3CX FAX server advanced capabilities

[Oliver_B]

Hi All

Currently the FAX server does not have many options besides sending email to 1 recipient.

I understand we can route / direct FAX transmissions to a physical FAX machine and in some examples Windows FAX server?

Has anyone achieved this?

We have a potential 3CX customer that has requirements for receiving FAXES. Compliance requirements are not to have FAX's via email due to sensitive information.

The FAX must be placed in a shared folder and users to be notified / alerted when a FAX arrives.

I thoughts to integrate Windows FAX server and save these attachments to a shared folder then send email notifications when it arrives.

Any thoughts on this one?

 

[lneblett]

As noted, the built-in 3CX fax server is receive only and uses email to send the received document in a PDF format. You could always send to an email account that has rules to forward to more if needed. The other aspect regarding a fax machine is using a FAX extension setup within 3CX that has a t.38 (preferably) ATA connected (the extension) which feeds the fax machine.

In taking a quick look at the Windows fax server, it appears that much of what you seek can be done, but the specific requirements lack the details by which to know if all you need is possible. This may give you some idea of the capability and you search around within same to get more detail and see if it might suit your need.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754011(v=ws.11).aspx

 

[sip.bg]

We are currently using a SIP ATA device to connect our 3cx system to a fax machine and have used it to connect to a Windows Fax Server in the past. The big issue is if you are using a SIP provider you may not have much success with Faxes at all. The best option is to keep your fax lines as physical lines. The only clients we have that route Fax lines through the 3cx server are on a PRI rather than a SIP line.

If provider supports T.38 for fax there should be issues either with fax-to-email or T.38 capable ATA.

 

[jimbo59]

We keep one fax line and on that line we point the SIP provider should our internet go down as it does occasionally so we're not completely out of business.

 

[sip.bg]

Most Providers, all I've worked within the US and Japan, recommend keeping a physical fax line over sip because T.38 SIP faxing is not reliable.

You can do it, of course, keeping PSTN line, but this means either provider is not supporting T.38 or adapter is not T.38 capable. Please note some ATA pretend to support T.38, but in reality (seen with wireshark) -- they don't (switch to G.711 fallback). This can be improved with support for G.711 fallback into v15.5.

However, I have over 100 3CX installations in Bulgaria, using 2 largest SIP providers -- Mobiltel (A1) and Vivacom, both supporting T.38 for fax. For ATA I use high quality AudioCodes Mediant, Patton, Grandstream and Dinstar, Some customers like hospitals have over 50 fax machines and all they work without issues. We use also cloud-based 3CX with ATA for fax over VPN.

So it depends on provider and ATA used -- 3CX is transparent for T.38 communication. All providers in Bulgaria switched to SIP several (5-10) years ago, there are no more PSTN or ISDN lines available, so there are no option for fax like keeping an old POTS line.

The other option is to use fax-to-email and email-to-fax services, widely offered by SIP providers.

 

[ivank]

Hi All

The FAX must be placed in a shared folder and users to be notified / alerted when a FAX arrives.

I thoughts to integrate Windows FAX server and save these attachments to a shared folder then send email notifications when it arrives.

Any thoughts on this one?

Hi, please upvote the thread for this to happen:
https://www.3cx.com/community/threads/fax-server-send-to-network-share.47147/

 

[sip.bg]

You can find received faxes into .../Instance1/Data/Fax/ -- probably you need an utility to browse the folder or send notifications on arrival of a new fax.