[Asterisk-Users] Virtual fax on the Asterisk box

[James H. Cloos Jr.]

>>>>> "Dan" == Dan  <dtoma at fx.ro> writes:

Dan> I have seen all of this on a Cisco 17xx router, including IVR
Dan> and sending faxes through e-mail, but it is far too expensive for
Dan> me...  Theoretically is possible to have let's say an IAX or SIP
Dan> software phone, even on a separate computer as Asterisk who can
Dan> handle faxes.

Yes, it is possible to make such a software only fax that can eg
convert between g.711 and either t.38 or something that software
like hylafax can connect to via a pty.

Some of the work has been done as free/open software, but it
would probably take as much more work to tie it together into
a single project.

The real problem is that the telcos that generated the standards
tied everything up with patents, so something that can be released
as source is hard to generate.

I have seen ad copy (found via google) suggesting the there are
solutions out there for what the OP wants to do.  It would not
surprise me at all were they as expensive as the cisco option,
just for software to run on a linux or bsd box.  But perhaps
someone does have something priced at a (near-)comodity level.

I doubt anything is available (yet) that speaks iax/iax2, but
sip or h.323 should be supported.  Just make sure it can take
a g.711 call and act like a fax machine; and take a bitmap
and generate a g.711 call to send that document.

If all you can find is a g.711 to t.38 solution, openh323 has
support for t.38 to eg hylafax.  A bit of a rube-goldberg,
but it ought to work.

The biggest issue with these kinds of setups is latency.
The fax protocols, as you can imagine, have latency
requriements that are more stringent than voice calls.

As a final note, modern fax machines have finally started
supporting v.34 and v.34bis fax.  HP's latest and imediately
previous lines of office jets are an example.  They also
support a 300 dpi colour mode that, if I understand correctly,
is no longer proprietory-per-vendor.  It would be useful to
have support for the higher dpi and faster modes in any g.711
software fax products.

-JimC