Fax rings but machine doesn't answer - Lexmark X6170 All-In-One InkJet Printer

Set rings to answer
You can select the number of rings that will occur before the fax answers an incoming call. If you are using your machine as both a telephone and a fax machine, we suggest you set the ring count to at least 4 to give you time to answer.
TIP: HP 1050 Fax: The Toll Saver function for the Digital Message Center interacts with Rings to Answer. See Toll Saver on page 40. If you have the HP 1050 Fax and have Toll Saver turned on, set the Rings to Answer to 2.
1. Press Menu repeatedly until BASIC FAX displays and press Start/Enter.
Rings to Answer will display.
2. Press Start/Enter.
3. Enter the number of rings you want (2-7) and press Start/Enter.
The HP Fax rings the set number of times and then answers. It then produces a different sounding ring to alert you to which type of call is incoming.
• The additional ring may occur once for a fax call
• The additional ring occurs 5 times for a voice call. After the 5 additional rings, the answering machine will answer.

Change the answer machine rings to answer number to less than the fax number of rings to answer or increase the number of rings to answer on the fax machine. Would need exact model number of phone system to give more detail on programming steps. Info should be in manuals of phone system and fax machine.

>first run fax test, press set up go to tools menu then select run fax test,all entries should be pass
>then check your connections, do you have one line or number for your fax and phone?or a separate line or another number for fax and another number for phone?
>let me assume you only have one number for fax and phone..
>check connections, this should be downstream connection, the fax machine using the black phone cord provided by hp should be connected directly to the phone jack using line 1 at the back of the fax and the answering machine or the telephone should be connected to ext 2 or line 2 at the back of the fax...there should be no other devices phone or answering machine connected directly to the phone jack.
>next set rings to answer on the fax machine higher than the answering machine...if your rings to answer on answering machine is 4 rings, set the fax to 6 rings...if it is a voice call the answering machine will pick it up at 4 rings then if it detects that it it a fax tone then it will transfer the call to fax.
>also check if auto answer is on in your fax
>you can check auto answer and rings to answer by pressing set up or menu button on your machine look for it in basic fax settings or advance settings
>also check if your voice prompt for your answering machine is not too short there should be like at least 5 seconds after cutting your message to allow the machine to transfer the call to the fax if it is a fax tone.

Setting Ring Delay:
The Ring Delay setting determines the number of times the fax machine rings before it answers. If you have extension phones on the same line as the fax machine, keep the Ring Delay at a default setting of 4:
1 Press Function/Set, 2, 1.
2 Press < or > to select how many times the line rings before the fax machine answers (00 – 04) and press Function/Set. If you select 00, the line doesn’t ring at all.
3 Press Stop to exit.

Hope that's clear enough :)

Chris (ziraffa)

Hi,

Setting Ring Delay:
The Ring Delay setting determines the number of times the fax machine rings before it answers. If you have extension phones on the same line as the fax machine, keep the Ring Delay at a default setting of 4:
1 Press Function/Set, 2, 1.
2 Press < or > to select how many times the line rings before the fax machine answers (00 – 04) and press Function/Set. If you select 00, the line doesn’t ring at all.
3 Press Stop to exit.

Hope that's clear enough :)

Chris (ziraffa)

Note: check your equipment for:
Fax machine must be connected to an answer machine

Receiving a fax automatically:
1 Make sure the Fax Auto Answer light is on.
2 To set the number of telephone rings before the printer automatically receives faxes,
Receiving a fax with an answering machine
When a telephone ring is detected, the answering machine picks up the call.
• If the printer detects a fax, it receives the fax and disconnects the answering machine.
• If the printer does not detect a fax, the answering machine receives the call.
2 Set the answering machine to answer incoming calls before the printer does.
For example, if you set the answering machine to answer calls after three rings, set the printer to answer calls
after five rings.
3 To set the number of telephone rings before the printer automatically receives faxes.

Link
Receiving a fax You can choose to receive a fax automatically, manually, or through an answering machine.
Note: For your All-In-One to receive a color fax, the machine from which you are receiving must also support color faxes.
Automatically Recommended for a dedicated fax line
Your All-In-One automatically accepts incoming faxes using the automatic answering mode. When the Auto Answer light is on, the All-In-One receives a fax after the specified number of rings set in the Options menu.
To set a number of rings for the automatic answering mode:

1. On the control panel, press Mode repeatedly until Fax is selected.
2. Press Options until ANSWER FAX WHEN appears.
3. Press + to choose After 1 ring, After 2 rings, After 3 rings (default), or After 5 rings.
4. Press Select.
5. Make sure the Auto Answer light on the All-In-One is on.

When the number of rings that you set is detected, the All-In-One automatically receives your fax.
Manually Recommended for a shared fax and telephone line
You can choose which incoming faxes to accept by setting your All-In-One to manual answering mode.

1. Make sure the All-In-One Auto Answer light is off.
2. Press *9* on the telephone after you answer the telephone and hear fax tones.
3. Hang up the telephone.

The All-In-One receives your fax.
Answering machine Recommended for a shared fax and telephone line
To receive a fax with an answering machine connected to your All-In-One, set the answering machine to answer incoming calls before the All-In-One does. For example, if you set the answering machine to answer calls after 3 rings, set the All-In-One to answer calls after 5 rings.

1. On the control panel, press Mode repeatedly until Fax is selected.
2. Press Options until ANSWER FAX WHEN appears.
3. Press + until After 5 rings appears.
4. Press Select.
5. Make sure the Auto Answer light on the All-In-One is on.

When a ring is detected, the answering machine picks up the call.

• If a fax is detected, the All-In-One receives the fax and disconnects the answering machine.
• If not, the answering machine completes the call.

Note: You must set up the equipment as shown in connecting to an answering machine.

1. Press Menu .
2. Press the right arrow (>) or the left arrow (<) until Advanced Fax Setup displays.
3. Press Enter .
4. Press the right arrow (>) or the left arrow (<) until Answer Ring Pattern displays.
5. Press Enter
6. Press the right arrow (>) or the left arrow (<) until the desired ring pattern displays.
   • Single rings – The fax machine answers after a single ring.
   • Double rings – The fax machine answers after a double ring.
   • Triple rings – The fax machine answers after a triple ring.
   • Double and triple – The fax machine answers after a double and triple ring.
   • All rings – The fax machine answers any ring. This is the default when not using Distinctive Ring.
7. Press Enter .

Try changing the receive mode from automatic to FAX ONLY and set the number of fax rings higher. You should be able to receive phone calls and if you are not answering your phone it will automatically receive a fax.

FAX RECEPTION THROUGH AN ANSWERING MACHINE:
This mode is recommended for a shared fax and telephone line.
To receive a fax if your All-In-One is connected to an answering machine:
On the control panel, press Fax.
Set the answering machine to answer incoming calls before the All-In-One does. For example, if you have set the answering machine to answer calls after 3 rings, set the All-In-One to answer calls after 5 rings.
To change this setting on the All-In-One:
Press Options until Number of rings appears.
Press the right arrow (+) until After 5 rings appears.
Press Select.
Make sure the Auto Answer light on the All-In-One is on. When a ring is detected, the answering machine picks up the call.
If a fax is detected, the All-In-One receives the fax, and disconnects the answering machine.
If a fax is not detected, the answering machine completes the call.