Re: Hylafax without modems - SIP?

 Content preview:  Hi Lee, Thanks for the reply. My comments are in-line On Wednesday
    27 January 2016 01:14:35 Lee Howard wrote: > > I have never used USB modems
    much with HylaFAX. Certainly I have never > used USB-to-serial adapters.
   So... I may not have the perspective that > you need. > > Also, I do work
   for Mainpine, and so my opinions are undoubtedly biased > because I have in-depth
    experience with Mainpine's product. > > Why not use a 4-port internal PCIe/PCI
    multi-port fax board like the IQ > Express? That will eliminate all of those
    cables and power adapters. [...] 
 
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Hi Lee,

Thanks for the reply.  My comments are in-line

On Wednesday 27 January 2016 01:14:35 Lee Howard wrote:
>
> I have never used USB modems much with HylaFAX.  Certainly I have never
> used USB-to-serial adapters.  So... I may not have the perspective that
> you need.
>
> Also, I do work for Mainpine, and so my opinions are undoubtedly biased
> because I have in-depth experience with Mainpine's product.
>
> Why not use a 4-port internal PCIe/PCI multi-port fax board like the IQ
> Express?  That will eliminate all of those cables and power adapters.

Many moons ago when I was building my first fax server, I considered 
multi-port cards although at the time I think I just looked at multi-port 
serial cards.

With the new server this isn't a option as I'm using a Raspberry Pi micro 
computer

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/processor-microcontroller-development-kits/8326274/

These are single board ARM based Debian derived linux boxes.

>
> > I've done lots of Googling and there is a lot of conflicting - and mostly
> > very old - information out there.
>
> Yet, it's probably all quite accurate, still.
>
> > Does anyone have any more up-to-date opinions or advice on doing this?
>
> Your message body doesn't say VoIP/SIP, but the subject line does. So, I
> am guessing that this question (and possibly those above it) were with
> VoIP/SIP in mind.

Although I was thinking about SIP I am open to any suggestions that would 
work.  Ideally, as the Mitel PBX controller is just a Windows based PC and 
the fax server is just a linux based PC, a software only solution would be 
the preferred option.

>
> > Most of the concerns about reliability were based on IP latency, but my
> > fax server and my Mitel controller are both on the same Procurv Gigabit
> > switch so hopefully that would be quick enough
>
> SIP is generally operated on UDP.  UDP allows the routers/switches to
> drop packets at-will.  That can happen without respect to latency.
>
> While latency may be an issue if it's bad-enough most VoIP trouble that
> I've seen has to do with dropped/missing packets.
>
> Your comments don't describe your infrastructure well, and so it's
> difficult to determine if you're using a VoIP service provider for
> access to the PSTN or if your equipment interfaces with the PSTN
> directly.  If it's the latter then you have the ability to control much
> more of the call path and possibly mitigate some of that packet loss.

I have three Mitel 3300 controllers, one at each of my main sites, and all 3 
set up for resilience. Sorry I don't know too much about the internals of 
Mitel kit to give too much technical details.

Each controller is connected to an ISDN30 which handles 99% of all incoming 
and outgoing calls.  I have a small number of PSTN lines for hisorical 
reasons and RedCare alarm lines etc.  These PSTN lines will of course have to 
stay with modems.

Each site has a Linux box with modems etc. as described in my original post.  
For logistics reasons all Linux boxes are in the same cabinets as the Mitel 
controllers.  I have 150ish Mitel 5312 handsets which of course use VOIP and 
they work without issues 99% of the time.  The 1% we have are usually by WAN 
issues.

>
> See:  http://hylafax.sourceforge.net/docs/fax-over-voip.pdf
>

I'll give this a look.

Lots of sites seem to refer to using Asterisk VOIP PBX software, and using 
iaxmodem.  Is this something I should be investigating, or would this just 
muddy the waters?

> Thanks,
>
> Lee.

Thanks again for your help Lee


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