Keeping Analog faxes off of Asterisk?

Asterisk Asterisk Support
1

I’ve got 9 total POTS lines coming into my office. Currently 6 go to the PBX and 3 go to analog fax machines.

I’m looking at setting up Asterisk to get rid of my PBX and am wondering if I should just get a couple of TDMs w/ FXO modules for my incoming lines and keep the 3 fax(analog) lines separate, as in direct connect to fax?

Would I be missing out on some greatly needed/desired functionality?

thanks for your thoughts,
day

2

You can use spandsp to have Asterisk receive the fax and then either store it on the server or email it somewhere. This only takes care of receiving them, you still need an FXS or analog line hooked up to the fax machine so that it can send. I would just keep the 3 lines hooked up to the machines, it is easier.

3

Thanks for the confirmation zmanea. I had previously tried compiling spandsp but continually got errors (probably due to PPC platform?), so that’s when I thought I’d just pass on adding fxs to my asterisk box.

Anyone wanna buy 2 fxs modules? jk

day

4

Asterisk does not handle faxing well, it has probably a 95% accuracy at detecting faxes. Your better off keeping fax machines on fxs and did 99% reliabilty and to be honest your best bet is probably to have fax machines on there own line for 100% reliablity

5

i agree with this last statement.

Asterisk is not ready for analog faxes.