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Knowledge document #1199

Callers hear a fax tone

Callers hear a fax tone when they call you. The telephones connected to the FRITZ!Box do not ring or only ring a couple of times and you cannot answer the call.

Cause

  • A fax (external fax machine, integrated fax function of the FRITZ!Box, or fax software) answers the call immediately, so you cannot answer the call with a telephone.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Checking the FRITZ!Box's call list

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Calls" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Check whether the calls the fax reacted to are marked with a blue or red handset.
  4. If the handset is red, the fax is not connected to the FRITZ!Box. A voice mailbox from your telephony provider may have answered the call. In this case, the problem lies with the telephony provider or the other device.
    • If the handset is blue, either the fax function of the FRITZ!Box or a different device connected to the FRITZ!Box answered the call, for example a telephone with a combined telephone/fax machine:
      1. Check the name of the device in the "Telephony Device" column.
      2. If it is the fax function of the FRITZ!Box, continue with the next section.
        • If it is not the fax function of the FRITZ!Box, correctly configure the the fax machine in the FRITZ!Box. You can check how the device is connected with the FRITZ!Box under "Telephony > Telephony Devices" in the user interface.

2 Only one FON socket can be used

The "FON" socket has two options for connecting devices: An RJ11 socket and a TAE socket. You can only use one connection option at a time:

Example:
If you connected a telephone to the RJ11 socket, you cannot connect a device (for example a fax machine, answering machine) to the TAE socket.

  1. If you connected devices to both of the sockets for the same extension, disconnect one of the devices from the FRITZ!Box.

3 Disabling the number for the fax function

  1. Click "Telephony" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Telephony Devices" in the "Telephony" menu.
  3. Click the (Edit) button for the entry "Fax function".
  4. Disable the telephone number(s) you want to accept calls with.

    Important:You can no longer receive telephone calls with the telephone numbers you select there because the internal fax answers accepts all calls to this number - even telephone calls.

  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

If callers still hear a fax tone, a solution on the part of the FRITZ!Box is not possible because another device is answering the call. Most fax machines allow you to configure a delayed answer time. Refer to the manufacturer of the device for information on how to set it up, for example consult the manual.

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