Adding fax server to call manager

[tanc08]

I would like to add a fax server to cisco call manager. When someone faxes the documnet, I want get detail from CDR table.

Is there anything I should know or pay attention ?

Which fax server works well ?

[thisisshanky]

Lightning fax makes a software as well as a hardware VOIP fax board which works well with CCM.(XmediusFax)

http://www.lightningfax.com/company/news/express-nov2004.htm

[sjhern]

Xmedius does work very well with (CCM) Cisco Call Manager and I believe at this time they are the only player truly using T38 Voice Over Fax protocol. It is not a part of Call Manager but acts along side of it. You will need some sort of Gateway that will provide a MGCP gateway into the Call Manager because T38 is not supported on H.323 protocol. We have a PRI port from a 6608 blade that is in our Catalyst 6513 that serves as the gateway from Call Manager into Xmedius. You can also use a 2600 series router and accomplish the same thing, What happens is that the call will come into the Call Manager, with proper Route or Translation patterns that call will be forwarded directly accross that Gateway into the Xmedius server and then the fax will be handled within Xmedius and will be routed to the proper email inbox. Outbound fax calls will be sent out that Gateway from Xmedius to CCM and the normal routing that is already in place for CCM will be followed. I am still trying to find a way to get more CDR information but any DBA can pull the information that you need and make it useful...

[tanc08]

I am thinking to use Brooktrout tr1034.

I think it is very time-consuming to communicate the fax board thru their API, but I am goint to try.

I will use Cisoc VG248 or ATA 186 to connect the fax board to call manager.

Any advice on this approach.

[thisisshanky]

I think the TR1034 has T1/E1 type interface. You can directly interface a T1/PRI circuit or even connect to a Cisco router to send and receive fax. Since VG248 and ATA 186 are analog termination gateways, you wont be able to use with ATA 186. I hope we both are referring to this card.

http://www.techland.co.uk/index/brooktrout_tr1034

[tanc08]

I am going to order TR1034+P4-4L which is analog 4 channels. Thus, I can use either VG248 or ATA 186 to connect the fax board.

[joselopes]

Do you need the VG or ATA? The TR1034 has an IP port.

I think you can receive the fax over IP with this board.

[tanc08]

I think I am going to use VG for now. I know this fax board can do FOIP. But how do I connect this FOIP to Call Manager ? I need the fax destination to be showed in CDR.

Thanks !

[jasondrisc]

tanc08,

We are currently looking into bringing in Brooktrout and I'm curious if you ever got this up and going? I'm waiting for some more details from a co-worker who is working directly with Brooktrout but it sounds like they want to use the direct T1 connection. They have suggested that FoIP is not their recommended option. Your post mentioning the use of VG248 or ATA186 sparked my curiousity. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Jason

[mtkalec]

I am also trying to achieve same functionality, but without any success. We have router 2610XM connected to CCM via MGCP (and via ISN PRI to PSTN). Xmedius fax server is defined in CCM as H.323 gateway. Callmanger is 4.1(2). I have tried with different versions of IOS. Without any luck.The problem is that,after the call established we do not hear Xmedius Fax signal (a silence instead) and, after a few seconds, the call is released.

[migibson]

As far as I know, Xmedius T38 will only work with a h323 or sip gateway. You will need to another router to act as the gateway and connect it to the MGCP gateway or reconfigure your MGCP router to H323 and lose your caller name info and the other nice features of MGCP.

We currently have a 2600 with a T1 card in it acting as the H323 gateway. We are running a PRI between the 2600 and a 3725 that is the MGCP gateway and also has a PRI to the PSTN in it. This is working fine for inbound and outbound. My only issue is that I can't figure out how to get Xmedius to set the Calling Party number to the fax DID of the individual sending the fax. The field is always null.

[bclarke]

Do you have to use 2 seperate Gateways? I am not rea familar with H323 or SIP, but is it possible to just create 2 VOIP Dial Peers 1 to CCM and 1 to XMEDIUS ?

I am trying that now , but can't get XM to answer the call I see it passed over from CCM via H323 Gateway

[mlinsemier]

I am actually working on this right now to see if I can get this working. I have a TAC cased openend. One engineer said this wasn't possible, the next engineer said he thinks it is. The jury is still out.

I do know that if you use two gateways with a T1 PRI, that the XMedius fax will answer the call. Also, if you are going to setup two voice dial peers, you need to make sure you have the following command stipulated:

voice service voip

allow-connections h323 to h323

h323

I will post if I get this resolved.

Matt

[bclarke]

Did you ever get a final answer from TAC ?

I can get the Xmedius to call in/out via the IP-IP Gateway , but neither end ever answers the call, I think it is staying in G.711 mode, instead of switching to FAX, thus dropping the call.

I can get it working via pure H.323 or SIP of course , but like the control of MGCP is possible.

[Jason Hamlett]

I am curious about your xmedius setup. We are currently using xmedius with CCM as well, but we had to use 2 2600's to get it to work. The first is MGCP PRI that CCM routes the fax DID's to, but the t1 is connected to a second 2600 that had the dial-peers that match the DID's and forward the call to the Xmedius server. I ran this setup by an Xmedius rep once and he said that was the preffered method, but tying up 2 routers for faxing seems a little off. Any advice?