[asterisk-users] T.38 fax solution, opinions?

[Matt Watson]

I;m not sure how your solution would work... but I thought I'd throw out some
ideas that we are having to implementing faxing here on a new install.

 

We are going to be bringing in a PRI and routing all the DIDs from our
existing copper lines to the PRI (including fax DIDs)... the solution we are
working towards is certainly not ideal, but we are hopeful its going to
work...

 

Incoming fax calls will come into Asterisk, asterisk will route them to
IAXmodem which will feed Hylafax (all running on the same box as Asterisk to
reduce latency... and we are talking about fairly small volumes).  Hylafax
will then do fax 2 email

 

Outbound faxing however is a bit trickier...

 

We are going to use Linksys ATAs (tested with a SPA2102) which will have the
POTS fax machines plugged into them, the SPA2102 connects to asterisk with
SIP, asterisk will then route the calls to t38modem (recent dev versions of
it support SIP and not only H.323), t38modem is basically just like IAXmodem
except its SIP and supports t38 termination.  T38modem will again feed
hylafax, which will then route back to asterisk through IAXmodem and then up
the PRI.

 

Its certainly not a pretty solution... but we haven't come up with anything
else yet.... the only step I can see possibly simplifying is on outbound
faxes Hylafax can possibly be bypassed and have t38modem talk directly to
IAXmodem.

 

--

Matt

 

 

 

From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of arkda
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 11:59 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [asterisk-users] T.38 fax solution, opinions?

 

Hi,

I'm putting together a fax solution for my company that utilizes T.38. I
wanted to throw out my plan and get some feedback if anyone is doing
something similar or sees a blatant problem with it.

We're currently rolling out SPA-942 phones for the standard desk phone with
vanilla Asterisk 1.4.15 (just upgraded it today) on the back end. Most calls
for satellite offices are handled by VoIP providers (for voice Vitelity
inbound, Gafachi outbound). These satellite offices are using a T.38 fax DID
from Gafachi, passed through the Asterisk server to a Linksys 3102 ATA and
then to a POTS fax machine. This all works well thus far. 

Our HQ has a full voice PRI, terminated on the Asterisk server with a TE120P.
Additionally, right now they have five fax lines totally separate from the
PRI that are used for POTS fax machines.

I'm thinking of porting those numbers to the PRI and purchasing a TDM880B
(comes with eight FXS modules) and routing the fax DIDs to the 880 in
Asterisk. Five of the ports would connect into a Linksys 3102 that would
speak T.38 to what would be our new fax environment (Exchange 2007 Unified
Messaging). That part isn't implemented yet, but it shouldn't be a problem.
Once it's implemented I'll probably reroute the Gafachi T.38 fax DIDs to
Exchange through Asterisk (with sipX in there somewhere).

The part(s) I'm unsure about is the TDM880B. I haven't used a FXS card with
Asterisk, and I certainly haven't used a fax machine on that FXS.
Additionally, I'm not 100% sure the 3102 will talk directly to Exchange UM
yet, but that's something I can figure out myself soon; I'm just not sure
about spending the cash for a TDM880B without knowing someone has thrown
faxes through it from a PRI terminated on the same box from a separate card. 

Anyway, thoughts, criticisms, insults and stinging barbs all welcome.

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