Easy Ways to Send a Fax

While faxes are older technology, they are still widely used, even with Internet services that offer the same capabilities. Some businesses still prefer them to email as a method of transmitting sensitive data. In the past, being able to send faxes necessitated the use of bulky equipment and the use of paper, as well as requiring that a separate service be purchased, but now there are many easier ways to send a fax.

• Use fax websites. There are many online services that allow faxes to be sent using the Internet. These sites may operate for free, or they may require the user to pay a fee for the fax to be sent. In many cases, the paid sites allow the user to send a certain number of free faxes, or to send free faxes for a trial period so as to evaluate the service. They require no additional equipment apart from the computer and an Internet connection.


• Subscribe to a voice over Internet protocol service (VOIP). Some VOIP services allow the user to send faxes as a part of a calling plan. The service may offer a dedicated fax line that can be used in the same way as a regular fax line. This is another way of sending faxes over the Internet.  


• Fax documents in emails. There are services that allow faxes to be sent using email. The user simply attaches the document they wish to fax to an email and sends it to a certain address.


• Faxes can be sent with software installed on a PC. There is fax software that can be installed to a computer or in some cases that may come preinstalled with an operating system. Some of this software may need to be configured to work with an existing fax line or server, but it allows the user to fax documents from their computer with no fax machine.


• Purchase a fax modem. These are modems that can be installed on a computer internally or attached externally via a USB port. They allow faxes to be sent via a phone line just like regular faxes but without the need for a fax machine.