Fax over IP: How It Works and Why Businesses Use It

For small business owners looking to cut costs, save time, and boost productivity, Fax over IP (FoIP) is the modern solution you’ve been waiting for. Ditch the outdated fax machine and send documents securely over the internet!  

FoIP allows users to send and receive faxes over the Internet, eliminating the need for dedicated phone lines, integrating seamlessly with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.   

As a result, businesses gain a more cost-effective, scalable, and efficient approach to fax communications.  

Unlike conventional faxing, which relies on analog phone lines, FoIP converts fax documents into digital packets and transmits them over an IP network.   

Advanced T.38 protocol ensures every fax arrives perfectly. In this guide, we’ll break down how FoIP works, its key benefits for small businesses, and simple steps to get started.   

Let’s dive in!  

What is Fax over IP (FoIP)?  

Fax over IP is a technology that enables fax transmissions over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. By converting faxes into digital packets, it ensures seamless and reliable communication across IP networks.  

For industries such as finance, legal, insurance and manufacturing, faxing remains a crucial method for ensuring secure and efficient real-time document transmission.   

Instead of relying on traditional fax machines, these businesses can adopt Fax over IP for a more modern and streamlined approach.  

How does fax over IP work?  

FoIP works by converting scanned fax documents into digital data and transmitting them over an Internet connection. The process involves:  

1. Fax Machine or Online Fax Service: A fax machine connected via an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) or an online fax platform is used to send and receive faxes.  

2. T.38 Protocol: Ensures error-free fax transmission over an IP network.  

3. VoIP Network: The data packets are transmitted through VoIP services instead of traditional phone lines.  

4. Recipient Fax Machine or Service: The fax is received as a digital file or printed on a traditional fax machine.  

RELATED: What Is Virtual Fax and How does it Work?  

Fax over IP (FoIP) using T.38 Protocol  

To fully understand T.38 fax, you need to grasp two concepts:  

1. T.38 is a protocol specifically designed for transmitting fax data over IP networks, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of image data.  

2. An IP network is a communication system that connects computers, phones, printers, and other devices using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.  

Since fax signals cannot be transmitted reliably like voice communications in regular Voice over IP calls, T.38 ensures the integrity of faxed documents by converting the fax data into a format suitable for transmission over IP networks using TCP or UDP packets. 

How T.38 Works  

With a service provider like VoIP.ms, you can use T.38 to send and receive faxes efficiently. Requirements include:  

• A VoIP.ms Virtual Fax DID number.  

• An ATA with T.38 support, properly configured and registered on a VoIP server.  

Then, all you need to do is:  

1. Connect the fax machine to an ATA  

To use Fax over IP with T.38, you first need to connect your traditional fax machine to an Analog Telephone Adapter, which serves as a bridge between your fax machine and the online fax service.  

2. Configure the ATA with a SIP account  

Once the fax machine is connected to the ATA, the next step is to configure the ATA with a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) account.  

3. Register the ATA on a dedicated fax server  

After setting up the SIP account, the ATA must be registered with one of the dedicated fax servers.   

4. Configure the caller ID to match the Fax DID  

For the fax system to function correctly, the caller ID number of the SIP account must be set to match one of the Fax DID numbers in the user’s account.   

5. Send and receive faxes over T.38  

With all configurations in place, the fax machine can now send and receive fax messages over the internet using the T.38 protocol!  

What Are the Benefits of Faxing over IP?  

As we can see, fax over Internet Protocol is a great solution for industries that still rely on security and efficiency when transmitting documents. But to ensure it is the best solution for your business, let’s take a look at some of the benefits it may provide:  

• Eco-Friendly Solution  

Benefit 1: Cost savings  

FoIP eliminates the need for dedicated phone lines, significantly reducing telecommunication costs and the need for supplies such as paper and printer ink.  

Benefit 2: Increased Efficiency  

Businesses can send and receive faxes directly from computers or email—no need for traditional fax machines—, streamlining document management.  

Benefit 3: Enhanced security  

FoIP supports encryption protocols, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected. This is particularly important for the healthcare and financial industries, since they deal with sensitive information on a daily basis.  

Benefit 4: Remote accessibility  

Users can send and receive faxes from anywhere with an internet connection, improving workflow flexibility. You can fax as long as you are online, there’s no need for a phone number or telephone lines.  

Benefit 5: Eco-friendly solution  

FoIP reduces paper waste and energy consumption, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional faxing.  

How to Send Faxes over IP with VoIP.ms 

Much like we mentioned previously, sending a fax over IP is not that hard, it only needs a bit of configuration. To recap:  

1. Set up a VoIP.ms Virtual Fax DID number.  

2. Configure an ATA with T.38 support.  

3. Connect your fax machine to the ATA.  

4. Send the fax using an online fax service or email-to-fax option.  

Now, to use the VoIP.ms service, you will need to:  

1. Head to your Customer Portal >> DID Numbers >> Virtual Fax. From the Home Page, you can select ‘Send Fax’.  

2. In the “Fax Number or Contact Name” field, input the recipient’s fax number.  

3. In the “From Name” field, enter the name that will appear in the fax header.  

4. Choose the Fax DID number from which the fax will be sent.  

5. Upload the file you want to fax by selecting it from your device. The supported file formats include PDF, TXT, JPG, GIF, PNG, and TIFF.  

6. Once all fields are filled, confirm the details and send the fax.  

RELATED: How to Send a Fax Online: A Guide to Online Faxing  

Best Practices For Fax over IP  

Here’s a reminder of the best practices to ensure a reliable and functionally way of faxing over IP:  

• Optimized Network Bandwidth  

Optimize network bandwidth  

A stable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth prevents delays and transmission errors. For optimal performance, dedicate bandwidth specifically for fax traffic or use wired connections for critical fax machines whenever possible.  

Secure your fax communications  

Use encryption protocols to protect sensitive information sent via FoIP. Enabling TLS/SRTP encryption for fax transmissions, or using password-protected PDFs for confidential documents.  

Learn more about Call Encryption on our wiki page.  

Use a reliable VoIP provider  

Choose a VoIP service like VoIP.ms that supports T.38 to ensure high-quality fax transmissions, and with technical support for quick issue resolution.  

Enhancing Communication with FoIP  

Fax over IP modernizes fax communication by leveraging internet-based transmission.   

With T.38 protocol support, businesses can send and receive faxes efficiently without traditional phone lines, benefiting from cost savings, enhanced security, and greater flexibility.  

Learn More about VoIP.ms Virtual Fax solutions and take your business to the next level today!