*The following steps pertain to physical telephone answering devices (TADs) only.

If you are using a Distinctive Ring number (a second number on the same line) for receiving faxes, click here to see the details of Distinctive Ring and how to program it.

You can connect an external answering machine to the same line as your Brother machine. When someone dials the telephone/fax number, every telephone on the line, including the Brother machine, will ring according to the number of rings you set on the answering machine. If you do not answer the call, the answering machine will. As the outgoing message is playing, the Brother machine is silently listening for fax-sending tones. If the Brother machine detects fax-sending tones, it will take over the line and receive the fax. If the Brother machine does not detect fax-sending tones, the answering machine will continue to play the outgoing message so the caller can leave a message.

To set up an answering machine on the same line as the Brother machine, follow the instructions listed below:

1. Connecting the answering machine to the Brother machine:

   1. Connect a telephone cord from the jack (socket) labeled "LINE" on the Brother machine directly to the telephone jack (socket) in the wall.
   2. Plug your answering machine directly into a telephone jack (socket) on the same line as your Brother machine or into your Brother machine's EXT jack (socket).
   3. Set the answering machine to answer in 4 rings or less.
   • Brother recommends setting your answering machine to answer in 2 or 3 rings. If the answering machine takes too long to answer, the transmitting fax machine may disconnect before the receiving Brother machine answers the call.
   • The Brother machine's Ring Delay setting does NOT apply when you use an external answering machine.

2. Recording the outgoing message on the answering machine:

   1. Record 5 seconds of silence before you start speaking.
      

      *We recommend beginning the outgoing message with 5 seconds of silence because the Brother machine cannot detect fax sending tones over a resonant or loud voice. You can try omitting this pause, but if the Brother machine has trouble receiving, you should re-record the outgoing message with the pause included.

   2. Limit the speaking to 20 seconds.
   3. End the outgoing message by giving the Fax Receive Code for people sending manual faxes.
      

      For example, "After the beep, please leave a message or send a fax by pressing *51(*91 for New Zealand) and Start."

3. Setting the Receive Mode on your Brother machine:

   1. Press (FAX).
   2. Press Menu.
   3. Press the Up or Down arrow key to display Fax, and then press OK.
   4. Press the Up or Down arrow key to display Setup Receive, and then press OK.
   5. Press the Up or Down arrow key to display Receive Mode, and then press OK.
      

      If you cannot change the Receive Mode, make sure the Distinctive Ring feature or BT Call Sign feature or Fax Ability feature is set to Off.

   6. Press the Up or Down arrow key to choose External TAD, and then press OK.
   7. Press Stop/Exit.