Sharp launches UX-B800SE Broadband Fax

Ahh, the analog-phone document facsimile machine. A technology that could and should have gone far, far away a long, long time ago, yet lingers still for businesses who can't seem to let go. There are, of course, some painfully obvious reasons why this is: person A puts a printed document in person B's hand with little or no effort on either person's part, and, well, it just works. Sharp's new UX-B800SE Broadband Fax does the usual boring squelchy phone thing, oh sure, but it also has an Ethernet connection allowing you to send PDF or TIFF scans (two-sided, if you prefer) of your documents via email, as well as receive analog faxes and email them to you if you're like the tethered office drones of yesteryear, waiting around all morning for so-and-so's fax. So as much as we'd like to take the faxes of the world out back and go all Office Space on 'em, we know it's just not going away any time soon. Thus, for now we'll call a truce between factions; on behalf of email addicts everywhere, we accept Sharp's UX-B800SE Broadband Fax as an adequate compromise; we'll take two and call your fax in the morning.

[Alex @ Aug 2nd 2006 10:54PM]

Earth-shattering!!

[qwe123a @ Aug 2nd 2006 11:58PM]

If it's too easy to use silicon valley will find a way to kill it.

Making PDFs should continue to be difficult and unfriendly. Otherwise entire IT departments will be cut down in half. NO WAY!

[Mr. B @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:06AM]

I just wish there were a way to send multiple microsoft office documents through a single (PC-)fax connection without printing them... or maybe there is and someone is about to tell me.

[Craig @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:46AM]

i think the reason many offices still use a regular fax is that there hasn't been a viable alternative. and i'm surprised that, as much as the fax machine is used, it hasn't progressed very much at all...

i curse the forces holding back the advancement of the fax machine every time i have to squint to make out numbers on a faxed spreadsheet. just make it higher resolution! we have the technology! that's all i ask!

[Jon Kelly @ Aug 3rd 2006 12:56AM]

Mr. B -- using a fax modem you can "print" those docs to the modem... so they never touch paper except perhaps at the recipient's side of things.
Hope that helps, but I suspect you may have known this much already.

[Richard Garfinkel @ Aug 3rd 2006 2:02AM]

Actually, there is one good reason faxes still exist. A fax of a signed legal document is admissible in a court of law, but a scan isn't. It's stupid, but it's the way it is.

[LiveItNerd @ Aug 3rd 2006 4:26AM]

This stuff is old tech. I install and service machines that can do both of these. Toshiba, Konica Minolta and Kyocera photocopiers can all scan to e-mail (as PDF and TIFF) and can fax as well as be your printer and copier. While all of them allow you to use the "internet-fax" option to send docs from copier-to-copier, the newer ones will allow you to recieve the faxes to a network location and will even sort based on the TTI.

We even go as far as setting up 1 touch systems that allow you to scan to an e-mail address as .pdf, .doc, .xls and more that's also been ocr'd on the fly!

The only thing I can see here that Sharp is doing that's different is their marketing approach of putting it in to something the size of a normal fax machine.

[Dave Lovelace @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:17AM]

Hey, we need faxes to be around at least nine more years, according to Back to the Future II. McFly's Boss Mr. Fujimoto says "read my fax!" and faxes our hero's two-word pinkslip to him, to mini- fax machines in every room of his house by the way...

We get flying cars in nine years, too, apparently... and portable fusion generators...

...now I'm just depressed.

[DanLyons @ Aug 7th 2006 10:52AM]

I think the real innovation of this product has been missed. LiveItNerd points out that this is old tech - he's absolutely correct, butit is a very new PRICE POINT. If you get a copier you're spending around $10K and if you're getting a dedicated Fax Server or Fax to File system you're spending around $2K. Now you can get the same function for under $200 - it will open the tech up to a new market.

[Art Peel @ Aug 31st 2006 12:11AM]

If you agree that faxes should have gone away a long time ago, then the next time you need to get a document signed, get an e-signature!

EchoSign.com, for example, lets you upload a document and get it signed electronically for free. You then get a PDF of the signed document. Much better than dealing with a fax machine and tracking hardcopies.

[Ted @ Aug 31st 2006 9:41AM]

The concept is nice but, Sharp dropped the ball with the UX-B800SE email client. I cannot send a fax via email as advertised. Most email providers require SMTP authentication to send mail. This is required to prevent spamming through their email servers. The device uses 'Pop before SMTP' authentication. It is difficult to find an email provider that supports 'Pop before SMTP' authentication. I returned the machine for a refund.

[Chuck @ Oct 17th 2006 1:05PM]

I ended up getting a refund for the same reason. If they can get it to work with att(sbc) dsl I would consider purchasing another one.

