For most people, fax messages are a thing of the past. But, thousands of businesses still use this technology to send and receive documents quickly. Here is the thing: unless you deal with a company that prefers faxes over emails, you would not need virtual fax lines or fax machines in the first place. But, if you do, you surely need one.
And the obvious way is to get a dedicated fax line.
Which Is the Easiest Way to Get a Dedicated Fax Line Online?
You can use a virtual fax line with a standard fax number. However, you do not need a fax machine to use this service. Even though people can send fax messages to your number via their machine, you can access these messages from your email inbox or a dedicated app.
What Is a Dedicated Fax Line?
A dedicated fax line is an analog/digital line exclusively used to send and receive fax messages. To understand this point, you should remember that telephone lines could also be used to send and receive faxes. But, in the case of a dedicated fax line, fax messages are the only digital/analog transactions that happen.
How to Set Up a Dedicated Fax Line?
As you can guess, you need to establish a separate line other than your telephone line to get this feature. To do it, you will have to get in touch with your phone company. Then, depending on the company, you can pick one of the convenient fax plans. Sometimes, you may have to pay a hefty price per month.
If you do not have a fax plan, you will have to pay as you go. And, if you want to receive many fax messages, it may not be the ideal solution. Therefore, you should explore the different fax plans offered by different phone companies before you decide.
How Much Does a Dedicated Fax Line Cost?
As we said, the plans vary according to the phone service provider.
In most cases, you should be ready to spend around $30 per month.
But the price of setting up a dedicated fax line does not end there. You have to make a one-time investment in a fax machine. You will also have to pay maintenance charges, toner replacement, etc. Additional options like a scanner may also be required for your business needs.
Similarly, you need a few more tools to connect your fax machine to your computer. First, you need a USB adaptor to help your PC communicate with your fax machine. Second, there must be fax software that allows you to fax documents directly from your computer.
Even if you set up all these things, the entire process of sending a fax from your computer using a dedicated fax line may be cumbersome.
But, as we said, you may need a dedicated fax number if you are in a particular line of business. You do not have to worry, though. There may be a solution.
Get a Virtual Fax Line — a Cheaper and Better Alternative
As we discussed earlier, a dedicated fax line mainly poses two problems.
- Setting up and managing a conventional dedicated fax line can be cumbersome for the most part. In addition, it requires more effort to be integrated with a computer.
- Dedicated fax line costs may go out of the limit, especially considering the money needed for the fax machine and its maintenance.
Despite these issues, you may need a traditional fax number for business needs. But won’t it be awesome if you could send and receive fax messages from the comfort of your email inbox? Moreover, wouldn’t it be terrific if you had to pay only a minimal amount every month?
All of these are possible with a virtual fax line.
What Are Virtual Fax Lines?
Virtual fax lines are internet-based faxing services offered by some providers. These lines use a technology called Fax over IP, also called FoIP. As you can guess from the name of the technology, fax messages will be sent through the internet, not dedicated lines.
Significant Advantages of a Virtual Fax Line
As a result, virtual fax lines offer multiple advantages:
- Because all transactions happen across the internet, virtual fax lines do not require a dedicated faxing machine. Instead, you can send and receive fax messages from your email inbox or a dedicated app from the service provider.
- Even though virtual fax lines do not require a machine, they offer a traditional fax number. You can use this number to send and receive fax messages. So, if your business requires you to have a standard fax number, it is an excellent method.
- So, the fax number will be shown to the receiver even if you send the document through the mail. Similarly, even though a person sends a fax to the number, you will receive the document as an email (digital version).
- Virtual fax lines are more affordable and eco-friendlier than the costs of setting up and maintaining a dedicated fax line. For instance, you do not have to print everything you receive. Instead, you can open the document online and print it if only required.
So, we guess you are wondering how to get a fax line without a machine or a dedicated fax line connection.
How to Get a Virtual Fax Line?
Easy availability should be another reason why virtual fax lines are so popular. You can get a virtual fax line within a few minutes. The best part? Your fax number will always be online. So, you do not have to worry about keeping the fax machine turned on or ensuring internet connectivity to the device. Instead, all your fax messages will be forwarded to your email inbox.
Here’s how you can get one of these convenient dedicated fax line alternatives.
Multiple service providers offer virtual fax lines on the internet. You can get a virtual fax line and the number from these providers. In particular, we recommend Cocofax and eFax, both of which are popular and reliable. With Cocofax, you can get plans at as low as $4.99 per month, whereas the plans from eFax start at $16.95 per month.
You do not have to worry about lengthy set-up processes or wait times. Instead, you can start sending and receiving fax messages in just a few minutes. In addition, in some plans, these services allow you to enable features like G-Suite and Gmail integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Take Advantage of a Virtual Dedicated Fax Line Service?
You can use a virtual dedicated fax line service to send and receive fax messages from the comfort of your email inbox or a dedicated app. You do not need a fax machine or dedicated line to make it work.
Does It Cost to Have a Fax Line?
Yes, fax lines can be expensive, especially from specific phone companies. You will also have to pay for the fax machine and its maintenance. It is why virtual fax lines are becoming more popular.
How Can I Get a Fax Number Without a Landline?
Yes, you can get a fax number without a landline. There are two options: a dedicated fax line or a virtual fax line. With the second option, you can get a fax number without having a fax machine.
Can You Get a Fax Number Without a Fax Machine?
Yes, you can get a fax number without a fax machine using virtual fax lines. Virtual fax lines allow you to send and receive fax messages without having a fax machine or a dedicated connection.
Conclusion
As you have seen, virtual fax lines are better than dedicated fax lines by all means. They offer many benefits as well. For instance, they are:
- More affordable and effective
- Easy to set up and access
- Able to work over the internet
- Work all the time (24*7)
So, if your business requires a fax number, you should get it through a dedicated fax line online.
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