Free Fax Program

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by Murray, Aug 23, 2002.

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  1. Murray

    Murray Registered Member

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    Would anybody know of a free fax sending program availbale for downloading? Also, would you trust a program like this to send out a credit card number to a business that doesn't have a website? Thanks.
     
  2. Checkout

    Checkout Security Rhinoceros

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    Trust is the keyword. An old-fashioned fax machine has no interaction with the Internet, so there's no chance (realistically) of being intercepted. However, more and more, fax services are being offered to web browsing members of the public, either by subscription or for free (highly suspicious). I don't know how you can tell the difference, except that the fax number should have the same area code and a similar number to the company's telephone number if it's a discrete fax machine. If the fax and the phone are identical, you can almost bet they're connected to a computer - but not the Internet, so you should be safe there too.

    If they've got a telephone number, call them and read your credit card information to them.

    Trust: even if there's no Internet connection involved, how can you trust the company not to abuse your cc?

    In the UK, many credit card issuers guarantee protection against fraud over the Internet. Personally, I think this is the best way - the Internet actually protects you in this way. Check your local legislation first, though.

    As for software, try CNET

    HTH
     
  3. crockett

    crockett Registered Member

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    Murray;

    Interesting question. Never used the fax-options on the Internet myself, but this was in the back of my mind since a couple of months.

    Checkout - thanks for your enlightening considerations on the subject - never thought of all this by myself. I'll carefully think twice before making use of virtual fax-machines. :doubt:

    Rgds, Crockett
     
  4. MickeyTheMan

    MickeyTheMan Security Expert

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    All these fax services are quite different than an installed fax program on your machine which will still use a tel line to send your fax. So the file you might have in Word, gets transferred to your fax program which sends it as any normal old fashion fax would via your modem and tel line.
    Fax services, on the other hand are different as they actually receive the fax, process it through a scanner to send to an email of yours. They actually see the fax before they send it out. Not the best way to send a confidentail fax to someone if you ask me.
     
  5. Murray

    Murray Registered Member

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    Maybe I was a little unclear. I was looking for a fax program to install on my computer so that I could send a normal, old fashioned fax over the phone line, but using my computer as the fax machine. I actually have a program like this, but i can't get at it, since something is wrong with the software. So, do these programs exist?
     
  6. controler

    controler Guest

    Yep Murry they been around for many years. What sucks is that I havn't found any that work with high speed internet connections yet.
    I hope I am wrong but I have only seen dialup fax programs.
    Any download site should have them , like Download.Com
    or use a trial version if they offer it. I will look around and see if I can locate some links
     
  7. Prince_Serendip

    Prince_Serendip Registered Member

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  8. MickeyTheMan

    MickeyTheMan Security Expert

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    My 98SE is a Compaq OEM, and it included such a program.
    Win2k installed one by default.

    When a fax comes in, i have the choice to pick it up through my normal fax, or through the one on the sys.
    I use the one provided with the sys to send out as this saves the trouble of printing first.

    If one was provided with your sys, you might be able to recover it.

    But it's king of hard to help anyone who doesn't provide any info about his sys. ;)
     
  9. Murray

    Murray Registered Member

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    Thanks all. My system is a Pentium 2, 333, with 160 ram, Windows 98. It's an IBM, which is why it comes with a fax program. I am unable to get at this program, and others, because I can't seem to open the IBM installer, since there seems to be an eror with the aiwrun.dll file. I'm pretty illiterate as far as computers go...anyway, my goal was to find a fax program that will turn the computer into a fax machine, for sending only. NOT over the internet, but rather over the phone line. The idea is not to have to send credit card numbers by email, rather, to fax them by way of the normal phone line.
     
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