How do I keep my fax machine from picking up incoming calls ?

For more details on how to setup your Lexmark X4650 printer for faxing, please refer to the User's Guide found on the Lexmark website.
Additional info:If you have an answering on the same line as your fax:

To make sure the printer picks up incoming faxes, set Auto Answer to On, and then set the printer to pick up after a greater number of rings than the answering machine. For example, if the answering machine picks up calls after four rings, then set the printer to pick up after six rings. This way, the answering machine picks up calls first and your voice calls are received. If the call is a fax, then the printer detects the fax signal on the line and takes over the call.

If you have a voicemail feature associated in the same line as your fax:

Voice mail and fax can share the same telephone line if you subscribe to a distinctive ring service offered by your telephone company. This feature allows you to have multiple telephone numbers on one telephone line. Each telephone number has a designated ring pattern (single ring, double ring, triple ring, or double and triple ring). The different ring patterns let you know which telephone number was dialed, and which device you should use to answer the call.

If you do not have distinctive ring service, then set the printer to receive faxes manually (Auto Answer Off). This setting lets you receive both voice calls and fax calls, but works best if you use voice mail more often. You need to turn off voice mail whenever you are expecting a fax.

If you have an answering machine connected to the same line as your fax:

To make sure the printer picks up incoming faxes, set Auto Answer to On, and then set the printer to pick up after a greater number of rings than the answering machine. For example, if the answering machine picks up calls after four rings, then set the printer to pick up after six rings. This way, the answering machine picks up calls first and your voice calls are received. If the call is a fax, then the printer detects the fax signal on the line and takes over the call.

If you have a voicemail feature associated to the same line as your fax:

Voice mail and fax can share the same telephone line if you subscribe to a distinctive ring service offered by your telephone company. This feature allows you to have multiple telephone numbers on one telephone line. Each telephone number has a designated ring pattern (single ring, double ring, triple ring, or double and triple ring). The different ring patterns let you know which telephone number was dialed, and which device you should use to answer the call.

If you do not have distinctive ring service, then set the printer to receive faxes manually (Auto Answer Off). This setting lets you receive both voice calls and fax calls, but works best if you use voice mail more often. You need to turn off voice mail whenever you are expecting a fax.

I hope this helps.

Should you need further assistance, please contact Lexmark Technical Support Center.

It seems that you're sharing your home phone line with your Lexmark fax machine. You can adjust the "pick-up" ring from the printer operator panel by pressing the Setup button > Fax Setup > Ringing and Answering > Pick Up On > select your preferred number of rings before the fax answers.
Please note:
If you have an answering machine connected to the same line as the fax, set the answering machine to answer incoming calls before the printer does. Increase the number of rings by a factor of 3 over the answering machine. For example, if the answering machine is set to pick up on 4 rings, set the printer to pick up on 7 rings.

If you have a voicemail feature in the same line as the fax, you may subscribe from your phone service provider for a distinctive ring pattern feature. You can program your printer to have a distinctive ring pattern and phone number for incoming faxes.

Should you still need assistance, please leave a comment to my response and I'll get back to you. Should this resolves your problem, your rating will be greatly appreciated.

Set rings to answer
You can select the number of rings that will occur before the fax answers an incoming call. If you are using your machine as both a telephone and a fax machine, we suggest you set the ring count to at least 4 to give you time to answer.
TIP: HP 1050 Fax: The Toll Saver function for the Digital Message Center interacts with Rings to Answer. See Toll Saver on page 40. If you have the HP 1050 Fax and have Toll Saver turned on, set the Rings to Answer to 2.
1. Press Menu repeatedly until BASIC FAX displays and press Start/Enter.
Rings to Answer will display.
2. Press Start/Enter.
3. Enter the number of rings you want (2-7) and press Start/Enter.
The HP Fax rings the set number of times and then answers. It then produces a different sounding ring to alert you to which type of call is incoming.
• The additional ring may occur once for a fax call
• The additional ring occurs 5 times for a voice call. After the 5 additional rings, the answering machine will answer.

Set your answering machine to pick up after four rings . This will give the fax machine enough time to take the call if it senses that it's an incoming fax. Setting the answering machine to pick up after four rings would give the fax machine enough time to accept the fax.
hope this was helpful .

It means that your fax machine is "answering" the incoming call before you pick up the handset. Usually, the factory setting on the fax machine picks up after two incoming rings. There are three ways you can address this issue: 1.) You can either change the number of rings to, say, five incoming rings to give you enough time to answer the phone before the fax machine picks up, or 2,) you can find out if your fax machine has a feature that allows for the voice hook "click over" that will allow you to override the fax when you pick up your handset, or 3.) turn your fax machine off until you need to send a fax.

