Fax issue, can't fax with splitter, direct connection works fine.

[silverwolfen]

I just got a new printer, an HP OfficeJet pro 6968. While I've got the wifi working just fine, my problem is using the fax capabilities. It says there is no phone line detected, I cannot send or receive. Here's the problem, plugged directly into the phone line it works just fine, when using a splitter it doesn't. Any help here? Should my splitter be plugged into my battery backup or directly into the phone jack itself on the wall? Hope that makes sense. I can't figure this out. Last printer didn't have issues.

 

[nukemaster]

Normally it will connect to your wall outlet. Can you confirm the splitter is working with a phone on both ports?

Maybe it can not make a solid connection in your battery backup.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

We have a 400 pound color MFP which prints, staples, sorts, scans and has a built in fax board. I can fax thru a driver or fax from the MFP. We use a ComSwitch 5500 from Command Communications. Wiring is as follows:

2 line phone cable => Splitter L1/L2

Spiltter L1 => 2nd Splitter L1
Splitter L2 => CS5500=2nd Splitter L2

from there the 2nd Splitter's L1/L2 connection goes to 2 line phone system

 

[silverwolfen]

Normally it will connect to your wall outlet. Can you confirm the splitter is working with a phone on both ports?

Maybe it can not make a solid connection in your battery backup.

I wonder, because the modem goes through the battery backup, the printer does not. Might that be an issue? Basically the modem goes to the backup, to the splitter and then the wall jack, the fax line just goes straight to the splitter.

 

[nukemaster]

The battery backup it self should not effect this.

Do you have multiple lines. JackNaylorPE brings up a point about your wiring. Normally in a home or small office with a single line a splitter will do the trick. To test, I would swap the phone lines to see if the other device keeps working.

 

[silverwolfen]

The battery backup it self should not effect this.

Do you have multiple lines. JackNaylorPE brings up a point about your wiring. Normally in a home or small office with a single line a splitter will do the trick. To test, I would swap the phone lines to see if the other device keeps working.

I switched out the printer to splitter line if that's what you meant, it -was- working on my previous printer as well which is why this is annoying me. It almost seems like it's the fact I have one going through the battery and the other not. But that wasn't a problem before.

 

[nukemaster]

By though the battery you mean powered from the ups, It should not even know the difference since the battery is offline unless the power is out. If it is a phone line surge protector, those again generally do not cause issues.

You may be able to try the splitter on the battery backup assuming it has a RJ11(phone line) surge suppressor.

It is a strange issue for a single line setup. These things normally just work.

 

[silverwolfen]

By though the battery you mean powered from the ups, It should not even know the difference since the battery is offline unless the power is out. If it is a phone line surge protector, those again generally do not cause issues.

You may be able to try the splitter on the battery backup assuming it has a RJ11(phone line) surge suppressor.

It is a strange issue for a single line setup. These things normally just work.

Indeed.that's what's annoying me. It seems more and more like it's the splitter. I wonder if it's messed up, or if there might be another better one out there. What about running the line through the modem through one of the ethernet ports?

 

[nukemaster]

Please confirm what type of modem you have(is it DSL)? Ethernet ports(RJ45) can have phone lines run on them, but this is not always the case.

 

[silverwolfen]

Please confirm what type of modem you have(is it DSL)? Ethernet ports(RJ45) can have phone lines run on them, but this is not always the case.

VersaLink B90-755025-15. DSL. It does indeed have a bunch of Ethernet ports on it, I'm just not too sure that's the solution... Thanks for the help.

 

[nukemaster]

That seems to be a modem/router combo unit. Only the ONE RJ11(phone jack) actually connects to your phone line. This is what should be connected to the splitter.

Any chance you have a picture of the connections. It is a pain to troubleshoot things over the internet.

I would guess you would have Phone Jack - > Splitter -> Out 1 -> DSL Filter(if required) - > Fax machine
_____________________________________________Out 2 -> Battery backup Phone in -> Battery backup phone out -> DSL Modem/Router unit

 

[silverwolfen]

That seems to be a modem/router combo unit. Only the ONE RJ11(phone jack) actually connects to your phone line. This is what should be connected to the splitter.

Any chance you have a picture of the connections. It is a pain to troubleshoot things over the internet.

I would guess you would have Phone Jack - > Splitter -> Out 1 -> DSL Filter(if required) - > Fax machine
_____________________________________________Out 2 -> Battery backup Phone in -> Battery backup phone out -> DSL Modem/Router unit

Yeah it's the splitter connected to the jack. Wondering if the splitter might be the issue. Might need a filter in there, but I didn't before that's what's messing me up. Basically it goes phone jack, splitter, battery backup and to the printer. Might a DSL filter be necessary? It feels like the modem and the printer are using different signals or some such which is messing things up?

 

[nukemaster]

Worse case the filter missing could cause noise on the line(normally at the top end of what we can hear. it is a result of the dsl signal.). I am not sure if it effects fax or not(I have never had DSL and many fax machines had a splitter built in so you connected wall - > fax - > phone). Your unit does not seem to have this, but I am not surprised since the costs have come down so much.

Can you plug a phone into the fax line on the splitter? It is one of the faster ways to see if the splitter is at least doing its job. It is not like these things cost too much to replace if it has failed.

 

[silverwolfen]

Worse case the filter missing could cause noise on the line(normally at the top end of what we can hear. it is a result of the dsl signal.). I am not sure if it effects fax or not(I have never had DSL and many fax machines had a splitter built in so you connected wall - > fax - > phone). Your unit does not seem to have this, but I am not surprised since the costs have come down so much.

Can you plug a phone into the fax line on the splitter? It is one of the faster ways to see if the splitter is at least doing its job. It is not like these things cost too much to replace if it has failed.

If I put a phone into the fax end of the splitter will that work? last I knew fax and dsl prongs were different.

 

[nukemaster]

DSL should start on Phone lines. Those RJ11 plugs should be able to send fax/calls and DSL.

Again, a pictures may help me see what you have.

When I think of the splitter you mention I am picturing one of these. This is the smaller RJ11(phone jack) and not the larger RJ45 Ethernet connectors.

If it is one of these, A phone should work on it.

 

[silverwolfen]

DSL should start on Phone lines. Those RJ11 plugs should be able to send fax/calls and DSL.

Again, a pictures may help me see what you have.

When I think of the splitter you mention I am picturing one of these. This is the smaller RJ11(phone jack) and not the larger RJ45 Ethernet connectors.

If it is one of these, A phone should work on it.

It's the smaller dual ones, 2 and 4 prong can be seen (with other little slits as well). Sounds like it's the splitter itself. I'll be checking it tomorrow with an old phone. Thanks for the help.

 

[silverwolfen]

By though the battery you mean powered from the ups, It should not even know the difference since the battery is offline unless the power is out. If it is a phone line surge protector, those again generally do not cause issues.

You may be able to try the splitter on the battery backup assuming it has a RJ11(phone line) surge suppressor.

It is a strange issue for a single line setup. These things normally just work.

Yeah I know, last printer fax machine worked just fine. Splitter I got, which was at Staples, wasn't the right kind, geesh. Luckily can return it. Just gonna call up my provider. They'll have what I need. thanks though for the assistance.