HP Officejet 4500 - The fax test failed

•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the device is ready for faxing. If the Fax Hardware Test continues to fail and you
experience problems faxing, contact HP support. Go to

www.hp.com/support

. If

prompted, choose your country/region, and then click Contact HP for information on
calling for technical support.

The "Fax Connected to Active Telephone Wall Jack" test failed

Solution:
•

Check the connection between the telephone wall jack and the device to make
sure the phone cord is secure.

•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

•

Make sure you have correctly connected the device to the telephone wall jack.
Using the phone cord supplied in the box with the device, connect one end to your
telephone wall jack, then connect the other end to the port labeled 1-LINE on the
back of the device. For more information on setting up the device for faxing, see

Additional fax setup

.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

•

Try connecting a working phone and phone cord to the telephone wall jack that
you are using for the device and check for a dial tone. If you do not hear a dial
tone, contact your telephone company and have them check the line.

•

Try to send or receive a test fax. If you can send or receive a fax successfully,
there might not be a problem.

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the device is ready for faxing.

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The "Phone Cord Connected to Correct Port on Fax" test failed

Solution: Plug the phone cord into the correct port.
1. Using the phone cord supplied in the box with the device, connect one end to your

telephone wall jack, then connect the other end to the port labeled 1-LINE on the
back of the device.

NOTE: If you use the 2-EXT port to connect to the telephone wall jack, you
will not be able to send or receive faxes. The 2-EXT port should only be used
to connect other equipment, such as an answering machine.

Figure 7-1 Back view of the device

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect to the "1-LINE" port

2. After you have connected the phone cord to the port labeled 1-LINE, run the fax

test again to make sure it passes and the device is ready for faxing.

3. Try to send or receive a test fax.
•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

The "Using Correct Type of Phone Cord with Fax" test failed

Solution:
•

Make sure you used the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect
to the telephone wall jack. One end of the phone cord should be connected to the

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103

port labeled 1-LINE on the back of the device, and the other end to your telephone
wall jack, as shown below.

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect to the "1-LINE" port

If the phone cord that came with the device is not long enough, you can use a
coupler to extend the length. You can purchase a coupler at an electronics store
that carries phone accessories. You will also need another phone cord, which can
be a standard phone cord that you might already have in your home or office.

•

Check the connection between the telephone wall jack and the device to make
sure the phone cord is secure.

•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

The "Dial Tone Detection" test failed

Solution:
•

Other equipment, which uses the same phone line as the device, might be causing
the test to fail. To find out if other equipment is causing a problem, disconnect
everything from the phone line, and then run the test again. If the Dial Tone
Detection Test passes without the other equipment, then one or more pieces of
the equipment is causing problems; try adding them back one at a time and
rerunning the test each time, until you identify which piece of equipment is causing
the problem.

•

Try connecting a working phone and phone cord to the telephone wall jack that
you are using for the device and check for a dial tone. If you do not hear a dial
tone, contact your telephone company and have them check the line.

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•

Make sure you have correctly connected the device to the telephone wall jack.
Using the phone cord supplied in the box with the device, connect one end to your
telephone wall jack, then connect the other end to the port labeled 1-LINE on the
back of the device.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

•

If your telephone system is not using a standard dial tone, such as some PBX
systems, this might cause the test to fail. This will not cause a problem sending
or receiving faxes. Try sending or receiving a test fax.

•

Check to make sure the country/region setting is set appropriately for your
country/region. If the country/region setting is not set or is set incorrectly, the test
might fail and you might have problems sending and receiving faxes.

•

Make sure you connect the device to an analog phone line or you will not be able
to send or receive faxes. To check if your phone line is digital, connect a regular
analog phone to the line and listen for a dial tone. If you do not hear a normal
sounding dial tone, it might be a phone line set up for digital phones. Connect the
device to an analog phone line and try sending or receiving a fax.

•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the device is ready for faxing. If the Dial Tone Detection test continues to fail,
contact your telephone company and have them check the phone line.

The "Fax Line Condition" test failed

Solution:
•

Make sure you connect the device to an analog phone line or you will not be able
to send or receive faxes. To check if your phone line is digital, connect a regular
analog phone to the line and listen for a dial tone. If you do not hear a normal
sounding dial tone, it might be a phone line set up for digital phones. Connect the
device to an analog phone line and try sending or receiving a fax.

