FAQs & Troubleshooting

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

If you are using a voice mail service in stead of a physical answering machine, click here to see how to use voice mail on the same line as the Brother machine.

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:

   *If your Brother machine has a touchscreen, please follow the steps under "For touchscreen models" below.

   
   
   1. Press Menu.
   2. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Initial Setup. Press OK.
   3. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Receive Mode. Press OK.
   4. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Fax Only, Fax/Tel, External TAD or Manual. Press OK.
   5. Press Stop/Exit.
      The LCD will display the current receive mode.
   
   

   <For touchscreen models>

   1. Press Menu.
   2. Press Up or Down arrow key to display Initial Setup.
      Press Initial Setup.
   3. Press Up or Down arrow key to display Receive Mode.
      Press Receive Mode.
   4. Press Fax Only, Fax/Tel, External TAD or Manual.
   5. Press Stop/Exit.
   
   If you chose Manual in STEP d, you need to turn on the Easy Receive (Fax Detect) feature.
   
   

   Turning On Easy Receive (Fax Detect)

   The Brother machine's Easy Receive (Fax Detect) feature allows you to receive faxes automatically, even if you lift the handset of a telephone that shares the line with your Brother machine or press the Brother machine's Hook key. All Brother fax machines are preprogrammed in the factory with the Easy Receive (Fax Detect) feature set to On.
   
   After you lift the handset of an extension telephone on the same line as the Brother machine or press Hook, wait for the Brother machine to respond to the sending machine's fax tones (Receiving will appear on your Brother machine's display and you will hear fax tones over the extension phone's receiver or the Brother machine's speaker), then hang up the telephone's handset or press Hook again. The Brother machine will receive the fax.
   
   Please follow the instructions below to set Fax Detect on.
   *If your Brother machine has a touchscreen, please follow the steps under "For touchscreen models" below.

   
   

   1. Press Menu.
   2. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Fax. Press OK.
   3. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Setup Receive. Press OK. 
   4. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose Easy Setup (Fax Detect). Press OK.
   5. Press Up or Down arrow key to choose On. Press OK.
   6. Press Stop/Exit.

   
   

   <For touchscreen models>

   1. Press Menu.
   2. Press Up or Down arrow key to display Fax.
      Press Fax.
   3. Press Up or Down arrow key to display Setup Receive.
      Press Setup Receive.
   4. Press Up or Down arrow key to display Fax Detect.
      Press Fax Detect.
   5. Press On.
   6. Press Stop/Exit.