3CX Outbound Fax Server Driver (3CXfaxserver.msi)

[kminard]

My problem is getting this MSI/driver to handshake/interface with the built-in fax server in the 3CX voice platform.

This product seems to be an add-on outbound driver for the included inbound fax receiver built into 3CX V8+. It supports being installed on SBS2008 or any Server 2008 that has the Server 2008 Fax Server previously installed on it, or installed just prior to the installation of this 3CX fax "driver" MSI.

The online documentation for this new outbound server "driver" seems to be for a previous version since the instructions don't quite match the way this new version installs itself and interacts.

My experience was that this MSI installs eight (8) 3CX Fax Devices under Microsoft Fax Server Manager on Server 2008/SBS 2008, labeled device 0 through 7. Since SBS 2008 and Server 2008 only allow licensing of 4 installed and operational fax devices, four of the eight devices are not activated for send or receive. It seems Microsoft disables devices 0, 1, 2 & 3 and sets devices 4, 5, 6 & 7 as usable/assignable devices.

I am successfully able to initiate a fax "SEND" from the Microsoft Windows Fax & Scan Client on either an attached workstation or on the server itself but the fax never gets sent. I see in the Microsoft Fax Server Manger on the SBS 20008 server that Fax Device 4 shows sending and I see in the status on the client I'm sending from that shows Initializing, but when I look at the 3CX Management Console under the Server Activity Log, there is no indication the 3CX application has a clue the 3CX MSI or Microsoft Fax Server is trying to send a fax; the server log just remains blank. This is a fully licensed version and not the free version so this all should work.

In any case, the SBS 2008/Server 2008 Fax Server retries a few times and eventually lists a FATAL ERROR and no fax ever seems to be sent. There is no indication at all on the 3CX PBX side that anything having to do with faxing ever happened.
This is quite perplexing. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the 3CX FAX MSI a few times now and it still does the same thing with no error messages or anything else during the install process. Quite mysterious...
Has anyone had any experience with this. I was surprised that the MSI tried to install 8 fax devices when the installation Wiki says it is only supposed to installs one... so this immediately set off some alarm bells... but with out-of-date documentation it is hard to know really what to expect from this MSI.

Thanks in advance for any advice going forward. This is not a quality or transport issue at all since Server log never shows an attempt is even made to send. This is more of an issue regarding why the 3CX FAX MSI either is not accepting the fax from the Windows 2008 Fax Server correctly or the 3CX MSI is unable to communicate correctly with the 3CX master server to begin a transmission/send sequence.

 

[N_G]

Hi,

The Outbound fax server install is currently a beta product and does have a number of issues unfortunately. We are working on a replacement solution or a new version of it - news about this will be available over the next 1-2 months.

 

[kminard]

Nick,

Thanks for the reply to my post. Good luck with with your endeavors and I hope to see someting new on the horizon in a month or two.

Best,

Keith

 

[SaturnTech]

any update on this by chance?

Dave

 

[sssputnik]

Same issues as the OP. Looking forward to the updated/replacement version.

 

[SaturnTech]

This will be a very powerful sell if we can get it working. 8)

 

[angelostudios]

Any updates to this issue?

Looking forward to the proper documentation for version 8 or even version 9 and successful installation of course.

 

[carolinainnovative]

I hate to say this - but use T38FaxVoip's product - it costs money but works with 3cx beautifully. Just create it a fax extension - like 889 - and go.

I had their demo working extremely well.

 

[angelostudios]

Where do I find this product, I did a search in google but I don't find anything that looks like what you are talking about?

 

[carolinainnovative]

http://www.t38faxvoip.com/download.htm

 

[bruno479]

is there any movement here ? i see that V9 has outbound fax in it self (if i am not mistaking). I successfully use inbound fax server and it is wonderful. Has anybody configured it as outbound ?

Bruno

 

[mcgaryt]

Any chance, Chavous, you could post the set up parameters you used to get the FaxVoIP client working. I have tried it and can get it 1) register and 2) dial out. When dialing out, it gets a "hard answer" (line answer) at the other end and then fails negoiate a transmission. On dial in it answers ans is silient. Fax VoIP documentation is rather scanty (just a help file). Thanks.

 

[abc123]

Any chance, Chavous, you could post the set up parameters you used to get the FaxVoIP client working. I have tried it and can get it 1) register and 2) dial out. When dialing out, it gets a "hard answer" (line answer) at the other end and then fails negoiate a transmission. On dial in it answers ans is silient. Fax VoIP documentation is rather scanty (just a help file). Thanks.

The new 3cx outbound fax server is working great for us! You can download it by going into 3cx and under Links there is an Outbound Fax Server.

Download and install it and install windows fax server role on the machine and all computers can then use windows fax and scan to send faxes.

 

[mcgaryt]

Thanks for the idea. I looked around for that not realizing that it is on the server install. Any rate I installed that (3CXfaxserver.msi) and it works like a champ, but only to known VoIP faxes. I can send a fax from one line outbound into my inbound 3CX server and it appears to come through fine. If I send to a regular analog fax machine, I get a "fatal error". It appears to dial and then when it is suppose to "handshake" it gets unfriendly with the other machines and refuses to do so....

Any ideas would be appreciated, nosed around in the Fax Server config, and the Fax extension and cannot see where one might set codecs or other options to tinker with.

 

[abc123]

Does your provider support T38 faxing?

 

[mcgaryt]

Yes. Actually I have about 4 outbound providers, some support and some don't (or at least not well from what I have seen on net). Any rate I outsmarted myself and reinstalled everything, and now I am back to having inbound only. I use, principally BroadVox and TalkinIP for outbound calls. Neither appears to work. I am getting a 401 unauthoirzed error once or twice during each fax atempt, but it appears to recover from that. On the fax server I get up to the point that it is saying "transmitting" and then a minute or two later ... fatal error. If I go to the analog fax machine I am trying to send to I see "no answer" error (but the call is actually answering, and then fails at handshake).

???

 

[mcgaryt]

Yes, I have several outbound providers and all indicate that they support T38.

 

[jchung]

I'm having the same issues as mcgaryt.

I'm also using Broadvox as our SIP trunking (which supports T.38). I have 3cxfaxserver setup on a Win Server 2008 and we are using Windows Fax and Scan. Some faxes go through fine and others just give fatal error.

 

[abc123]

We use Broadvox with the fax server and dont get a problem with it.

With a normal fax machine we do but not with the fax server

 

[abc123]

So famous last words - since that last post we have now been getting errors.

I have been looking at it and it seems to be a timing issue. Whether the devices are not starting in time or something i do not know.

I know our workaround is to change the retry interval to 1minute and we usually have a successful send on the 2nd attempt (sometimes the 3rd).

I also noticed that when we tried to send the fax and had the fatal error, a second or two later i could see the 3cx dialling out to that number. This is why i think there is a timing issue. I think the service calls the device, but it is "asleep" and so has to wake up and configure itself. MS fax n scan then fails as it could not contact the device (be nice if we had some errors from microsoft to help) but the device keeps "waking up" and then dials the number only there is now no fax to send. But the retry 1 minute later means that the device is stall awake and so goes through this time.

When I get a chance I will see if I can look into the processes and confirm my findings. But i suspect some form of keep alive or object pooling will fix it.

Please try the 1 minute retry interval (on the windows pc not the server) and see if it helps.