•

Check the connection between the telephone wall jack and the device to make
sure the phone cord is secure.

•

Make sure you have correctly connected the device to the telephone wall jack.
Using the phone cord supplied in the box with the device, connect one end to your
telephone wall jack, then connect the other end to the port labeled 1-LINE on the
back of the device.

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105

•

Other equipment, which uses the same phone line as the device, might be causing
the test to fail. To find out if other equipment is causing a problem, disconnect
everything from the phone line, and then run the test again.
◦

If the Fax Line Condition Test passes without the other equipment, then one
or more pieces of the equipment is causing problems; try adding them back
one at a time and rerunning the test each time, until you identify which piece
of equipment is causing the problem.

◦

If the Fax Line Condition Test fails without the other equipment, connect the
device to a working phone line and continue reviewing the troubleshooting
information in this section.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the device. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the device,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the device, run the fax test again.

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the device is ready for faxing. If the Fax Line Condition test continues to fail and
you experience problems faxing, contact your telephone company and have them
check the phone line.

The display always shows Phone Off Hook

Solution: You are using the wrong type of phone cord. Make sure you are using
the phone cord that came with the device to connect the device to your phone line. If
the phone cord that came with the device is not long enough, you can use a coupler
to extend the length. You can purchase a coupler at an electronics store that carries
phone accessories. You will also need another phone cord, which can be a standard
phone cord that you might already have in your home or office.

Solution: Other equipment that uses the same phone line as the device might be
in use. Make sure extension phones (phones on the same phone line, but not
connected to the device) or other equipment are not in use or off the hook. For
example, you cannot use the device for faxing if an extension phone is off the hook,
or if you are using a computer dial-up modem to send e-mail or access the Internet.

The device is having problems sending and receiving faxes

Solution: Make sure the device is turned on. Look at the display on the device. If
the display is blank and the Power light is not lit, the device is turned off. Make sure
the power cord is firmly connected to the device and plugged into a power outlet.
Press the Power button to turn on the device.
After turning on the device, HP recommends you wait five minutes before sending or
receiving a fax. The device cannot send or receive faxes while it is initializing after
being turned on.

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Solution: If Fax to PC or Fax to Mac has been enabled, you may not be able to
send or receive faxes if the fax memory is full (limited by device memory).

Solution:
•

Make sure you used the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect
to the telephone wall jack. One end of the phone cord should be connected to the
port labeled 1-LINE on the back of the device and the other end to your telephone
wall jack, as shown below.

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect to the "1-LINE" port

If the phone cord that came with the device is not long enough, you can use a
coupler to extend the length. You can purchase a coupler at an electronics store
that carries phone accessories. You will also need another phone cord, which can
be a standard phone cord that you might already have in your home or office.

•

Try connecting a working phone and phone cord to the telephone wall jack that
you are using for the device and check for a dial tone. If you do not hear a dial
tone, call your local telephone company for service.

•

Other equipment, which uses the same phone line as the device, might be in use.
For example, you cannot use the device for faxing if an extension phone is off the
hook, or if you are using a computer dial-up modem to send an e-mail or access
the Internet.

•

Check to see if another process has caused an error. Check the display or your
computer for an error message providing information about the problem and how
to solve it. If there is an error, the device will not send or receive a fax until the
error condition is resolved.

•

The phone line connection might be noisy. Phone lines with poor sound quality
(noise) can cause faxing problems. Check the sound quality of the phone line by
plugging a phone into the telephone wall jack and listening for static or other noise.
If you hear noise, turn Error Correction Mode (ECM) off and try faxing again.
For information about changing ECM, see the onscreen Help. If the problem
persists, contact your telephone company.

•

If you are using a digital subscriber line (DSL) service, make sure that you have
a DSL filter connected or you will not be able to fax successfully. For more
information, see

Case B: Set up the device with DSL

.

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107

•

Make sure the device is not connected to a telephone wall jack that is set up for
digital phones. To check if your phone line is digital, connect a regular analog
phone to the line and listen for a dial tone. If you do not hear a normal sounding
dial tone, it might be a phone line set up for digital phones.

•

If you are using either a private branch exchange (PBX) or an integrated services
digital network (ISDN) converter/terminal adapter, make sure the device is
connected to the correct port and the terminal adapter is set to the correct switch
type for your country/region, if possible. For more information, see

Case C: Set

up the device with a PBX phone system or an ISDN line

.

