HP Officejet 4620 - The fax test failed

The "Fax Hardware Test" failed

Solution:
•

Turn the printer off by pressing the (Power) button located on the printer
control panel and then unplug the power cord from the back of the printer. After
a few seconds, plug the power cord in again, and then turn the power on. Run
the test again. If the test fails again, continue reviewing the troubleshooting
information in this section.

•

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

•

If you are running the test from the Fax Setup Wizard (Windows) or HP Setup
Assistant (Mac OS X), make sure the printer is not busy completing another
task, such as receiving a fax or making a copy. Check the display for
a message indicating that the printer is busy. If it is busy, wait until it is finished
and in the idle state before running the test.

•

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

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the printer 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/go/
customercare. This website provides information and utilities that can help you
correct many common printer problems. If prompted, select 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 printer to make
sure the phone cord is secure.

•

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

•

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

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•

Try connecting a working phone and phone cord to the telephone wall jack that
you are using for the printer 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 printer is ready for faxing.

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 printer, connect one end to

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

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

Figure 8-1 Back view of the printer

1

2

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the printer 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 printer is ready for faxing.

3. Try to send or receive a test fax.

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•

Make sure you use the phone cord that came with the printer. If you do not use
the supplied phone cord to connect from the telephone wall jack to the printer,
you might not be able to send or receive faxes. After you plug in the phone cord
that came with the printer, 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 printer 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 printer 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 printer, and the other
end to your telephone wall jack, as shown in the illustration.

1

2

1 Telephone wall jack

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

port

If the phone cord that came with the printer 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 also need another phone cord, which

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101

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 printer to make
sure the phone cord is secure.

•

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

The "Dial Tone Detection" test failed

Solution:
•

Other equipment that uses the same phone line as the printer 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 printer and check for a dial tone. If you do not hear a dial
tone, contact your telephone company and have them check the line.

•

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

•

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 printer 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 does 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 printer to an analog phone line or you cannot 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 printer
to an analog phone line and try sending or receiving a fax.

•

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

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After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the printer 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 printer to an analog phone line or you cannot 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 printer
to an analog phone line and try sending or receiving a fax.

•

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

•

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

•

Other equipment that uses the same phone line as the printer 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 printer 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 printer directly to the telephone wall jack.

•

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

After you resolve any problems found, run the fax test again to make sure it passes
and the printer 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 printer to connect the printer to your phone line.
If the phone cord that came with the printer is not long enough, you can use
a coupler to extend the length. You can purchase a coupler at an electronics store

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that carries phone accessories. You 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 printer might be
in use. Make sure extension phones (phones on the same phone line, but not
connected to the printer) or other equipment are not in use or off the hook. For
example, you cannot use the printer for faxing if an extension phone is off the hook,
or if you are using a computer dial-up modem to send email or access the Internet.

The printer is having problems sending and receiving faxes

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

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

Solution:
•

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

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connected to the port labeled 1-LINE on the back of the printer and the other
end to your telephone wall jack, as shown in the illustration.

1

2

1 Telephone wall jack

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

port

If the phone cord that came with the printer 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 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 printer 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 printer, might be in
use. For example, you cannot use the printer for faxing if an extension phone is
off the hook, or if you are using a computer dial-up modem to send an email 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 printer cannot send or receive a fax until
the error condition is resolved.

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•

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 Set the Error Correction
Mode. 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 cannot fax successfully. For more information,
see Case B: Set up the printer with DSL.

•

Make sure the printer 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
printer 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 printer with a PBX phone system or an ISDN line.

•

If the printer shares the same phone line with a DSL service, the DSL modem
might not be grounded correctly. If the DSL modem is not grounded correctly, 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
printer 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 printer directly to the telephone wall jack.

The printer 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 printer, 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 printer. To send a fax manually, the telephone must be connected directly
to the port labeled 2-EXT on the printer, as shown in the illustration.

1

2

3

1 Telephone wall jack

2 Use the phone cord supplied in the box with the printer 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 printer, you must use the keypad on the telephone to send the fax. You
cannot use the keypad on the printer control panel.

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

The printer 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 printer 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 need to receive faxes manually; otherwise,
the printer cannot 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 printer 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.

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•

If you have a computer dial-up modem on the same phone line with the printer,
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 printer from receiving fax calls.

•

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

Your answering machine might not be set up correctly with the printer.

◦

Your outgoing message might be too long or too loud to allow the printer 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 printer 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 printer as
described in Case I: Shared voice/fax line with answering machine.

◦

Make sure the printer is set to receive faxes automatically. For information
on setting up the printer 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.

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•

If the printer 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 printer 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 printer is set to match. For more information, see Change
the answer ring pattern for distinctive ring.

The printer cannot send faxes, but can receive faxes

Solution:
•

The printer 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 the * 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.

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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 printer 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 printer is set to receive faxes automatically and that the Rings
to Answer setting is correct. The number of rings to answer for the printer
should be greater than the number of rings to answer for the answering
machine. If the answering machine and the printer 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 printer 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 printer monitors the line. If the printer detects fax tones, the printer
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 printer is not long enough

Solution: If the phone cord that came with the printer 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 also need another phone cord, which
can be a standard phone cord that you might already have in your home or office.

TIP: If the printer 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 printer, connect one end to

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

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 printer control panel is turned on.

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