How internet fax sends a document over a network instead of an analog phone line, and how Fax.Plus fits that definition exactly.
- Internet fax sends and receives fax documents over an internet connection instead of a dedicated analog phone line.
- A sender submits a document through a supported browser, app or email workflow for delivery to a supported fax destination, which may use a machine or another internet fax service.
- Fax.Plus is an internet fax service: no phone line, fax machine, or local software is required on the sender's end.
What Is Internet Fax?
Internet fax, sometimes called FoIP (Fax over IP), sends and receives fax documents over an internet connection rather than a dedicated analog phone line. Instead of feeding paper into a machine connected to a landline, a sender uploads a file through a browser, mobile app, or email, and the service delivers it to a standard fax number on the other end.
How It Works
An internet fax provider may assign a number for receiving, depending on the plan, and handles the actual telephony connection to the recipient behind the scenes, whether that recipient still uses a physical fax machine or another internet fax service. On the sending side, there's no modem, no phone line, and no T.38 fax-over-IP signaling for the user to configure, the provider's infrastructure handles that layer, including the ITU-T standards governing store-and-forward fax delivery where relevant.
Internet Fax vs. Traditional Fax
A traditional fax machine uses a compatible telephone connection; the other endpoint can be a machine or an online fax service. Internet fax removes that requirement entirely on the sender's side, and often on the receiving side too. Depending on the service and plan, it can also provide features such as automatically retrying a failed attempt or storing sent and received faxes for later reference.
Fax.Plus as an Internet Fax Service
Fax.Plus is an internet fax service: users can send and receive online without maintaining an analog fax line or fax machine at their location. The recipient can still use a traditional fax machine, and delivery can involve a telephone-network leg.
When replacing an existing office fax line, follow the guide to moving an office fax workflow online to plan the number, connected equipment and tests before cancelling the current service.
Changing online providers is a separate case from replacing a physical fax line. Former Tiscali FAX users can use the Tiscali FAX service-change checklist to review sending, ongoing reception and the old number separately.
A Common Case: Retiring Office Fax Hardware Across Several Clinics
Consider a large healthcare provider in Massachusetts operating several clinic locations and evaluating online fax for referrals and records. It checks number eligibility, staff access, reception and existing line dependencies at each site. For PHI on Fax.Plus, it requires Enterprise, a signed BAA and enabled Advanced Security Controls, with appropriately configured workflows. It keeps current services active until transfers are confirmed complete and does not assume every location should share the same document access.
FAQs
Can I send a fax without a fax machine using internet fax?
Yes. Internet fax sends the document from a browser, app, or email instead of a physical machine. It still reaches a standard fax number on the other end, whether that recipient uses a machine or another internet fax service.
Do I need a phone line to receive an internet fax?
No. An internet fax provider assigns the recipient a fax number and handles the telephony connection behind the scenes. A recipient can receive faxes without a phone line, fax machine, or local software of their own.
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