best way to connect a single analogue fax

[Frank D]

Hi,

we have about 10 analogue fax machines, which are distributes all over several buildings. There is always just one fax at a room. So I don't want to use large gateways, because I just need one port.

We are connected to the PSTN via a beronet Gateway (S2M). At the moment the fax-machines are connected via analogue lines directly to the beronet gateway (bypassing the 3cx). This is working fine, but the old analogue wiring is causing some trouble, they are just to old, to long.

We will connect a SIP-Trunk for backup-reasons soon.

I would love to use the Smartlink M-ATA from Patton, but this is not supported by 3cx. I tried to make it work anyway, but I had no success. I general I prefer using recommended/supported hardware.

What do you recommend? Should I use the PSTN or wait till the new SIP-trunk? Which hardware do you recommend?

Thanks Frank

 

[leejor]

Any ATA, or PSTN gateway that is intended to support a Fax machine, will have to be capable of T38, and, those options will obviously have to be enabled. This still doesn't guarantee that the fax machine will work properly, you may have to tweak some settings in the machine. In some cases, one make/model of machine will work flawlessly, while another has issues.

http://www.3cx.com/pbx/fax-voip/

http://www.voipmechanic.com/faxingissue ... evices.htm

 

[Frank D]

Hi leejor,

thanks for your answer.

Any recommendation for the smallest/cheapest reliable adapter? We just need one line.

We even have some issues with analogue faxes connected directly to the analogue PSTN :S . Some target outgoing numbers won't work on some machines (very new fancy ones).

Setting up a complicated, gateway that is more expensive than the multifunctioinal laser-fax machine is something I would like to avoid. It would be fine for one or two fax machines, but I want to migrate 10 (all in different buildings).

Best regards

Frank

 

[Frank D]

One question regarding T38:
Is this a common feature? It looks to me. On amazon.de searching for "fax T38" gives zero reults. on amazon.com just one fax machine is retrieved. So I assume, that T38 is so commonplace, that nobody even mentions it anymore. Is this correct?
So I can be like 95% sure that an 10 year old fax machine already supports T38?

Anybody experience hooking up the OBI voice adapter to 3cx in order to connect a fax-machine?
https://www.amazon.com/OBi200-VoIP-Phon ... ds=fax+t38

Best regards Frank

 

[Frank D]

Okay. I guess it is just the other way round: T38 is not supported by many devices. Manufactures have given up on trying to bridge analogue and digital. You use a fax-service for sending faxes (like Microsoft fax server or some Fax-as-a-Service providers).

 

[ccomley]

I'm about to try a Patton M-ATA myself so would you mind telling me where you hit problems? I'm hoping to use it for a DECT extension not fax. But I would hope it's a simpel SIP device, so despite 3CX not "supporting it", it should just log in to the extension in question.

We've used Patton dual-port FXS gateways for fax before now - no problem, but, clearly, a little more expensive and wastes a port.

We use T.38 enabled sip trunks and route calls to 3CX's fax-to-email dummy extension all the time.

I hear from 3CX that there is more fax stuff happening in v.15sp2 due any minute, not sure if it'll help with what you're doing.

Could you use a multi-port gateway and then run the PSTN side of that via your structured cabling to the individual machines?

 

[Frank D]

Hi ccomley,

thanks a lot for your answer.

I'm about to try a Patton M-ATA myself so would you mind telling me where you hit problems? I'm hoping to use it for a DECT extension not fax. But I would hope it's a simpel SIP device, so despite 3CX not "supporting it", it should just log in to the extension in question.

We have a couple of M-ATAs in use. We use them for some door-voice systems and some notifications bells and flashes. They work fine. You can use SIP phones just fine.

We use T.38 enabled sip trunks and route calls to 3CX's fax-to-email dummy extension all the time.

Just Fax doesn't work. But perhaps this is because, we are not connected via a SIP Trunk, but via PSTN, using a beronet gateway. Those work just fine, too. But connecting a fax to the M-ATA configured as a SIP device doesn't. I tried all the codecs and Jitter settings. I tried both running the Fax-extension as a fax extension as well as an normal extension.So if I connect a T38 SIP-Trunk this might work better? I will give this a try.

I hear from 3CX that there is more fax stuff happening in v.15sp2 due any minute, not sure if it'll help with what you're doing.

That sounds nice

Could you use a multi-port gateway and then run the PSTN side of that via your structured cabling to the individual machines?

We could try this, nice idea. Sometimes it will work. But most of the times the fax machines are not connected via the same Racks. There are not many cables connecting the Racks and a lot of those are fibre.

 

[Frank D]

We've used Patton dual-port FXS gateways for fax before now - no problem, but, clearly, a little more expensive and wastes a port.

We use T.38 enabled sip trunks

You provision FXS gateways using 3cx? Or do you for any reason directly enter the sip trunk credentials into the FXS gateway for your analogue faxes?

Best regards Frank

 

[asmith3006]

For what it's worth we use Cisco SPA112 which have worked flawlessly. Cost about £37.50 for two analogue ports. Very easy to setup too.

 

[Frank D]

For what it's worth we use Cisco SPA112 which have worked flawlessly. Cost about £37.50 for two analogue ports. Very easy to setup too.

Hi asmith3006,

thanks a lot. This sounds nice. I suppose you connect them to a SIP-trunk which supports T38? Or you access the PSTN via a second gateway?

Best regards Frank

 

[asmith3006]

For what it's worth we use Cisco SPA112 which have worked flawlessly. Cost about £37.50 for two analogue ports. Very easy to setup too.

Hi asmith3006,

thanks a lot. This sounds nice. I suppose you connect them to a SIP-trunk which supports T38? Or you access the PSTN via a second gateway?

Best regards Frank

We've done both with different systems. We have ISDN converters on one system and SIP trunks on another. Both have worked flawlessly. A heck of a lot easier than the Avaya system we were replacing at the time.

 

[us1]

For what it's worth we use Cisco SPA112 which have worked flawlessly. Cost about £37.50 for two analogue ports. Very easy to setup too.

I used the SPA112 on v14 of 3CX without issue. However, it fails to register in V15. I've tried all the basics (new extension, latest firmware, reset of SPA112, etc.) but it simply fails to register.

If you had any hiccups getting this to work on v15, I'd love to hear how you worked it out.

Thanks.