HP Fax Errors

Though fax machines are slowly becoming obsolete as the world continues to go digital, many offices still rely on this form of communication for sending important documents.  Like any piece of equipment, errors will arise and trying to decrypt these codes is often more baffling than the errors themselves!

Before troubleshooting the issue, be sure all of the cords are plugged in, other devices are not using the phone line, and the machine is ready to receive faxes by having paper loaded and HP toner installed.

Most errors will occur while receiving faxes.  If you do get an error when attempting to send a fax, generally it means there is a block or disconnect in the phone line.  Confirm that the wiring is securely plugged in and a dial tone is present.  If not, contact the phone company.

Here are a few of the most common errors when using an HP fax machine.  Be sure to run a fax test after attempting to fix the issue:

200: The session has timed out.  Resend the fax.

252: Telephone line conditions are too poor for a fax to be received.  First, make sure the phone lines are plugged in and a dial tone can be heard. Wait a little while and reattempt later, perhaps there was a glitch in the connection. You can also reconfigure the machine to a lower speed.

227: Your machine is not able to receive a fax due to modulation or speed. You can fix this by re-configuring your settings and receiving the fax at a lower speed.

312: The receiving machine did not answer the call, typically because the number was dialed incorrectly or the machine is not prepared (i.e. no paper or paper jam).  Contact the person you are sending the fax to and ask them to enable the receiving machine, or just try again later.

232: A communication error between the machines sending and receiving the fax occurs. You also may experience this if the power on the machine has been turned off or interrupted. In order to fix this, try to receive the fax again. If your problem continues, disable the ECM (error correction mode), which detects errors based on noise from the phone line.

221: A user has pressed the “Cancel” or “Stop” button, terminating the incoming message.  Contact the sender and ask them to send the fax again.

Though these are some of the most common errors, there are many, many more.  Visit the HP site for a full list of error codes, their possible causes, and potential solutions.  If the error persists, contact HP customer service for more detailed troubleshooting techniques.