Email Fax Free

Email fax free uses the internet to receive and send faxes.

Email fax free (or "online faxing") is a general term which refers to sending a document facsimile using the Internet, rather than using only phone networks (traditional faxing).

Depending on the specific method, advantages of using the internet can include

1. no extra telephone line required for the fax
2. paperless communication, integrated with email
3. send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously
4. reduction in phone costs
5. ability to receive and send faxes from any location that has Internet access

Email Fax Free Servers & Gateways

The Internet has enabled development of several other methods of sending and receiving a fax. The more common method is an extension of computer-based faxing, and involves using a fax server or gateway to the Internet to convert between faxes and emails. It is often referred to as "fax to mail" or "mail to fax".

Reception:

• Fax machine ? Phone line ? Fax gateway ? email message (over Internet) ? computer email account

A fax is sent via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to the fax server, which receives the fax and converts it into PDF or TIFF format, according to the instructions of the user. The fax is then transmitted to the Web server which posts it in the Web interface on the account of the subscriber, who is alerted of the reception by an email containing the fax as an attached file.

Sending:

• Computer ? Internet ? Fax gateway ? Phone line ? Fax machine

From his/her computer, in the supplier Web site, the user chooses the document s/he wants to send and the fax number of the recipient. When sending, the document is usually converted to PDF format and sent by the Web server to the fax server, which then transmits it to the recipient fax machine via the Standard Telephone Network. Then the user receives a confirmation that the sending was carried out, in his/her web interface via email.

An email fax free service allows one to send faxes from a computer via an Internet connection, thanks to a Web interface usually available on the supplier's Web site. This technology has many advantages:

• No fax machine ? no maintenance, no paper, toner expenditure, possible repairs, etc.
• Mobility ? All actions are done on the Web interface; the service is therefore available from any computer connected to Internet, anywhere in the world.
• Confidentiality ? The faxes are received directly on the account of the user; he is the only one who can access it. The received faxes are then less likely to be lost or read by the wrong people.
• No installation of software or hardware ? All actions are done on the Web interface of the supplier, on the account of the user.
• No telephone subscription for an additional line dedicated to the fax.
• Many faxes can be sent or received simultaneously, and faxes can be received while the computer is switched off.