If you want to investigate number 2.), then you'll need your operator's manual.

Good luck.

Receive Mode Settings Select from the following receive mode options to suit your needs. Once you've decided on which receive mode to use, follow the below instructions to set the receive mode using the operation panel. Receive Mode Setting

1. Press the <FAX> button to enter Fax mode.
   
2. Press <Menu>.
   
3. Press the right or left arrow button to select [Receive mode settings], then press the <OK> button.
   
4. Press the up or down arrow to select the receive mode that best suits your needs, then press <OK>.
   
   

Types of receive mode
Select the receive mode according to your needs.
Receive mode
Purpose
FAX/TEL AUTO SW When you want to receive faxes automatically as well as voice calls. FAX ONLY MODE When you want to receive only faxes automatically with your machine, or have a dedicated telephone line for FAX use only. DRPD When you have subscribed to a DRPD service with your telephone company. MANUAL MODE When you receive mainly voice calls and sometimes faxes, or want to receive faxes manually. ANS.MACHINE MODE When you want to receive voice messages on your answering machine and receive faxes automatically. FAX/TEL auto switch
FAX :
The machine does not ring but will receive the fax automatically. Voice call :
The phone attached to the machine will ring. Pick up the handset to answer the call. Note:

• Ring start timing and Telephone ring length can be specified in FAX/TEL auto switch in the Receive mode settings.
  
• If you want the telephone to ring when it receives a fax, connect a telephone to your machine and enable the Incoming ring settings in RX settings.
  
• The phone attached to the machine may not ring depending on the telephone type you are using.

FAX only
FAX * :
The telephone does not ring. The machine will receive the fax automatically. Voice call :
You will not be able to answer the call. * If you want the telephone to ring, connect the telephone to your machine and enable the Incoming ring settings in RX settings menu.


DRPD
FAX :
Your telephone line will ring according to the ring pattern you have chosen and receive the fax automatically. Voice call :
Your telephone line will ring according to the ring pattern you have chosen. Pick up the handset to answer the call. Note: Specify the FAX pattern in the DRPD: Set FAX ring pat. in RX settings menu.

Manual RX
FAX :
The telephone attached to the machine will ring. Pick up the handset and if you hear a beep tone, press the <Color> or <Black> button on the machine to receive the fax. Voice call :
The telephone attached to the machine will ring. Pick up the handset to answer the call. Note: If you are far from your machine, you can use the remote receiving function to receive faxes. Pick up the handset of the telephone connected to the machine and press 25 (the remote receiving ID).

Ans. machine connect
FAX :
First the answering machine connected to your machine will respond to an incoming call, and then the machine will receive faxes automatically. Voice call :
The answering machine connected to your machine will respond to an incoming call. Note:

• Set the answering machine to answer on the first or second ring.
  
• The entire message should be no longer than 15
  

Set your machine to MANUAL, this will allow you to answer every call yourself, then if it is a fax, the machine will take over. Sounds like you have it in fax/tel mode now, which allows for the fax machine to answer every call then if not a fax, double rings to you.

Voicemail or telephone answering device (TAD). There is a BIG difference. Voicemail is product of your telephone service provider. If you have voicemail, most providers have a solution to this that you must arrange through them. If you have an answering machine, you can set your Brother to TAD mode. In TAD mode, if your answering machine picks up, (you must set your answering machine to answer in less rings than your fax), your fax will "eavesdrop" to listen for the fax tones from the sending machine. If it hears these tones, it will disconnect your answering machine and accept the incoming fax. If it does not hear the tones, it allows the answering machine to record the incoming message. If you are home. If you answer the call and hear a tone every 2.5 to 3 seconds, that signals an incoming fax. Simply touch *51 on the keypad of the phone you picked up on. You will hear some shrill tones. That is your fax machine attempting to receive the incoming fax. Hang up the phone you are on and it will receive the fax. In any case, make sure that the receive mode is NOT set to AUTO. Set the receive mode to TAD or MANUAL. If these instructions were not clear enough, let me know and I will send you DETAILED instructions. You can find the manual here: http://www.brother-usa.com/Data/Documentation/Fax/User/UM_FAX2820_FAX2920_MFC7220_MFC7225N.pdf If you need additional assistance, please let me know before you rate this solution. Ed

The fax machine has a setting for the number of rings before it picks up. It's different for each model but you should find it in the manual, no problem.