Applies To

• Hardware: Epson All-In-One printers with fax capability and an external answering machine connected.

Description

When an external answering machine shares the phone line with the printer in Auto receive mode, the printer's Rings to Answer setting determines which device answers first.

Solution

Set the number of rings for the answering machine to answer to a lower number than the printer's Rings to Answer setting. Otherwise, the printer answers first — even for voice calls — and the answering machine never gets the chance to record a message.

Note: With this set up correctly, incoming calls work as follows:

• If the answering machine answers within its ring count: a fax call is automatically picked up by the printer instead; a voice call is answered normally by the answering machine.
• If you pick up the handset yourself within the printer's ring count: hold the line for a fax call until the printer's control panel shows "Connecting," then you can hang up — the printer takes over automatically.