Brother FAX 1840C - Manual (Page 40)

INTRODUCTION 1 - 19
About fax machines
Custom features
Do you have Voice Mail on the phone line?
If you have Voice Mail on the phone line where you will install your
new machine, there is a strong possibility that Voice Mail and the
machine may conflict with each other while receiving incoming calls.
Why should there be problems?
Since both the machine and Voice Mail will pick up the call, after the
number of rings you have set, each of them has the ability to keep
the other from receiving calls.
For example, if Voice Mail is set to answer after two rings and your
machine is set to answer after four, Voice Mail will stop your machine
from receiving faxes.
If you set Voice Mail and the Brother machine to answer after the
same number of rings, there is no way of knowing which one will
answer first. It is important to remember that neither Voice Mail nor
the machine can pass the call back to the other after the call has
been answered.
How can you avoid possible problems?
A very good way to avoid problems like the one mentioned, is to get
a second phone number on your present phone line.
Many people with Voice Mail choose an alternative service, which is
called “Distinctive Ring”, and they are very satisfied with it.
(See Distinctive Ring on page A-1.)
Another way to avoid possible problems is to replace Voice Mail with
an answering machine. Your Brother machine is designed to work
with an answering machine or TAD (telephone answering device).
(See Connecting an external telephone answering device (TAD) on
page A-11.)