- Printers
- Inkjet printer
203
Epson 203 on inkjet printer: fax cannot detect the dial tone
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
Code 203 in the job history of your Epson EcoTank fax model means the printer could not detect a dial tone when sending. Check the phone cable and line, pick PBX if you are behind a switchboard, or switch off dial tone detection.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- If contacts were saved with 0 or 9 in front and you enable Access Code, Epson says those sends will fail; replace the prefix with # in Contacts.
- Do not dismantle the printer or remove screwed covers to inspect the fax modem; that belongs to authorised service.
Safe checks you can perform
- Check the cable and the LINE port
- Select PBX when a switchboard is used
- Turn off dial tone detection
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Line check by your phone provider or PBX installer
- Do not attempt this professional task: Epson support or authorised service
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Line check by your phone provider or PBX installer
What they doIf a phone on the same jack gets no tone either, the phone company or the technician who maintains the PBX needs to act.
They must show youthe tone test or measurement at the jack the printer uses.
In writingthe fault found on the line or PBX and the ticket number.
Epson support or authorised service
What they doWith the line verified, PBX set correctly and dial tone detection off, a 203 that keeps coming back should go to Epson support or its authorised service.
They must show youa fax report or log showing the error and a successful test send after the work.
In writingwhat was checked or repaired, warranty status and the case number.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Check the cable and the LINE port
- Who:
- you.
- How:
- trace the cable from the wall phone jack or PBX port to the LINE port on the back of the printer and make sure it is firmly seated at both ends; plug in a phone to confirm the line gives a tone.
- Result that matters:
- ruling out a loose cable, the wrong port or a dead line.
- If the cable was loose or in another port:
- reseat it and resend.
- If even a phone gets no tone:
- the fault is the line, not the printer.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the rear connection and the result of the phone test.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu · Epson ET-5800 series: Connecting to a Standard Phone Line (PSTN) or PBX
Select PBX when a switchboard is used
- Who:
- you or whoever manages the office phone system.
- How:
- on the panel go to Settings > General Settings > Fax Settings > Basic Settings > Line Type and choose PBX; if an outside line needs 0 or 9, enable Access Code, store it and dial # before the number.
- Result that matters:
- the printer knowing it sits behind a PBX and handling the outside line code.
- If faxes go through after the change:
- line type was misconfigured.
- If 203 persists:
- try disabling dial tone detection.
- Evidence to keep:
- a screenshot of the Line Type setting and the stored access code.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu · Epson ET-5800 series: Cannot Send Faxes · Epson ET-5800 series: Making Settings for a PBX Phone System
Turn off dial tone detection
- Who:
- you, from the EcoTank touch panel.
- How:
- open Settings > General Settings > Fax Settings > Basic Settings > Dial Tone Detection and disable it; then resend the fax and check the outcome in Job/Status.
- Result that matters:
- letting the printer dial even when it cannot recognise the line tone.
- If sending now works:
- the line produced a tone the printer did not identify.
- If it fails the same way on a verified line:
- contact Epson with the code noted.
- Evidence to keep:
- the Job Status history before and after the change.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Printers
- Brand
- Epson
- Product type
- Inkjet printer
Known code variants
- 203 Información no autoritativa
- 203 Informations non officielles
- 203 Informazioni non autorevoli
- 203 Nicht autoritative Informationen
- 203 Non-Authoritative Information
- código 203 Epson
- EcoTank 203 fax
- Epson 203
- Epson cannot detect the dial tone
- Epson error code 203
- Epson ET-5800 203
- Epson ET-5850 203
- Epson fax no dial tone
- Epson fax sin tono de marcado
- Epson L6550 203
- Epson no detecta tono de marcación
- Growatt 203 aislamiento FV bajo
- Growatt error 203
- Growatt Error: 203
- Growatt isolation fault
- Growatt PV Isolation Low
- HTTP 203
- HTTP status 203
What it means
In the ET-5800 series user's guide, Epson places 203 in the table of codes shown under Job/Status > Job Status when a job fails, and describes it as the product being unable to detect the dial tone. Its fixes are to check the phone cable connection and the line, change Line Type to PBX when a PBX or terminal adapter is in use, and disable dial tone detection. Other fax capable models may number things differently, and the code alone does not show the fax modem is faulty.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Lowsource verified
If contacts were saved with 0 or 9 in front and you enable Access Code, Epson says those sends will fail; replace the prefix with # in Contacts.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Making Settings for a PBX Phone System
- Lowsource verified
Do not dismantle the printer or remove screwed covers to inspect the fax modem; that belongs to authorised service.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Phone cable badly connected or dead lineCommon
Epson asks you to confirm the phone cable is connected properly and the line works; it should run from the wall jack or PBX port to the rear LINE port.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu · Epson ET-5800 series: Connecting to a Standard Phone Line (PSTN) or PBX
- Line Type left on PSTN behind a PBXCommon
When the printer sits on a PBX or terminal adapter, Epson says to change Line Type to PBX, because the internal tone is not the one it expects.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu · Epson ET-5800 series: Cannot Send Faxes
- Dial tone detection not suited to the linePossible
Some installations give no recognisable tone; Epson offers disabling dial tone detection in the basic fax settings as a fix.
Evidence: Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu
Virtual technician
Does 203 still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Epson ET-5800 series: Error Code is Displayed on the Status Menu
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 2
Epson ET-5800 series: El código de error se muestra en el menú de estado
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 3
Epson ET-5800 series: Cannot Send Faxes
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 4
Epson ET-5800 series: No se pueden enviar faxes
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 5
Epson ET-5800 series: Making Settings for a PBX Phone System
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 6
Epson ET-5800 series: Configuración de sistema telefónico PBX (centralita privada)
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 7
Epson ET-5800 series: Connecting to a Standard Phone Line (PSTN) or PBX
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
- 8
Epson ET-5800 series: Conexión a una línea telefónica estándar (PSTN) o PBX
Epson · 2023 · official_doc
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