[Carl Spiegler @ Nov 5th 2006 2:25PM]

Sigh...I bought one of these as the "great compromise" for my home/office. It seems this might be the only small fax in the universe that has no capability of running an extension from the fax to my desk phone. Since my fax is 20 feet away from the desk, it is really not user friendly unless I put in another phone line. Afraid this thing is going back to the store.

[Carl Spiegler @ Nov 6th 2006 7:34PM]

Update...fixed my problem with a duplex splitter. works great even thought sharp says it doesn't. As for that Stmp and pop before stmp stuff, just unclick the authentication button in your e mail set-up. so far, haven't found anyone that can't receive my e-mails. i'm a believer again

[Monica @ Nov 27th 2006 10:35AM]

what email do you use? I've tried quite a few and nothing seems to work. tech support is hopeless. I'm ready to take it back to the store.

[marty @ Dec 27th 2006 7:27PM]

This machine is worthless it does not support several ISP's and customer service is no help. Called Sharp several times and the technicians were untrained and unaware of the product. Was told several times that the machine could not perform said function when it was written on the box and all support literature from Sharp. Attempted to escalate call to Sr. or Manager but was told that a manager would could later. Three weeks later and no call. Logged online to get assistance and took several days for response and finally was told to call the toll free number. Bottom line it's a worthless machine as a broadband fax.

[Paul @ Jan 7th 2007 9:43AM]

Too bad some previous reviewers had trouble directly connecting to an Internet Server Provider's SMTP service. This device is awesome! More expensive electronic fax solutions have been available for a number of years but this is the first paper/electronic hybrid I have seen, it works well, and I picked mine up on sale and with a rebate for just $69.00!

It is unfortunate that the Sharp UX-B800SE BroadbandFax only supports "POP before SMTP" as an optional SMTP server authentication method. Most Internet service providers require a different kind of SMTP authentication to allow the relay of your email. Fortunately for me it isn't a problem since I operate my own SMTP server and can permit relay for internal IP addresses. I would think that Sharp could enhance the SMTP interface with a firmware upgrade provided they planned for making firmware upgrades. I can't see why not as it has Ethernet connectivity and a built in web server to administer settings.

By the way, you can always run your own SMTP relay server on a computer or server in your small office / home office network that can serve as a bridge between the UX-B800SE and an ISP's SMTP service. There are lots of free SMTP relay servers that can handle other SMTP authentication schemes in addition to the "POP before SMTP" one provided by the UX-B800SE.

Anyhow, if you can overcome the SMTP issue this is a great device.

Pros:
* easy to use web interface for email/network configuration and memory location maintenance
* easy to use scan to email interface that supports black and white PDF or TIFF formats
* incoming faxes can be configured to never print on paper but instead route as PDF or TIFF to a specified email address; while it has the ability to configure this behavior differently based on 10 or so different incoming fax numbers, I simply set it up to route all faxes to a single specified email address
* supports letter and legal size documents
* duplex function handles scanning/faxing double sided documents with ease
* supports broadcasting to groups of 20 email addresses or fax numbers at a time
* lots of memory locations for email addresses and fax numbers
* secure receive feature (untested by me) can be used to require a 4 digit code to be entered to release newly received faxes from memory

Cons:
* Not completely paperless as delivery confirmation reports and other reports must be printed. Would have been nice to get these through the web interface and/or PDF/TIFF emails.
* Has a fax block feature to block faxes but only from one phone number. Essentially useless in my opinion if I can only block one number.
* Has no computer to outbound fax interface. I'd like to be able to use a form on the device's web interface, or send an email to a mailbox dedicated to the device, with a PDF attachment and have it routed to a fax number, probably embedded in the subject field or something like that if it's via email. Right now I can use a modem on my home office computer that shares the fax line to meet this need.
* It only supports black and white fax-quality G4 encoding so this is not a substitute for a good quality scanner.

You can always lease the fax to email feature that the Sharp UXB800SE BroadbandFax delivers, but I have used several leased Internet fax to PDF/TIFF services, and here's why I think the UXB800SE is superior.

* This is the most intolerable negative of leased Internet fax to PDF/TIFF solutions -- false positives to senders! Someone sends you a fax. The electronic fax service receives the fax and indicates a successful transmission to the sender. But then there are delivery problems. An early electronic fax service that I tried did not guarantee delivery or store backup images. They would try to email the image to you three times and then quit after the third. Another one at least has a backup store online for 30 days, however on occasion they become back-logged, and one time it took nearly TWO HOURS for a fax that was sent to me to appear. I didn't even know it was a problem for an hour since I had gotten used to the receipt of an email indicating that I had a new fax. It nearly killed a deal for me once and guess what? I cracked out the old PAPER FAX MACHINE to solve the problem!

