI component of Windows cannot distinguish incoming modem calls from incoming Fax calls and never bypasses Dial-Up Networking Server. Therefore, Microsoft Fax does not receive incoming faxes if Dial-Up Networking Server is active.

NOTE: For information about how to install Microsoft Fax in Windows 98, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: