fax protocol error

Don't know if this will help anyone, but we were having the same problem. we changed the network settings for the internal modem to not wait for a dial tone, and we also took off the area code for the phone number since it was a local number. Hope that helps someone!

I experienced same problems. I try to send several fax documents. i have connection, then sending message. It stops at the end with message "hold until xxx". Any solution ?

I'm having the same problem.

What's the "menu meter"?

Same issue here.

Same problem here too!

Im have the same fax problem! Please help!

found that I was using the v.92 modem script. When I selected the v.90 script in the modem section of the Network Preference Pane, that seemed to fix things. (I had the "hold until" issue -- faxes weren't going through).

For the last month or so, I have had the same problem as the others have described above.
Previously, I used to be able to fax OK.

Even though I have a v.92 modem, I tried the tip of selecting the v.90 modem script in Network Preferences - and (regarding faxing), the result was: NO DIFFERENCE.

Please help.

G4 Powerbook Mac OS X (10.3.9)

I have exactly the same problem
I am unable to fax with my USB modem and with my bluetooth modem (mobiles motorola V3x or V620)
I did not have any problems with 10.4.2 on my Powerbook G4

Apple should help us with this importyant issue

I have exactly the same problem
I am unable to fax with my USB modem and with my bluetooth modem (mobiles motorola V3x or V620)
I did not have any problems with 10.4.2 on my Powerbook G4

Apple should help us with this important issue

At the end of this posting are some juicy? new clues, in the form of an automatic log from a failed fax.
I hope somebody can use this new information to identify the cause of the problem and find a solution. To my untrained eyes, it looks like it has something to do with unexpected EOF. (Is that end of file?)

SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM
The following fault has developed with the fax function of OS X (v10.3.9 in my case, and v10.4 in the cases of others in this thread) in the print window:

The fax function successfully makes contact with the receiving number, and then appears to start faxing. However, it then stops faxing, without stating whether it has finished faxing successfully. It then displays a "fax protocol error" message.

The aborted fax then remains in the queue, with "hold until xxxx", i.e. a time 5 minutes later, which is when it will automatically re-try. When it re-tries, the same failure occurs.

The intended recipient does not receive a fax.

NEW CLUES
The new clues came out of my use of the free trial version of the FaxCenter application, v1.5. (FaxCenter is a shareware application, the full version of which costs $10).

The FaxCenter application a "front end" application ("...based on eFax"...) - i.e. it provides a nice interface with the fax function of OS X.

I tried to fax a page of a document using FaxCenter.
The result was: failure - apparently the same failure as described above for the fax function in OS X (i.e. same behavior - I heard the destination fax number being dialled; and then I heard the usual intermittent short beep (about once per second); and then I heard the subsequent high pitched continuous tone from the receiving fax machine; and then the transmission failed, and the message was held for a new try after 5 minutes.)

Following is the log from my last (failed) attempt to fax using FaxCenter. (Note that I have substituted "phone numberredacted" where the log incuded the number of the receiving fax machine.)

/Applications/FaxCenter/FaxCenter.app/Contents/Resources/fax: eval: line 1: unexpected EOF while looking for matching `''
/Applications/FaxCenter/FaxCenter.app/Contents/Resources/fax: eval: line 2: syntax error: unexpected end of file
/Applications/FaxCenter/FaxCenter.app/Contents/Resources/fax: line 844: make: command not found
/Applications/FaxCenter/FaxCenter.app/Contents/Resources/efax: Mon Jul 17 13:22:05 2006 efax v 0.9.1 Copyright 1999 Ed Casas
efax: 22:13 opened /dev/**.modem
efax: 22:14 using 2.6.3 in class 1
efax: 22:15 dialing T1phone numberredacted
efax: 23:42 Error: dial command failed
efax: 23:42 failed -> /tmp/send/Output.tif.001
efax: 23:42 done, returning 2 (unrecoverable error)
sed: T1phone numberredacted.log: No such file or directory
sed: T1phone numberredacted.log: No such file or directory

G4 iMac Mac OS X (10.3.9)

G4 iMac Mac OS X (10.3.9)

according to my investigations, the problem seems to be in the mac-modem communication, probably in the modem initialization string.

Does somebody know what modem script is used during faxing? Does the system use the script indicated in the Network preferences for the specific Network port?
Having tested that the modem can dial normally establishing a non fax connection, i suppose that the faxing software apparently adds some other parameters than generate the failure.

Dont you think that Apple should give us PRECISE information?

Yes, Apple should speak up and tell how to fix this problem.

There is a big enough group of us to make Apple really hear us and respond, if we get creative enough about raising the issue with Apple.

Any ideas on how to do that?

I'm having exactly the same problem with my Apple Internal Modem - both sending and receiving faxes, with Fax PDF and with Page Sender fax.

CUPS Log: E [28/Jul/2006:09:28:21 -0500] [Job 197] There was a fax protocol error.

No ideas how to get Apple to respond to the issue though...

Well here's my problem with the USB internal modem: I can send out faxes but I can't receive any…
In the menu bar I read "Phone ringing, connecting, connecting, connecting…" and then the line drops.
I tried monkeying around with Printer Setup Utility's Reset Printing… nothing doing!

And all this began with the 10.4.7 System Update.

As a last hope I fired up Terminal.app and read some man pages (fax, efax, lpstat) but couldn't find a way to reset the modem.

So I came here and found out I'm not alone!

:-))

Hartz

rev A - SP 1,8 G5 - 160 GB HD Mac OS X (10.4.7)