* Busy signals. Not supposed to happen with an electronic fax service, you say? One of their selling points? Think again! They happen with all of them! They overload their services with customers and do a lousy job load balancing.

* They own the fax number. After you advertise the number, print business cards, etc., what if you want to switch providers? No number portability here! You can get around this with a remote call forwarding number that you own and configure to route to the electronic fax service, but at least from my local phone company that's another $20 per month per call path.

* You're paying what, $5 to $20 per month for electronic fax service? What kind of CUSTOMER SERVICE do you think you will get for that? NONE! When I complained about the delayed delivery issue described above the attitude was "tough luck, buddy, for this kind of money, deal with it!"

If you've got a spare phone line already then why not buy a device that you will own? At $15 per month (what I currently pay) I'll pay for my purchase of this Sharp Broadband fax machine in five months!

[Shawn @ Feb 4th 2007 1:13AM]

Does everything it is should, but it is not a network printer. If you can print, the instructions are obscure in the manual.

[Sue Victory @ Mar 11th 2007 3:02PM]

I am returning the machine to Office Depot. Once we finally got the email/scanning function to work by assigning a static IP address we could no longer get the fax to work.

I am certainly not a techie but I hired one to work on this machine and he could not get it to work in the end even after attempting to communicate with Sharp to no avail.

Perhaps this specific machine was defective but I have now spent well over $300 to try to get this to work.....

[lok @ May 18th 2007 1:21PM]

I don't understand why many comments said it has to config email setup to "POP before SMTP". For residential yahoo AT&T customers, simply uncheck that option if not so and enter "smtp.sbcglobal.net". For cox Cable in the west coast, use "smtp.west.cox.net". Below is a web page you can find list of common ISP smtp's:-
http://www.kkpsi.org/forms/SMTPServerSettings.pdf
All other settings are very flexible: e.g. sender's email address can be any valid one and not restricted to the one associated with your ISP. Hope this helps.

[Siva Devaki @ Jul 22nd 2007 3:59PM]

I am able setup this fax for receiving email while faxing as well. I am using comcast internet connection which does block the outgoing mails.

I have installed QK SMTP server and set up my comcast SMTP server as the relay server. I have configured QK SMTP server as the server for the fax machine. I can provide more details if you want. You can mail me to get more details.

[Arnel @ Oct 28th 2007 3:53AM]

Thanks. I was about to return my broadband fax unit. I just unchecked "POP before SMTP" and changed by SMTP server to "smtp.sbcglobal.net". Voila, it worked. Somehow, the customer service at ATT/Yahoo was to blame as I was given the wrong SMTP server.

[cwatts @ Feb 21st 2008 11:29PM]

YOU ARE A GENIUS. I have been fighting with this crazy thing for way too long. Duh. Once again, why follow directions from the 'professionals' when the real brains are the everyday users...
thanks

[Jasmin @ Aug 29th 2007 11:21AM]

Hi Siva,
would you please explain it in detail how did you connect/setup fax to work with comcast SMTP server?
Do you have to have one PC always running on your network, in order for Fax to work with SMTP comcast server?
Thank you in advance!
Jasmin

[dd @ Sep 16th 2007 10:21AM]

Where does one get cheap replacement inkjet cartridges for this? I can't find the generic ones anywhere.

[dd @ Sep 22nd 2007 1:16PM]

Where do I find cheap inkjet cartridges for this?

[letstry @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:04PM]

Hi,can you create some how-to guide to set this up

thanks

or email me at [e-mail]

thanks

Siva Devaki @ Jul 22nd 2007 3:59PM

I am able setup this fax for receiving email while faxing as well. I am using comcast internet connection which does block the outgoing mails.

I have installed QK SMTP server and set up my comcast SMTP server as the relay server. I have configured QK SMTP server as the server for the fax machine. I can provide more details if you want. You can mail me to get more details.

[hitesh @ Nov 19th 2007 12:27AM]

can you please send me information on how to configure QK SMTP server for sharp broadband fax machine as i am having hack of a hard time to use it with att yahoo dsl service. i tried to set it up but some how i am getting smtp server error. I appreciate your help in this matter
thanks
hitesh

[letstry @ Oct 16th 2007 2:52PM]

Hi,
Finally it works, fax to email feature works fine, thats the only purpose for this unit and its working after playing around with above guidelines, For me, i use my ISP's email id, with their smtp , pop settings, with the default ports 25 and 110 . after entering all this info with another sending email id, msg etc, save it return back , and uncheck the checkbox which says "POP before SMTP" and save again, it works, i testing this in toronto with toronto base isp's setting,
As "lok" mentioned here before, it should work with any other ISP, but looks like thing here is port 25 , 110, to use.
Hope this helps.
wowwwwwwwwwww, gr8 machine for 25$ ( 100$ staple price - 50 rebate - 25 coupon ( 25off 100$ from ebay)

[Joseph @ Oct 20th 2007 6:53PM]

I just bought one of those Sharp fax to email machine model UX-B800SE and having trouble sending fax to email. I use my ISP id address and all the smpt setting and I get eoor (-14) and do not know what to do next? I read your descrption and I did not understand the process? Can you help me to figure this out??