•

If the device shares the same phone line with a DSL service, the DSL modem
might not be properly grounded. If the DSL modem is not properly grounded, it
can create noise on the phone line. Phone lines with poor sound quality (noise)
can cause faxing problems. You can check the sound quality of the phone line by
plugging a phone into the telephone wall jack and listening for static or other noise.
If you hear noise, turn off your DSL modem and completely remove power for at
least 15 minutes. Turn the DSL modem back on and listen to the dial tone again.

NOTE: You might notice static on the phone line again in the future. If the
device stops sending and receiving faxes, repeat this process.

If the phone line is still noisy, contact your telephone company. For information
on turning your DSL modem off, contact your DSL provider for support.

•

If you are using a phone splitter, this can cause faxing problems. (A splitter is a
two-cord connector that plugs into a telephone wall jack.) Try removing the splitter
and connecting the device directly to the telephone wall jack.

The device is having problems sending a manual fax

Solution:

NOTE: This possible solution applies only in the countries/regions that receive
a 2-wire phone cord in the box with the device, including: Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan,
Korea, Latin America, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Venezuela, and
Vietnam.

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•

Make sure the telephone you use to initiate the fax call is connected directly to
the device. To send a fax manually, the telephone must be connected directly to
the port labeled 2-EXT on the device, as shown below.

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the device to connect to the "1-LINE" port

3 Telephone

•

If you are sending a fax manually from your phone that is connected directly to
the device, you must use the keypad on the telephone to send the fax. You cannot
use the keypad on the device control panel of the device.

NOTE: If using a serial-type phone system, please connect your phone
directly on top of the device cable which has a wall plug attached to it.

The device cannot receive faxes, but can send faxes

Solution:
•

If you are not using a distinctive ring service, check to make sure that the
Distinctive Ring feature on the device is set to All Rings. For more information,
see

Change the answer ring pattern for distinctive ring

.

•

If Auto Answer is set to Off, you will need to receive faxes manually; otherwise,
the device will not receive the fax. For information on receiving faxes manually,
see

Receive a fax manually

.

•

If you have a voice mail service at the same phone number you use for fax calls,
you must receive faxes manually, not automatically. This means that you must be
available to respond in person to incoming fax calls. For information on setting up
the device when you have a voice mail service, see

Case F: Shared voice/fax line

with voice mail

. For information on receiving faxes manually, see

Receive a fax

manually

.

•

If you have a computer dial-up modem on the same phone line with the device,
check to make sure that the software that came with your modem is not set to
receive faxes automatically. Modems that are set up to receive faxes
automatically take over the phone line to receive all incoming faxes, which
prevents the device from receiving fax calls.

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109

•

If you have an answering machine on the same phone line with the device, you
might have one of the following problems:
◦

Your answering machine might not be set up properly with the device.

◦

Your outgoing message might be too long or too loud to allow the device to
detect fax tones, and the sending fax machine might disconnect.

◦

Your answering machine might not have enough quiet time after your outgoing
message to allow the device to detect fax tones. This problem is most
common with digital answering machines.

The following actions might help solve these problems:
◦

When you have an answering machine on the same phone line you use for
fax calls, try connecting the answering machine directly to the device as
described in

Case I: Shared voice/fax line with answering machine

.

◦

Make sure the device is set to receive faxes automatically. For information on
setting up the device to receive faxes automatically, see

Receive a fax

.

◦

Make sure the Rings to Answer setting is set to a greater number of rings
than the answering machine. For more information, see

Set the number of

rings before answering

.

◦

Disconnect the answering machine and then try receiving a fax. If faxing is
successful without the answering machine, the answering machine might be
causing the problem.

◦

Reconnect the answering machine and record your outgoing message again.
Record a message that is approximately 10 seconds in duration. Speak slowly
and at a low volume when recording your message. Leave at least 5 seconds
of silence at the end of the voice message. There should be no background
noise when recording this silent time. Try to receive a fax again.

NOTE: Some digital answering machines might not retain the recorded
silence at the end of your outgoing message. Play back your outgoing
message to check.

