3CX Fax Server

[VDiesel]

We'd like to use the fax server to send and receive faxes using a standard POTS line since voip faxing is not very reliable.
If possible sending faxes using the Windows Fax & Scan client, on networked Windows 7 clients.

3CX is running on Server 2008 R2.

What additional hardware and setup do I need to accomplish this for both sending & receiving with 3CX ?

Thanks for your help.

 

[abc123]

You will need a gateway to connect to the pots line and then use an outbound rule to send out through the gateway from 3cx stripping the digit you want.

 

[VDiesel]

Marc, thanks for your reply.

If I understand correctly, a fax modem is not needed as it is when using 2008's native fax server directly ?

Then 3CX is itself creating a virtual fax modem and only the POTS line needs to be setup as a trunk via an FXO ATA ?

Are we still able to send and receive faxes using Windows Fax & Scan on Win 7 clients ?

Is there a setup guide for this somewhere ?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[abc123]

You need to install the 3cx outbound fax server (in the Links menu in the admin console) which will create Devices on the server for the windows fax services. Your win 7 clients then connect to your server to send faxes.

As they will now go through 3cx you can control the call via outbound rules to route it through the gateway.

We prefer to receive faxes through the 3cx server as it gives us more flexibility. This will be an inbound rule for your fax number to receive to a fax extension which then converts to pdf and then emails to that extensions email. The beauty about this is you can have more than one incoming fax line - we have some customers with 20+ fax lines - 1 per person

 

[VDiesel]

Thank you Marc.
Do you recommend an FXO ATA for this ?

 

[Nick Galea]

To do outbound faxing you also need a 3rd party tool such as t38faxvoip. This T38 enables Microsoft Fax or other fax servers. 3CX Phone System only includes an inbound fax server. Of course you can connect a fax machine and use a fax machine for outbound fax.

 

[abc123]

Ahhh but Nick, the 3cx outbound fax server works much better for us than any fax machine! You need a t38 provider (Broadvox for us) but we get 100% perfect faxing with it.

We do have the occasional fatal error with MS Fax and Scan but I am narrowing this down to a timing issue somewhere. And it is easily overcome by setting the retry interval to 1 minute and the fax then goes out the 2nd time (very rarely takes 3 goes) and as our fax machine is one of those all in ones then we cans till put paper in there and use the fax n scan through 3cx to broadvox.

 

[henington]

Mark i am using broadvox also. How is your 3cx setup for faxing? I think we're very similar but i cant seem to get my 3cx fax server to install. The service is present but wont start. 3cx support simply says "its not supported" and closes any case I open.

 

[quintergy]

I do not see a link to the outbound fax server. I am using V9.

 

[abc123]

I do not see a link to the outbound fax server. I am using V9.

3cx did away with the outbound server and removed the link in one of the service packs.

The recommended solution is to use something such as RelayFax which connects to 3cx and then goes out.

We are currently having faxing issues with Broadvox lines with a number of our customers too.