Thanks

Joseph

[REY PAPA @ Oct 25th 2007 4:11PM]

Hi letstry,

Can you let me know exactly what you did to make this unit work? I am really interested to make this thing work as I need the feature of this machine. I am a AT&T Yahoo DSL subscriber in the Los Angeles area. What is the SMTP server address that you used? I tried SMTP = att.yahoo.com with "Pop before SMTP" unchecked and I got a Server Error - 14. Please help.... Thanks in advance.

[eric @ May 27th 2008 5:53PM]

Hi
Could you please let me know which ISP you use in toronto?
I am in toronto and using Rogers, I have trouble to get fax to email work.
The cia email doesn't work either.
Thanks
Eric

[letstry @ Jan 12th 2008 5:30PM]

Hi,

This is letstry and i am back with all the info to make this baby up & running for eveyone.....

ok, here we go ....

the major issue for everyone was pop before smtp and required authentication..

----all things are free here, so dont worry going forward---------

start from here....

create email account with this company.....

www.cia.com

select us resident

click on Sign up now for "Your own @CIA email address, FREE"

next page, leave things as it is, click checkout

next page, i agree continue,

create account

( use dummy address and phone number etc as i did )

after continue, next page you get an option to pick email address, continue

after this -- you will get an email account [e-mail] and password,

----------------------------- this is what we want, this email id will work with our machine.

now go to your sharp fax machine. i browse by ipaddress using computer ,

main part -- go to network settings:

smtp sever - smtp.cia.com

port number - 25

-------- check the checkbox to enabled pop settings ( we will uncheck this later on )
pop server - pop.cia.com

port number - 110

user name - [e-mail] ( your cia email id )

password - xxxx ( your cia email password )

--------

email seeting - here you can put anything you like ,


-------- submit now

UNCHECK THE CHECK BOX FOR POP before SMTP

-------- SUBMIT AGAIN

--- Congratulations --- you are all set. , i tested this on dsl atnt internet its working

again here is a link to image file for the setup configuation


-------
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/38882/2005522758353431002_rs.jpg

-------------

DO NOT ABUSE THIS CIA SITE by creating too many dummy account, once they notice we all will be back to square one

post your replys , i will try to provide more info now

thanks

[letstry @ Jan 12th 2008 5:32PM]

i more thing,

i also called Atnt and ask to open port 25 and 110 , and they said yet they will
do it,

not sure if they did it, so if above things does not work , try calling your isp provider and tell them to open these ports for you ,

[basha @ Mar 21st 2008 8:52AM]

I am really trying hard to get this machine's network scanning feature work but having no luck.
I tried with gmail, comcast and godaddy. Every time I am getting Server Error (-14) or SMTP error.
I tried installing the hMailServer and performing the relay. I am not sure I am doing it right though.
Any help is very much appreciated.
In one of the message Siva said he got it working with Comcast but didn't tell how. Siva, please send me the details to [e-mail]

[basha @ Mar 21st 2008 8:56AM]

BTW cia.com is also not working.
Using hMailServer, I am able to configure the Outlook client, used the same settings with this Sharp machine, still no luck.

[BO @ Apr 29th 2008 2:17PM]

I just purchased the UX-B800SE fax machine as well. I have spent alot of hours but can not get it to fax into e-mail. I am using verizon DSL and have not received useful help from verizon or sharp. I was planning to return the machine and decided to look for help online. Please help me in setting up this machine.

[Tanya @ May 21st 2008 7:16PM]

If you can return it, then return it now!!! I have this machine and verizon DSL. The two do not work together. I even tried my work e-mail pop/smtp info (totally different server) with no luck. I keep getting server error-14. Unfortunately, it's too late for me to return mine. I bought mine over the summer and forgot about the fax to e-mail feature - never needed to use it. Now I need it can can't use it!

[Bob @ Jul 12th 2008 4:54PM]

Great Fax. Took all of 5 minutes to setup the Fax to email. I now receive faxes, don't print them, but have them emailed in PDF to three email addresses. All three users receive the same fax in PDF, very useful.

[Amrit Achari @ Jul 18th 2008 8:44AM]

I followed the steps given by Letsry but getting SMTP severr not found
I need your help