Faxing

I'm working on a design for a small network (20-25 PCs), which will run off of a Cisco 2851 with an EtherSwitch module. I noticed that Cisco makes a modem WIC (WIC-2AM-V2), which they say can be used for computers to send out faxes, after using software to make a "virtual" COM port on the computer.

They say that this WIC cannot be used to receive faxes. Does anyone know why? If sending works by having computers connect to the modem by pretending it is a COM port, why can't a computer be set up to answer incoming calls over that port?

Anyhow, if it really isn't possible are there any other modules or anything else that I can do to allow the router to handle incoming and outgoing faxes (we don't currently have VoIP, however, if there is a VoIP solution that could do this which the 2851 can handle without much additional cost, I'd be open to that).

Thanks.

Getting a fax machine is the better way to go and probably cheaper.

I'm working on a design for a small network (20-25 PCs), which will run off of a Cisco 2851 with an EtherSwitch module. I noticed that Cisco makes a modem WIC (WIC-2AM-V2), which they say can be used for computers to send out faxes, after using software to make a "virtual" COM port on the computer.

They say that this WIC cannot be used to receive faxes. Does anyone know why? If sending works by having computers connect to the modem by pretending it is a COM port, why can't a computer be set up to answer incoming calls over that port?

Anyhow, if it really isn't possible are there any other modules or anything else that I can do to allow the router to handle incoming and outgoing faxes (we don't currently have VoIP, however, if there is a VoIP solution that could do this which the 2851 can handle without much additional cost, I'd be open to that).

Thanks.