There are a few things to consider with this type of problem so take a good look at all of these troubleshooting steps before doing something drastic like buying a new fax machine or yelling at the poor customer service rep at the phone company!

Can you dial the number from a regular telephone?

• If not, you’re certainly not dealing with an issue with your fax machine. Read on down this post for some more ideas.
• If you can call the number fine from a telephone, check all the numbers on the keypad on your fax machine for one that might be broken. If it is, get some service for it or replace the fax machine. For example, if you’re trying to dial 123-555-1289 but your 8 isn’t working, the fax certainly isn’t going to go through.

Were you able to dial these exact numbers sometime before now, or is this the first time you’ve tried?

• If you’ve faxed to these numbers before but now you can’t, give your phone company a call. Something is probably wrong on their end, not yours.
• If this is the first time you’ve faxed to these numbers, make sure you’re dialing them correctly. Could you be misdialing the same part of the phone numbers wrong each time? Pay close attention to how you’re entering the numbers.

Are you “dialing out” properly?

• If you’re faxing out from a business location or somewhere that might have a telephone system (PBX) installed, check to see if you have to dial a special code (like a 9) to access an outside line. Some 10-digit numbers are not long distance from some locations so this special access code may only be needed for some numbers.
• Do you need a long distance code? Some telephone lines are setup to require codes to be entered after dialing the number. If you’re sure this isn’t the case, give your phone company a call. Maybe this feature was turned on without your knowledge or permission.

Are all of the numbers that do not work located in the same area code?

• If so, your long distance provider or phone system (if you have one) may not be configured properly for a newly added area code. Area codes are added all the time all over the world. Sometimes the companies and systems that you use don’t update to compensate for these changes quickly enough.

If you’re still not sure what to do, call your phone company. They’re your best starting point.

This question came via email from Essa C.