FAX/answering machine question

I know, I know....all ya'll shaking your heads back and forth, lips pursed like a dizzy dog that just sampled alum, wondering "what has 'Shoe done now?".

Well, I'll tell ya.

I gave DW a combination fax/printer/copier sometime back and we're just now hooking it up. Thing is, there is no mention of certain questions we have about using it w/an answering machine. (Which, by the way, I just found out is called a TAM...Telephone Answering Machine.)

I'm cruising the HP website, as well as the book of instructions. It says the lines should run from the phone outlet to the combo printer/fax/copier. From there another line to the puter, then from the puter to the TAM. (From the TAM to the phone.)

But get this. The TAM is in the house, the computer is in another bldging running off an extension phone line.

Question is: Can we run this gizmo (concerned w/incoming/outgoing FAXes) from the extension line w/out moving the TAM to the out-building? In other words, will the fax work from the extension line? And also the TAM still be able to receive messages?

Am I too confused? Are you?