Can you send a fax using WiFi?
Last Update: August 9th, 2021
You can send a fax over WiFi if you have an online fax service or a connected fax machine (connected to a landline phone line) that allows for printing via WiFi.
Method # 1 – Online fax service – how to access over a WiFi or any internet connection
An online fax service can send a fax using email, the internet, a smartphone app, or desktop software. It can be accessed over WiFi or anywhere there is an internet connection. Wired internet and cellular internet connections can also use an online fax service.
Fax services allow for sending and receiving faxes with email, a web application, smartphone app, or desktop software.
Method #2 – WiFi fax machine – what you will need
The “WiFi” in a WiFi fax machine is only the connection between the computer and the fax machine. There is no WiFi connection between the fax machine and the phone network.
To fax over WiFi with a connected fax machine, you’ll need the following:
- The fax machine to be connected to an active landline phone line.
- The fax machine to use software or to “print” to fax wirelessly.
A “wireless” fax is only wireless with its connection to a computer. The wireless fax has to connect to an active landline phone line. A common misconception with wireless faxing is that the fax can wirelessly connect to the phone network.
Follow our guide on how to use a fax machine for how to set up the printer.
Will I need WiFi a, b, g, n, or ac?
All types of WiFi including a, b, g, n, ac, and more can fax with the above methods.
Fax transmissions contain no more data than sending an image of the pages that you are faxing. Some of the older WiFi methods such as a or b may take a little longer than newer versions.
Sources and more resources
SuperUser – How can I use a fax machine over WiFi? – a forum discussion on how to use a fax machine to fax over WiFi.
Houston Chronicle – How to Set Up a Home Fax Machine With a Wireless Router – a quick overview of how to set up a fax machine to work with a wireless router. Includes a generic summary of how to use everything.
Fax Authority – How to fax wirelessly – our guide to faxing wirelessly. Includes all types of wireless connections from mobile phones to WiFi.
Fax Authority – How to use a connected fax machine (wired or wireless) – our guide to setting up and using a connected fax machine. Includes instructions on connecting it to a network and using a computer to send and receive faxes.