•

If the device shares the same phone line with other types of phone equipment,
such as an answering machine, a computer dial-up modem, or a multi-port switch
box, the fax signal level might be reduced. The signal level can also be reduced
if you use a splitter or connect extra cables to extend the length of your phone. A
reduced fax signal can cause problems during fax reception.
To find out if other equipment is causing a problem, disconnect everything except
the device from the phone line, and then try to receive a fax. If you can receive
faxes successfully without the other equipment, one or more pieces of the other
equipment is causing problems; try adding them back one at a time and receiving
a fax each time, until you identify which equipment is causing the problem.

•

If you have a special ring pattern for your fax phone number (using a distinctive
ring service through your telephone company), make sure that the Distinctive
Ring feature on the device is set to match. For more information, see

Change the

answer ring pattern for distinctive ring

.

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The device cannot send faxes, but can receive faxes

Solution:
•

The device might be dialing too fast or too soon. You might need to insert some
pauses in the number sequence. For example, if you need to access an outside
line before dialing the phone number, insert a pause following the access number.
If your number is 95555555, and 9 accesses an outside line, you might insert
pauses as follows: 9-555-5555. To enter a pause in the fax number you are typing,
press Redial/Pause, or press the Space (#) button repeatedly, until a dash (-)
appears on the display.
You can also send the fax using monitor dialing. This enables you to listen to the
phone line as you dial. You can set the pace of your dialing and respond to
prompts as you dial. For more information, see

Send a fax using monitor

dialing

.

•

The number you entered when sending the fax is not in the proper format or the
receiving fax machine is having problems. To check this, try calling the fax number
from a telephone and listen for fax tones. If you cannot hear fax tones, the
receiving fax machine might not be turned on or connected, or a voice mail service
could be interfering with the recipient's phone line. You can also ask the recipient
to check the receiving fax machine for any problems.

Fax tones are recorded on my answering machine

Solution:
•

When you have an answering machine on the same phone line you use for fax
calls, try connecting the answering machine directly to the device as described in

Case I: Shared voice/fax line with answering machine

. If you do not connect the

answering machine as recommended, fax tones might be recorded on your
answering machine.

•

Make sure the device is set to receive faxes automatically and that the Rings to
Answer setting is correct. The number of rings to answer for the device should
be greater than the number of rings to answer for the answering machine. If the
answering machine and the device are set to the same number of rings to answer,
both devices answer the call and fax tones are recorded on the answering
machine.

•

Set your answering machine to a low number of rings and the device to answer
in the maximum number of rings supported. (The maximum number of rings varies
by country/region.) In this setup, the answering machine answers the call and the
device monitors the line. If the device detects fax tones, the device receives the
fax. If the call is a voice call, the answering machine records the incoming
message. For more information, see

Set the number of rings before answering

.

The phone cord that came with my device is not long enough

Solution: If the phone cord that came with the device is not long enough, you can
use a coupler to extend the length. You can purchase a coupler at an electronics store
that carries phone accessories. You will also need another phone cord, which can be
a standard phone cord that you might already have in your home or office.

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111

TIP: If the device came with a 2-wire phone cord adaptor, you can use it with a
4-wire phone cord to extend the length. For information on using the 2-wire phone
cord adaptor, see the documentation that came with it.

To extend your phone cord
1. Using the phone cord supplied in the box with the device, connect one end to the

coupler, then connect the other end to the port labeled 1-LINE on the back of the
device.

2. Connect another phone cord to the open port on the coupler and to the telephone

wall jack.

Color faxes do not print

Cause: The Incoming Fax Printing option is turned off.
Solution: To print color faxes, make sure that the Incoming Fax Printing option in
the device control panel is turned on.

The computer cannot receive faxes (Fax to PC and Fax to Mac)

Cause: The HP Digital Imaging monitor is turned off (Windows).
Solution: Check the taskbar and ensure that the HP Digital Imaging monitor is
turned on at all times.

Cause: The computer selected to receive faxes is turned off.
Solution: Make sure the computer selected to receive faxes is switched on at all
times.

Cause: Different computers are configured for setup and receiving faxes and one
of them may be switched off.
Solution: If the computer receiving faxes is different from the one used for setup,
both computers should be switched on at all times.

Cause: Fax to PC or Fax to Mac is not activated or the computer is not configured
to receive faxes.
Solution: Activate Fax to PC or Fax to Mac and make sure the computer is
configured to receive faxes.

Cause: HP Digital Imaging Monitor is not operating properly (Windows).

Solution: Restart the HP Digital Imaging Monitor or restart the computer.

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