The following steps only apply to setting up a phisical answering machine (TAD, or telephone answering device) to share a single line with Brother machine.

• If you have voice mail service instead of a phisical answering machine, click here to see "Can I use voice mail on the same line as my Brother machine?".
  
  
• If you are using a Distinctive Ring number for receiving faxes, click here to see "What is Distinctive Ring and how do I program it?".

How External TAD Mode works with your external answering machine

When someone dials your telephone /fax number, every telephone on the line - including your Brother machine - will ring according to the number of rings you set on your answering machine. If you do not answer the call, your answering machine will. As your outgoing message is playing on your answering machine, your Brother machine is silently "listening" for fax-sending tones.

• If your Brother machine detects fax-sending tones, it will take over the line and receive the fax.
  
  
• If your Brother machine does not detect fax-sending tones, your answering machine will continue to play your outgoing message so the caller can leave a message.

To set up an answering machine to share the telephone line with your Brother machine, please follow the steps below.

Physically connecting your answering machine

1. Connect a telephone cord from the jack labeled LINE on your Brother machine directly to the wall telephone jack.
   
   
2. Do one of the following:
   
   
   • Plug your answering machine directly into any wall telephone jack that shares the line with your Brother machine.
     
     
   • Plug your answering machine directly into your Brother machine's EXT jack.
   
   
   
3. Record the outgoing message on your answering machine by following the instruction in the next section of this document.

Recording your outgoing message

1. Limit your speaking to 20 seconds.
   
   
2. End your outgoing message by giving your Fax Receive Code for people sending manual faxes.
   
   
   • For example, "After the beep, please leave a message or send a fax by pressing * 51 and Start."
   
   
   When a caller presses * 51 on his or her telephone, it initiates fax-receiving tones on your Brother machine. The caller iis then able to manually send a fax to you by pressing Start on his or her fax machine.

Putting the Brother machine in TAD Mode

To put your Brother machine in TAD Mode, press the Receive Mode key until the LCD reads "TAD: ANSWER MACH".

Troubleshooting

If you are having problems receiving your faxes with your Brother machine in TAD Mode, please follow the steps below. Have someone send you a test fax after each step to determine whether that step was effective:

1. Re-record your outgoing message to include 5 seconds of silence before you start speaking.
   
   
   • Brother recommends beginning your outgoing message with 5 seconds of silence because your Brother machine cannot detect fax-sending tones over a resonant or loud voice. You can try omitting this pause, but if your Brother machine has trouble receiving faxes, you should re-record your outgoing message with the pause included.
   
   
   
2. Program your answering machine to ring 3 times or less.
   
   
   • Brother recommends using 2 or 3 rings, as using 4 rings may cause problems with receiving faxes. If your answering machine takes too long to answer an incoming fax, then the sending fax machine may drop the call.
     
     
   • Your Brother machine's Ring Delay setting does not apply when you use an external answering machine.
   
   
   
3. If these are any splitters, commshare devices, credit card machines, or power strips connected to your Brother machine, remove them for testing purposes.
   
   
   • Removing such devices helps to determine if the problem is related to the Brother machine or another device on the line.
   
   
   
4. Plug your answering machine directly into your Brother machine's EXT jack.