How do you hook up a fax machine to Vonage?

Faxing through ethernet w/ only fax/phone machine?

• I have a fax machine, not that old, but it only has a telephone cable hookup in the back. I don't have a home phone anymore, but I have AT&T Uverse which has cable and there is a phone line. However, I can't figure out how to hook up my fax machine to my cable box. The hookups are different. The installer said he didn't see any reason to get a home phone just for faxing, b/c I have the capability to fax through the box. I didn't know at the time, that the hookups were different so didn't ask how to do it. Can anyone advise me on how to fax with an older machine through the ethernet cables? Or, advise me to just get a new fax machine. Thanks.

• Answer:

  You can only Fax through Uverse if you have home-phone service (such as phone service through AT&T Uverse). If you do not have any home-phone service, you won't be able to use your Fax machine. Assuming you do have AT&T Uverse phone service, you need to connect the Fax machine to the ATA phone port on the back of the Uverse/2-Wire broadband router (not the Ethernet ports!). Refer to this picture: http://www.foxcitiestv.com/userfiles/image/3800hgv-b-back.png The two phone ports at the top of the router are for home-phone service (corresponding to the primary and second line - if applicable). These ports have standard RJ11 connectors for regular telephone wiring, in other-words, no Ethernet is used. The Fax machine needs to be connected to the active phone port on the back of the router, however your telephone(s) are presumably already connected to the active phone port. You will either need a simple RJ11 splitter to connect both your phone and fax to the same phone port, or if the port is connected to multiple phone jacks in your home, you can simply connect the Fax machine to one of those connected phone jacks. Alternatively you can connect the Fax machine when you want to Fax and disconnect it (and reconnect your telephone) when you are finished faxing.