COM Ports
 

Can you use different com ports on the same modem.

My friend has Win Fax Pro and uses a dial up internet. He needs to get off the TAPI onto a standard port to recieve faxes but then can't connect up to the net as WinFax has taken the com port.

Can someone give me a how to on this one thanx.

Not sure I can help, but I assume the OS is WinXP?

.::.I can be wrong.::.
(actually I had never used a software fax..)

if the sw fax is monitoring com1 for incoming calls, then the port must be released before another sw can use it.. so my clue is go for a sw that automagically releases the com port when a call is originating from the pc..

or

buy a cheap internal modem to be used as internet-only device.


*

The operating system is XP

I had an idea to use 2 modems one for internet and the other for Winfax connection. Would this work?

if you had two different phone lines and the modems are on different ports, then yea, it should work.

Yeah one active device per active com port.

Might want to read this if you have any problems:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=271523

You can only do this with two different phone lines. And 1 com port to use for the internet and one for fax.

Which of course you can do with two different modems but not sure about just one but u never know.

But the point is you cant use both the fax and the internet at the same time as they both are using the same telephone line. So you cant share it even if it does use different com ports.

There is a way that you can use the fax and internet at the same time... kinda. But in involves one of those devices like catch a call or whatever they are called. They work by putting the device between your computer and your phone jack. So you are on the internet and browsing or what not and then if you have an incoming call (be it voice call or fax or whatever) the device interrupts your internet connection (temporarily disconnects you) and you are able to answer the phone. I am not sure if these devices will work with software faxes... but you could do some looking into them :)

oh yea forgot about that but u have to pay for whats called internet call waiting...here only Bell South offers such a serivce..totally forgot about it....and yea it works great....got it for a friend a few years back when he was still on dial up...

u can see more info here if u happen to have bell south..by now i'm sure other companies have similair services...

https://www.bellsouth.com/apps/icw/app

Not sure about fax but sure you could figure it out.

Tahnks for the advice