[asterisk-users] RE: yet another faxing issue (outbound only, via ATA)

[Bill Gibbs]

Follow up:
I used my Cisco 3660 that's a hop away and connected to a different PRI provider.
Faxes work _fine_

>From the ATA box
I faxed a DID that would come back into the Zap enabled Asterisk server, then talks BACK to the server that the ATA box is regstered via IAX2 (or SIP, I found they both worked) and was able to receive the fax fine (incoming fax went to email)

FAILURE FAX:
Here is the path:
ATA -> SIP -> * -> IAX2 (or SIP) -> * with Zap -> send call out via Zap channel

SUCCESS FAX:
ATA -> SIP -> * -> IAX2 (or SIP) -> * with Zap -> SIP to 3660 then out via PRI 

works every time! 

I tried G3 and ECM mode.
ECM was flakey work even through the 3660 but G3 worked everytime.  I have set the fax machine to G3 for the time being since it works each time.

Each outbound call actually initiates a call to a DID that terminates into my * with the Zap card, then talks via IAX2 again back to the original server.  No problems there.

So I know that faxing other fax machines fails so it's not necessarily that there is some weird loop calling out and coming back in  the same Zap card is there?

Recap hardware: Sangoma A101
Echo cancel: yes (and zap show channel confirms it's enabled)
I would think if echo cancel was the problem incoming faxes would fail as well?

So...wtf?!
I am surprised the 3660 is working outbound where the Sangoma is not, since it can receive fine.  The 3660 has a HDV card in it with DSPs to do the processing but the load on the Asterisk servers barely goes above 0.00.

So to recap:

ATA works fine sending and my Asterisk servers are ok
Sending the outbound call via SIP to my 3660 a hop away (DS3) to be routed out the PSTN (which then comes back to my Asterisk with the Sangoma card) works fine!
Sending the outbound fax via the Zap channels on the Asterisk server (the same one that talks to the 3660 via SIP that works) FAILS
Receiving faxes from anywhere into the Sangoma which talks to my 2nd asterisk server works fine as well!

Bill



-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Gibbs
Sent: Tue 1/2/2007 2:44 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: yet another faxing issue (outbound only, via ATA)
 
2 Asterisk servers 1.2.12.1

Connected via IAX2, same switch, GigE, no packet loss, etc

1 with a Sangoma A101 for a PRI to the PSTN

Ulaw

QoS enabled

NAT for the registered ATA boxes, no nat between the * servers

 

Faxing inbound:

Call from PRI hits the first Asterisk server

Then talks to the 2nd via IAX2

NVFaxDetect receives the fax, converts to PDF and emails it out

 

Works great!  Never had an issue

 

The problem, however is outbound.

 

Sipura 1001 ATAs. Fax machine connected to the ATA.

 

Registered to the 2nd asterisk box.  Keep in mind this server runs voice calls just fine.

 

Outbound calls from this box are ulaw

The call is then sent via IAX2 (also tried SIP as well) to the Asterisk server w/ the PRI, then out to the world

 

Hit and miss to send faxes out

Echo cancellation is enabled on the PRI

I have lowered the rxgain and txgain to -5.0, seems fine for voice.

The ATA is running 3.1.8 firmware from Sipura with fax detect turned 

 

Usually the faxes fail, but sometimes you will get all the pages, but only a fraction of the page.

 

I have tried turning off ECM but still the same issue.

 

I would suspect the Sangom or IAX2, or something of that nature except receiving faxes traveling to the 2nd asterisk box works just fine!

 

I also tried to register the ATA to the primary Asterisk server w/ the PRI, same exact issue.

 

Any ideas - better luck w/ Grandstream?

 

I suspect the problem is not Asterisk, or the Sangoma, or jitter or bandwidth since receiving faxes works fine.  I did not try to receive faxes through the ATA to the machine itself, I tried that a few months ago during other testing, never got it to work so I never tried again once I got NVFaxDetect working for email.

 

My next step is to connect the fax machine to a Wildcard X100P.

 

Any other suggestions?  Black magic?  Voodoo?

 

Bill


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