You can actually fax through the internet now, and it’s not some complicated tech thing. It’s actually pretty straightforward once you know what you’re doing. Plenty of businesses have already made the switch and wonder why they waited so long.
People on the receiving end can’t even tell the difference. They still get their fax the same way they always have. But on your end, everything becomes way easier. No more running down the hall to check if your fax went through. No more wondering if someone picked up your confidential document from the tray.
What Happens When You Fax Through the Internet
When you fax through the internet, you’re basically using a service that does the heavy lifting for you. You send them your document through email, a website, or an app. They convert it into whatever format fax machines understand and send it out.
The person getting your fax doesn’t know or care how you sent it. Their machine spits out a piece of paper just like always. Or if they’re also using internet fax, they get a PDF in their email. Either way works fine.
It’s kind of like how you can send a text message to someone using a different phone company. The technology figures out how to get your message where it needs to go, even if you’re using different systems.
What’s really nice is that you can do this from anywhere. Your laptop at home, your phone at the airport, even from that coffee shop with decent WiFi. Try doing that with the fax machine collecting dust in your office.
The Ways People Fax Through the Internet
The most popular ways are the following:
Email Method – Most Popular for Good Reason
This one’s pretty slick. You send an email to something like 5551234567@faxservice.com (where those numbers are the fax number you’re trying to reach). Attach your document, hit send, and done. The service takes care of everything else.
Why do people like this? Because they’re already in email all day anyway. It’s just another email to send. No new software to learn, no extra steps to remember. Plus, you get confirmation right in your inbox when it goes through.
Websites – Good for Quick Stuff
Most fax services give you a website where you can upload documents and send them. Pretty basic stuff – choose your file, type in the fax number, click send. It takes maybe 30 seconds if you know what you’re doing.
This works well when you need to send something fast and you’re not at your usual computer. Or when you want to use some of the extra features, like sending the same document to multiple recipients.
Phone Apps – Surprisingly Useful
The mobile apps are actually pretty decent now. You can take a picture of a document with your phone and fax it right away. The quality is usually good enough as long as you have decent lighting and hold the phone steady.
This comes in handy more often than you’d think. Signing something at a client meeting and need to fax it back to the office? No problem. Contract that needs to go out while you’re traveling? Easy.
Computer Software – Probably Overkill
Some services want you to install software on your computer. Honestly, unless you’re sending tons of faxes every day, this is probably more hassle than it’s worth. The email and website methods work fine for most people.
The software might make sense if you’re integrating with other business systems or you have really specific workflow requirements. But for normal use, it’s unnecessary complexity.
Security
People worry about security when they fax over the internet. Understandable, but your current fax machine probably isn’t as secure as you think it is.
Think about it. With a regular fax machine, your incoming faxes sit in a pile where anyone walking by can see them. How many times have you seen sensitive documents just sitting there for hours? Or walked past someone else’s confidential stuff?
Internet fax services encrypt your documents during transmission. They store them securely online, where only you can access them. Many services are designed specifically for businesses that need to follow strict privacy rules, like medical offices that need HIPAA compliance.
The digital trail is actually better, too. You can see exactly when something was sent and received. No more guessing whether that important contract actually went through.
The Money Part
Here’s what most businesses spend on traditional fax setups versus internet faxing:
| Traditional Setup (Per Year) | Internet Fax (Per Year) |
| Fax machine: $400-800 | Service plan: $150-400 |
| Phone line: $300-600 | Everything’s included |
| Paper and toner: $200-300 | All digital |
| Repairs: $100-400 | No equipment to break |
| Total: $1000-2100 | Total: $150-400 |
The math is pretty clear. Even if you go with a premium internet fax service, you’re probably saving money. And that’s not counting the time you save not dealing with paper jams and maintenance calls.
International faxing used to cost a fortune. Now it’s usually included in your monthly plan or costs pennies per page. That alone can pay for the service if you send faxes overseas regularly.
Getting This Set Up
Most services let you try them free for a week or a month. Test a few and see which one fits how you actually work. They’re not all the same, and what works great for one business might be annoying for another.
The setup process is usually pretty quick. Pick your plan, choose a fax number (you can often keep your existing one), and you’re ready to go. Most people are up and running in under an hour.
For bigger operations that need more robust systems, something like a dedicated fax server solution might make more sense. But honestly, most businesses do fine with the standard services.
What Usually Goes Wrong
Nothing’s perfect, and internet faxing has its occasional hiccups.
Here’s what to watch out for:
Document quality issues. If your original document is blurry or has poor contrast, the fax might not come out readable. This is especially common when people take photos with their phones in bad lighting. Take an extra second to make sure your document looks clear before sending.
Service outages. Like any internet service, these can go down sometimes. It’s rare, but it happens. Most good services have backup systems, but it’s worth having a plan B for truly urgent stuff.
Formatting problems. Complex documents with lots of graphics sometimes don’t fax well. Converting everything to PDF first usually solves this problem.
Delivery delays. Sometimes faxes take longer than expected to go through, especially to certain numbers or international destinations. Good services give you detailed delivery reports so you know exactly what’s happening.
Why People Don’t Go Back
Once businesses switch to internet faxing, they almost never go back to traditional machines. The convenience factor is huge; being able to send and receive faxes from anywhere is a game-changer.
But beyond convenience, there’s the reliability aspect. Internet fax services don’t break down. No moving parts, no supplies to run out of, no maintenance headaches. They just work.
The organization’s benefits are pretty nice, too. Digital faxes are searchable, easy to file, and they integrate with other business systems. No more lost faxes or illegible copies sitting in filing cabinets.
Making the Switch
If you’re tired of fax machine problems or spending too much on traditional fax services, internet faxing is worth looking into. The technology is mature now, and it works as well as traditional faxing, often better.
The learning curve is minimal. If you can send an email or use a website, you can handle internet faxing. Most services offer good support during the transition, and many will help you port your existing fax number so you don’t have to notify everyone about a change.
The cost savings alone often justify the switch, but the real benefit is getting rid of all the hassles that come with traditional fax machines. No more paper jams, no more toner cartridges, no more wondering if that important document actually went through.
SoftLinx helps businesses make this transition smoothly. We handle the technical details, help you choose the right service level, and make sure everything works properly from day one.