I have a Canon Pixma MX870. I have a DSL to which I have a phone line and also a phone line to my phone. If I want to set up for receiving faxes, where do I put its phone line. My surge protector only has 2 phone inputs Thanks Barb K

fax machine uses phone line(s) for transmission. Any phone connected to fax line will not work when fax is on.

Have you tried to call other number?.

You may download the manual and more from http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer/printers_multifunction/pixma_mx_series/pixma_mx892#BrochuresAndManuals

How do you have DSL without a landline? Are you able to make and receive phone calls? If so then the fax should work just fine. It doesn't matter to the fax machine if your phone jack is connected to old-style copper wire, DSL, or fiber-optics. On the other hand, if you can't make and receive phone calls then you can't send and receive faxes either.

I have an MX870 with the same problem - fax picks up during a voice call and I can no longer hear the caller. As with everyone else, the problem is intermittent and not replicable.
I have tried tel priority mode and fax priority mode (from the phone/paper submenu under physical Fax button) and all the various RX receive setting under Fax Settings submenu of the physical Settings button.
But I have a new possible solution. I only use the fax for outgoing -- for some time now I have been using K7.net for incoming faxes which delivers faxes to my email. That way I have a dedicated fax number, never miss an incoming fax while on the phone, and I have all faxes in electronic form as well.
So, my new idea was to set the MX870 to DRPD (distinctive ring pattern) receive mode (from the phone/paper submenu under physical Fax button). Since my phone service through Xfinity/Comcast does not offer DRPD, I am hoping that the MX870 will NEVER pick up a fax.
I will keep you posted as to whether this works.

Plug a phone into the little telephone extension lead that came with the machine to see if you get a dial tone. If you do then get someone to send you a fax and answer it with that phone. press the start button and it should go into receive. Make sure you are using the genuine canon lead too and its plugged into the "Line" socket and not the "Tel" one.

if you are able to send faxes it means you are set up correctly, meaning that you have connected your printer/fax machine up correctly to the phone lines. all you need to do is make sure the printer/fax is on while you are receiving the fax, there is no "fax receive mode" however, you need to know that if you use the same line for your phone and for your fax that your phone will ring when receiving a fax, if you answer it will ruin the fax, there is a special configuration you can access which will let your printer work more effectively, such as to intercept faxes and immediately process them before letting your phone ring, or waiting a certain amount of time or such. you can consult the specifications of your device to know the exact settings you have available.

power you printer on
check for dial tone
if it is not coming then contact your fax connection provider.

You need to set your phone to pick up later than the fax machine. set it to pick up on the 4th or 5th ring, set the fax to pick up at 2 or 3. Better yet, get a distintive ring # set up by your phone co. then the fax will only recognize that ring.

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/joe_8b8c2cd6ce148309

I was searching for an answer to this to make sure my new MX870 is correctly set to receive faxes. Here's one answer I came across:

First set Tel-Priority, turn off incoming ring, turn on manual/auto switch, then check how many seconds it takes for your answering machine to come on, and set it a couple of seconds after that. This should do the trick.

Read the instructions again again...u probably got it set up wrong..