[asterisk-users] FAX Issues

[Steve Totaro]

On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 5:21 PM, C F <shmaltz at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 3:38 PM, Sassy Natan <sassyn at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I would like to make sure I got it right:
>> 1. Asterisk 1.4 doesn't support FAX support. It do however works if u sent
>> fax from the PSTN and have anther FAX machine answer to it even if it is
>> behind asterisk. This works like any regular phone, and as far as I know
>> this mode known as T.38 pass through.
>
> No its not T.38 pass through. T.38 pass through is only if the 2 end
> points negotiated T.38, i.e. a provider that supports T.38 and an ATA
> that supports T.38. What you are describing will most likely fail if
> there is any VoIP in between, and should succeed over pure TDM using
> digium or similar cards.

Fax was never officially supported by Asterisk/Digium using TDM cards.

I works for the most part, but there is no comparison to a pure POTS
line.  Much depends on the line quality, the sending and receiving fax
devices.  Some places with good fax machines, PRIs coming in and some
FXS ports would work just fine.

Others, are a nightmare and make you look bad.

Depending on your customer's fax needs, sometimes it is better to tell
them to keep or have some POTS lines provisioned for reliable faxing
and to back that up, bring up being able to reach 911 if the phone
system is down and the company's liability, even though everyone has
cell phones.  This is the best for TDM faxing with nothing fancy.

I have sent people to www.trustfax.com

TDM faxing is something that burned me more than once, so I don't suggest it.

>
>> 2. If u want asterisk 1.4 to able to sent and receive emails you will have
>> to patch the source code using the spandsp patches. There are some other
>> ways to make this work like using  IAX, hylafax  but I need to know if this
>> is true. This mode is what know to be as NVFAX detected
>
> asterisk doesn't have the ability to send or receive emails. It does
> have the ability to use something like sendmail to send/receive
> emails.
> I'm assuming its a typo and you meant faxes.
> What exactly are you trying to accomplish? If you need to know
> something go ahead and try/test it and report back. After all that is
> what we all did to be able to answer it. Apparently the fact that
> others tried it and told you that it works still warrants a
> question:"I need to know if this is true"
>

I have been advised that everyone must post their solutions to the
list so that you don't have to test.  I think it was a self appointed
list moderator.  People are required to come back, aknowledge that
something worked and give credit.  Flaw: Just because something worked
for someone doesn't mean that your solution wouldn't work better.

Anyways, I am with you.  I learned this stuff with very little
documentation except .conf examples and code.  Integration is where
things get really fun and creative.  Logically testing and failing and
testing until you find your solution is extremely rewarding (at least
to me).  Making a Definity G3 and Asterisk fully integrate can cause
severe rage followed by euphoria, so be warned.  Being creative is
dangerous to some on the list.

Try iaxmodem and hylafax.  Alex B did a very nice writeup on how to
set that up so that it works very well.

>
>> 3. Now version 1.6 support Fax in a better way then 1.4. There is app_fax.c
>> in the source code. Can someone please tell me what does this apps do?
>
> I assume you meant than not then, but I'm not sure if its a typo, you
> might just not know.
> app_fax.c does faxing. The question is what are YOU trying to do?
>
>
>> 4. Version 1.8 as two modes: SpanDSP mode and some other method, what is
>> the different between then.... can someone please help?
>
> Whats the other mode?
>

The best mode for T38 is probably Freeswitch or Callweaver.

>
>>
>> Thanks
>> Sassy
>> --