[Asterisk-Users] Re: Fax and PRI

Noah Miller
Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:29:00 -0000

> On 2005.01.19 01:39 tim panton wrote:
>
>> My options include;
>> 	1) get a basic fax machine and plug it into a (iaxy/sipura?)
>> ATA. Configure the ATA to do alaw
>> so asterisk doesn't have to do any transcoding and hope it works.
>> 	2) use spandsp on my asterisk system and add suitable print
>> queues
>> 	3) get an separate analog line and plug a fax into it
>> 	4) use a fax modem on the back of an existing system and an ATA
>> (like 1 but even less
>> hardware)
>> 	5) use a fax-to-email service
>>
>> I've been reading about all the problems that people have with fax.
>> What do folk recommend?
>
> Get a separate analog line and plug a fax into it.
>
> It's an unfortunate expenditure, but Asterisk just does not do fax very
> well.  There seems to be some bug with it and receiving faxes.
>
> Andrew's experience seems to indicate that you could mix numbers 1
& 2
> with success.  In other words, send with #1, and receive with #2.  I
> don't have any experience with #2.  My experience with #1 is that
> sending works fine, but receiving is not fine.

We have a PRI and I run both incoming and outgoing faxes through a
TDM400P.  It works without problems.  No need to mess with
codecs/compression at all.  The signal that comes in on the PRI is the
same one that goes out to the fax machine and vice versa.  The fax
machine is a big ricoh multifunction unit.