10.5.8, External USB Modem, and Receiving Faxes

Check in system preferences > print and fax

See if internal modem is specified or usb modem.

Make sure you have configured your receive options under the usb modem.

Hi megamom,

with an OS after 10.5.5 much people have problems with sending or receiving faxes automatically.

This solution is a "workaround" and will not affect in any problems, like I saw that they will happen after:

1.) Removing and changing "IOSerialFamily.kext" : ("The system extension '/System/Library/Extensions/IOSerialFamily.kext' was installed improperly and cannot be used....")

2.) or go back to OS 10.5.5... (latest security-updates not included)


Go to your System-Prefs -> Printing and Faxing
chose the Fax-Modem -> Options
1.) to receive faxes: choose "receive faxes on this computer"
2.) to send faxes: choose not to "receive faxes on this computer",
plug your modem out, wait 5 seconds and plug it in.
Now you can send faxes, but not receive,
before you choose "receive faxes on this computer" again.
To send, you have to start with 2.) again...
It's strange for a mac, but better than 10.5.5 or a corrupted system...

APPLE-STUFF: HERE AGAIN: FIX THAT FAX-PROBLEM FOR 10.5.8 QUICK PLEASE - IT'S IMPORTANT!!!

trollius

I have this same problem. I can send a fax but cannot receive. I have the receive box checked and Apple external modem. It does not recognize incoming calls.
Imac g5 2.4ghz, intel core 2 duo system 10.5.8
It's funny because before I installed the update to .8 the problem used to be that in order to send a fax I had to uncheck the "receive fax" box. I used to be able to both send and receive with this awkward workaround but now I can only send.

*My solution to this problem was to purchase PageSender for $40.*

If Apple no longer wants to support faxing, they should drop the feature from their OSX software but to not recognize and fix the faxing problem is reprehensible.

*Shame on you Apple! You should reimburse me $40!*

Robert, please tell me which fax modem you have that works with PageSender. At least the download page tells me they're addressing Snow Leopard, which I have bought but can't yet install.

I can't believe that in today's green-conscious environment, I simply cannot find an all-in-one networked printer that lets me retrieve faxes from the device and save them as a PDF. I called Canon as I have their best multifunction consumer/office device-- the PIXMA MX7600, and I must print and scan incoming faxes, wasting paper and ink.

So, I'm also contemplating buying a Zoom USB fax modem, but want to make sure it works with any Mac software, even if I have to buy it.

Robert, this is only one of many reasons to heap shame on Apple. But this switcher is not ready to revert back to purely Wintel products.

Message was edited by: pnosko

The puzzler for me is why does Apple continue to sell fax modems and treat us to this boondoggle?

I have made a small app to make the "workaround" in 10.5 more comfortable.
Put the app anywhere and place it in the dock.
It will switch the Option to receive a fax on or off.
The only thing to do is to pull out the External modem for 3 or 5 seconds to restart it, if one want to send a fax. After sending a click on its icon in the dock is all to receive faxes again...

Link: [Fax or Receive Fax.app|http://www.manne-san.de/page_downloads.html]

I am not sure if it works in other OS's than german, but no problems shall occur.
Trollius

I was able to "resolve" this issue by replacing the IOSerialFamily.kext driver in System > Library > Extensions.

Steps:
Unplug USB Modem
Backup 10.5.8 IOSerial (ie, duplicate to desktop)
Oriented myself in Extensions directory, then fired up the old TimeMachine
Navigated backups archives to back when I had 10.5.6
Selected IOSerialFamily.kext and hit "restore"
Replaced existing file when prompted.
Rebooted Mac.
Plugged in USB Modem.

Everything back to normal.

Note that permissions are important here, which is why I opted to have time machine restore the file directly to it's original location rather than simply dragging it in myself.

Following Isaac's Steps, I searched my computer and couldn't find "10.5.8 IOSerial" to back up. Can you tell me where it's located? Sounds like a good fix.

hi, isaac
can u email me the old IOSerialFamily.kext ?
Thanks
William
xlee2000@gmail.com