Fax From Your Computer
by Matt Gerchow
Sending a fax from your computer is a great way to save time and money. Not only does it prevent you from having to stand in line at the local copy shop's outdated fax machine, but you can deal with connection issues and minor corrections from the comfort of your own home or office. If you find yourself needing to send faxes as part of your personal life or business, you might want to consider sending them over the internet. All you will need is the right equipment and the right programs to help get you started on the right path.
First: Your Hardware
Before you do any of the actual actions of sending a fax from your computer, first make sure that you actually have the hardware necessary to send the fax. Thankfully, the tools needed are actually quite common. The only thing that is really necessary is a scanner (or a printer with an attached scanner). The devices are relatively cheap (many box stores sell them for under thirty dollars) and may be set up in a matter of minutes. Make sure that you are able to connect the printer or scanner to your computer, and you should be ready to sending a fax from your computer in no time.
Next: The Programs
There are a number of free or semi-free programs available online that will allow you to send a fax from your computer. These programs range from paid software that will allow you to send unlimited faxes each day to rather stripped down programs that will only allow one or two faxes during every cycle, but different programs can serve the needs of the different users. Try to consider what you need in terms of faxing capabilities, and you should be able to find the right software relatively quickly.
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First: Your Hardware
Before you do any of the actual actions of sending a fax from your computer, first make sure that you actually have the hardware necessary to send the fax. Thankfully, the tools needed are actually quite common. The only thing that is really necessary is a scanner (or a printer with an attached scanner). The devices are relatively cheap (many box stores sell them for under thirty dollars) and may be set up in a matter of minutes. Make sure that you are able to connect the printer or scanner to your computer, and you should be ready to sending a fax from your computer in no time.
Next: The Programs
There are a number of free or semi-free programs available online that will allow you to send a fax from your computer. These programs range from paid software that will allow you to send unlimited faxes each day to rather stripped down programs that will only allow one or two faxes during every cycle, but different programs can serve the needs of the different users. Try to consider what you need in terms of faxing capabilities, and you should be able to find the right software relatively quickly.
Test drive RingCentral and fax free for 30 days