Facsimile network

A method for facsimile transmission, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first network;
• generating a fax transmission at a fax source and transmitting the generated fax transmission over the first network in a first facsimile transaction;
• interfacing a buffer node with the first network and receiving the fax transmission at the buffer node from the first network during said first facsimile transaction;
• storing at least a portion of the received fax transmission in a buffer storage area at the buffer node during said first facsimile transaction;
• initiating a fax connection from the buffer node to a destination fax system in a second facsimile transaction separate from said first facsimile transaction and independent of the operation of the fax source;
• delivering the received fax transmission to the destination fax system during said second facsimile transaction over the established fax connection from the buffer node to the destination fax system;
• determining the status of the fax delivery from the buffer node to the destination fax system;
• forwarding the status information from the buffer node to the fax source after completion of said first facsimile transaction through the first network during the delivery operation of the fax transmission to the destination fax by the step of delivering at the buffer node and during said second facsimile transaction, the step of forwarding status information beginning prior to the completion of said second fax transmission, such the status information of the delivery of less than all of said second fax transmission can be sent to said fax source prior to the delivery of all of said second fax transmission;
• and
• storing the received status information at the fax source.