About Fax Machines; Custom Features; Do You Have Voice Mail On The Phone Line; Why Should There Be Problems - Brother Model MFC-5200C User Manual

About fax machines

If you've never used an MFC before, it might seem a little mysterious.
But you'll soon recognize the unusual fax tones on your phone line,
and be able to send and receive faxes easily.

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 MFC, there is a strong possibility that Voice Mail and the MFC
may conflict with each other while receiving incoming calls.

Why should there be problems?

Since both the MFC 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 your Voice Mail is set to answer after two rings and
your MFC is set to answer after four, your Voice Mail will stop your
MFC from receiving faxes.
If you set Voice Mail and the Brother MFC to answer at 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 MFC
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 this service, which is called
"Distinctive Ring", and they are very satisfied with it. For details about
this type of custom service, please see Distinctive Ring on page 5-9.
Another way to avoid possible problems is to replace your Voice Mail
with an answering machine. Your Brother MFC is designed to work
with an answering machine or TAD (telephone answering device).
(See Connecting an External Telephone Answering Device (TAD) on
page 1-8.)
1 - 6 INTRODUCTION