Patton SN4120 and Fax machine

[Genesio Lini]

Hello everyone,
I am testing a deploy of an on-premises 3CX server (Debian).

I would like to get rid of an old freepbx system.

Everything runs smoothly, the only issue I have is regarding an ISDN line with two numbers.
The digital output of the ISDN socket is connected to a Patton SN4120 device. The main number ends with 040.
The analog output of the secondary number (ending with 698) is connected to a fax machine.

I would like to configure 3CX (or the Patton device) to only pickup calls coming from the main number and let the incoming calls from the 698 go thru the analog connection to the fax machine.

This is how the current freepbx works, but unfortunately at the moment my 3CX instance picks up calls from the secondary number and I cannot received fax

How can I accomplish this?

Thank you

 

[eddv123]

To confirm, this is an analogue line connection into a FAX machine and separate ISDN line(s) into the gateway.

If so and you want to send/receive/control FAX via 3CX you will need a separate FXS gateway (such as a Patton 4112 FXS device).

Unless of course your unit is one of the un-supported combi units which incorporate different port types (the 4120 which is supported is normally a standard BRI gateway device). In the multiport case it would be a different matter which would require a manual setup on the gateway device.

Note: for FAX to work reliably and be in a 3CX supported state the FAX machine and gateway must be local to 3CX or connected via VPN tunnel to a hosted system.

 

[Genesio Lini]

Thank you for your reply.
I confirm the device is a BRI with single port.

I don't want to handle the fax machine in 3cx, I just want 3cx to just ignore incoming calls on the secondary line so the fax machine has the time to pick up the incoming call and receive the fax on the analog connection.

That's how the freepbx setup was working before my modifications.
I think it's something related to the Patton config overwritten by the 3cx config wizard when I added the gateway

 

[CentrexJ]

Patton can help you customize the device for you. They offer free support give them a call.

 

[eddv123]

In an IP environment 3CX will accept incoming FAX by default (normally for FAX to email purposes) but to send requires the 411x JS range FXS gateway described in my last response since you have a direct line this should not be needed.

I cannot however see how the 3CX is getting involved in FAX transmissions if there is no analogue to IP conversion and the analogue connection is going directly to the FAX machine. The single port BRI line and device you should be able to disregard currently as there is a supported 3CX template for these gateways in the PBX and it should be there only for calls coming in via ISDN.

Are these lines coming into this site via another device or plugging into some sort of microfilter or something like that ? also do you have a SIP trunk(s) attached to this PBX as well ?

 

[eddv123]

Patton can help you customize the device for you. They offer free support give them a call.

As far as is mentioned the FAX line is not being plugged into this single port BRI gateway, so no customization should be required as far as I can see on the Patton.

This may differ of course if the FAX's would be coming in via ISDN. BRI would sometimes give the ability to deliver two simultaneous connections, in any combination of data, voice, video, and fax, over a single line, so possible.

 

[leejor]

I would think that the Patton should be able to be be configured to NOT pass the second number on to 3CX. Is the Fax machine plugged into an analogue port on the Patton? If so, then it should be able to differentiate between the two lines (numbers).

 

[Genesio Lini]

I am afraid my description of the setup was not clear/complete.

I have an ISDN wall telephone socket.
This socket has two output "cables":
1) Digital cable that is connected to the Patton device (delivers both main and secondary number)

2) Two-wire analog cable connected directly to the fax machine (delivers only the secondary number, tested with an analog phone)

My opinion is that with the old Patton configuration, made by the previous freepbx setup, the Patton device was totally ignoring incoming calls on the secondary line, not picking up the calls at all.
This would leave the fax machine attached on the analog line the possibility to handle it.
As a side note, with the freepbx setup I was able to use the secondary line as an outgoing line, so I am sure it was connected to the PBX.

I think I'll call Patton for further help on how to do this with their device.

 

[Genesio Lini]

I would think that the Patton should be able to be be configured to NOT pass the second number on to 3CX. Is the Fax machine plugged into an analogue port on the Patton? If so, then it should be able to differentiate between the two lines (numbers).

Yes, you got the point.
That's what I am looking for in the Patton config, but no success at the moment.
The fax machine is NOT connected to the Patton, but has its own analog wire coming out from the wall socket.

I am sending a support ticket to Patton, let's see how it goes

 

[eddv123]

This sounds like a standard Wall mount socket which should output 2 separate lines, so the fact that the analogue line goes directly to the FAX machine from the connection should by-pass the PBX and gateway entirely.

Please check that on PBX you do not have any configuration related to the FAX machines number present - you want to just us the FAX connected to the PSTN, this will give you less headaches as FoIP (FAX over IP) can be problematic.

If your only inbound connection is from ISDN/BRI (and no SIP trunks) you can run some logging on the command line of the Patton device to see if the connection is indeed coming in and from where:

enable
show running‐config
debug call‐router
debug call‐control
debug ccisdn signaling
debug context sip‐gateway signaling detail 5
debug context sip‐gateway transport detail 5
debug context sip‐gateway error

After completing the test, type “no debug all” to disable the debug output.

This would also be useful if/when you contact Patton Support. You can also get Verbose logging from 3CX to see what is going on: https://www.3cx.com/docs/collecting-logs-for-3cx-support/

 

[eddv123]

Yes, you got the point.
That's what I am looking for in the Patton config, but no success at the moment.
The fax machine is NOT connected to the Patton, but has its own analog wire coming out from the wall socket.

I am sending a support ticket to Patton, let's see how it goes

You specifically said in your previous response that you had a single port BRI gateway. This would mean (as you have said) that there is no analogue connection into the box and the connection goes separately from a wall-jack. In this case the Patton config would not need to be modified.

 

[Genesio Lini]

You specifically said in your previous response that you had a single port BRI gateway. This would mean (as you have said) that there is no analogue connection into the box and the connection goes separately from a wall-jack. In this case the Patton config would not need to be modified.

The analog wire comes out of the wall socket and is bound to the secondary number, goes directly into the fax machine.

The digital wire comes out of the wall socket and goes into the Patton single port device.
From my tests, both numbers (primary and secondary) are bound to the digital wire.
I can call from my cell phone and the pbx answers on both number even if I plug just the digital cable into the Patton.

What I am trying to set up is to tell the Patton device to ignore the secondary line

Sorry if I made confusion

 

[eddv123]

Yes it makes sense. If contacting Patton I would provide both config files (FreePBX and 3CX) and if required you have the command lines sent through previously. Their support team are normally very helpful.

 

[eddv123]

P.S: If you don't get an immediate response from them due to the holidays feel free to PM me the config files and I will take a look.

I have quite a bit of experience with their config templates.

 

[Genesio Lini]

I just got a response from their support team. I will let you know how it goes, thank you for your time

 

[leejor]

Not really clear on what provides the analogue service that goes to the Fax machine. If it is a line form the central office, whose number also comes to you over a BRI service, then your provider may (should) be able to remove the fax number from the BRI line. If this isn't the way it works, then I have to assume that there is another device, on site, that is "extracting" the second BRI number and converting to analogue.