Fax from VOIP (digital) vs POTS (analog) expectation table

VOIP = Voice over IP, digital lines, internet phones -- Ring Central is VOIP, cellphones are VOIP

POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service -- traditional landlines; uses copper pairs

As the Ring Central documentation carefully explains, Faxing over VOIP has issues and customers with intensive fax requirements should stick with a POTS line.

Our company's reliance on faxing has diminished considerably so we are taking the plunge and going all-VOIP.

Here is an expectation table I derived from my testing of our small (<10) user Ring Central system that some may find useful:

To: RC fax # (VOIP) POTS fax number

From

POTS fax machine works fine traditional faxing not relevant to RC

RC # autodetects

fax call and processes

per settings

VOIP fax machine        may not work        works fine

                        especially if 

                        on same RC account

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We have experienced the same issues in many different setups, not just RC. The most problematic issue being physical fax machine -> anolog-to-VOIP-convertor -> VOIP-fax (ie. voip to voip fax) Lots of these type of connections seem to answer, but not acknowledge properly, so the results is the first 1 or 1.5 pages go through and then the receiving VOIP fax line disconnects.

I was tempted to add to the VOIP to VOIP box "why are you doing this in the first place, just email a PDF" but decided not to because some may be using a fax machine without realizing it is tied to a analog to digital converter like the Cisco ATAs Ring Central sells.

exactly correct - we have several small offices that need to quickly sign a form and have reception fax it off - this is much quicker workflow to just use a physical fax machine with an ATA.

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