Computers, Laptops & Tablets Accessories & Hardware How to Send a Fax With a Computer Fax Modem Have a modem? You can probably send a fax from your computer by Nadeem Unuth Freelance Contributor Nadeem Unuth is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire who specializes in information and communication technology with a focus on VoIP. our editorial process LinkedIn Nadeem Unuth Updated on April 04, 2020 Tweet Share Email Accessories & Hardware Printers & Scanners Guide To Buying a New Printer The Quick Guide to Webcams Keyboards & Mice Monitors Cards HDD & SSD Raspberry Pi A fax modem is a special type of modem connected to your computer or fitted inside it to send documents over phone lines. This modem does not require an internet connection because it uses the phone line just like a stand-alone fax machine. A standard RJ-11 telephone line jack connects to it and documents from the computer are sent over the line as a fax. Most modern computers do not include fax modems or modems of any kind. Today, your best bet is to use one of many free online fax services. See our updated Free Online Fax Services list for all your options. Sending Faxes with a Fax Modem However, if you do have a fax modem, you can send and receive fax messages using your phone line, without requiring a fax machine. Send softcopy (word-processed) documents or scanned documents that you have saved on your computer in image or PDF format. Use your fax modem with fax software on your operating system. StarTech.com 1-Port USB Dial-up & Fax Modem. Amazon Many people encounter problems with their fax modems because of the wrong driver installation. Make sure you have the right driver, which you get along with the new hardware or download from the vendor's site. Fax modems only dispatch the data at the network level. You need a piece of software to manipulate, format, and send the document. For Windows machines, use the Windows Fax & Scan software to send and receive faxes. You do not have to install it as it is included as a utility app in your Windows installation. TRENDnet 56K Internal PCI Data,Fax and TAM Modem. Amazon Use the utility to send a fax; configure it to automatically or manually answer the phone when a new fax arrives. You should not use a fax modem on a VoIP phone line. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit