Hooking up a fax machine on home telephone line

Question

i just purchased a new canon faxphone L170 machine. i am trying to hook it up in the basement by it's self on the house telephone line. for some reason when i receive an incoming telephone call it will pick up before the answering maching picks up, which is located upstairs. i would like to know how i have to configure it so it will only pick up if a fax is coming in. i also set the fax machine to answer auto tel/fax mode.thanksProblemchild.