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Internet fax, e-fax, or online fax
What is E-Fax?
Internet fax, e-fax, or online fax is using the internet and internet protocols to send a fax rather than using a standard telephone connection and a fax machine.
Instead of using
a VoIP line
to transmit the fax,
we use HTTPS
Why HTTPS?
The HTTPS protocol is the same protocol you use when you download documents from the internet. It’s very robust and fault-tolerant.
Security: HTTPS provides end-to-end encryption of the data being transmitted, ensuring that sensitive information like faxes is protected against eavesdropping and tampering.
Authentication: HTTPS uses certificates to verify the identity of the server, providing assurance that the fax is being sent to the correct recipient.
Data integrity: HTTPS uses checksums and other mechanisms to ensure that the data being transmitted has not been altered or corrupted during transmission.
Reliability: HTTPS uses multiple methods for retransmitting data in the case of network errors, providing a more reliable fax transmission experience.
Widely supported: HTTPS is a widely used and well-supported protocol, meaning that it is available on a wide range of devices and platforms and has a well-established ecosystem of tools and support.
The VoIP protocol(s)
are a poor fit for
e-faxing
Why is that?
Simply put, when your voice is sent over the internet, it is split in a lot of very small packets.
If one packet gets lost or arrives at its destination late, it makes no sense to keep it. Imagine a small packet containing a very (very) small portion of the sound for a microsecond of a call, for example. If that packet is late, the VoIP protocol will ignore it. This is fine and you probably wouldn’t even notice it on a call unless you have an internet problem and you lose a lot of packets like this.
A similar process happens for faxes when they are sent through a regular VoIP line. The fax is split in a multitude of small packets, and this is where problems start to occur. If a packet does not make it to the other end of the call, the fax won’t be transmitted. To be transmitted properly, the whole document needs to be sent in its entirety. Some protocols were added to support sending faxes over VoIP lines and their implementation depends entirely on the carriers, and the reliability is not great.
The main difference between E-fax and traditional fax is the method of transmission. Traditional fax uses a telephone line to transmit the fax, while E-fax uses the internet. This means that internet fax can be sent and received from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. Additionally, E-fax can be sent and received as email attachments, while traditional fax requires a dedicated fax line.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is used to encrypt the communication between the sender and the e-fax service, as well as between the e-fax service and the recipient. This is important because it helps to protect the confidentiality of the transmitted faxes and ensure that they cannot be intercepted and read by unauthorized parties.
Using HTTPS in an e-fax solution is important because it helps to protect the privacy and security of the transmitted faxes, and helps to ensure that they cannot be intercepted and read by unauthorized parties. It is a critical component of any e-fax solution, and is essential for protecting the confidentiality of transmitted faxes.
Any fax solution/product claiming high reliability using a regular VoIP line may work, but you will see a high rate of fax transmission failure. The longer the document, the higher the odds that a failure will occur.
Any solution using an adapter with a traditional fax machine should be connected through HTTPS to ensure high reliability.
We scan all attachments before sending them to ensure that the TIFF and PDF attachments we send you are 100% virus-free and safe.
We support a multitude of document formats, which can be found on this page.
Yes, our toll-free numbers are accessible throughout North America and there is no additional cost for using them.
Yes, you’ll need to have the “call forwarding” feature added to your existing fax number by your telephone service provider. Once this is set up, you can forward all calls made to your existing fax number to your new internet fax number. Your existing fax line can still be used for outgoing faxes and as a backup, but it will no longer receive faxes.
Go paperless with E-Fax
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