Advice on options - TDE-200 to Asterisk fax server

[PJA]

Hello,

At our main business location, we have a TDE-200. It is connected to our LAN & communicates to other TDE-200's in our other branches.

I'd like to implement a Linux fax server in our building (Asterisk & Hylafax working together).

The TDE-200 at the main branch has a V-IPGW16 virtual card in it. As I understand it (& I maybe wrong) this card communicates using H323 only.

For SIP trunking - I 'believe' need a V-SIPGW16.


Asterisk can work with either H323 or SIP (G711). Does anyone have any advice, web sites, blogs, guides, etc - for a Panasonic TDE communicating with Asterisk using VoIP?

Ideally - if it's possiple to get this working using H323 - then I can avoid buying a 'V-SIPGW16'.


Thanks in advance,

Paul Adams

 

[cwc3]

I am pretty sure you will need the virtual sip gateway card
the ip gateway card is only for linking Panasonic's together and if you have problems there are not going to support you
if you try to use it for anything more than it was designed to do .What makes you think that you are going to be able to fax reliably on a VOIP connection?

 

[PJA]

Thanks for the advice - I'm used to not being supported... ;-)


What makes me think I can fax reliably on VoIP?

Experience. My last Linux fax server had almost the same setup (but a Nortel Option 11C to Asterisk) - 600 pages in, 500 pages out, per month for approx 4 years. Use G711, life's good.

Now - to be fair - it's VoIP from the Asterisk server to the PBX - then a regular call across the PSTN - not VoIP all the way. I can control the internal LAN & prioritise VoIP - but once it leaves the building (on VoIP) it's unreliable.

One day I think VoIP will be stable enough for fax all the way (or fax will be replaced with something else) - but it's not today.


Regards

Paul

 

[KXTDIreland]

The VoIP codecs distort the fax tones (G.711 is not too bad), so the only reliable way to do it is to send the fax signals out-of-band using T.38 protocol.

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[PJA]

Yes - your right, T38 is the correct way to handle faxing via VoIP - but who uses T38?

We've got Exchange 2007 & it can receive T38 faxes directly - but it soon became clear practically no-one (well, none of our 1000+ customers) is using it.

Paul

 

[cwc3]

Hey who faxes anymore? I do about 2 a yesr and I am in the biz!

 

[KXTDIreland]

Assuming the Linux fax server is connected as a SIP extension, can't you use T.38 between fax server and TDE100 then back to normal fax tones after breaking out onto ISDN or PSTN?

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[PJA]

Ermm....yes. A good point - assuming the TDE can convert regular faxes (is that T30?) to & from T.38 in real-time, (not being a smart ass but a lot of PBX's support passing T.38 through them, but cannot act as a real-time gateway to convert them).

I'm off to do some reading on the linux fax server (hylafax) receiving T.38...


As for faxing, a lot of our customers want a second copy of their invoice for accounting. We can e-mail them - but a lot actually want it faxed, (like faxing somehow makes it more 'real'???).


Paul

 

[cwc3]

KXTD you are in Tallaght ?

 

[KXTDIreland]

Yep, we're based in Tallaght.

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[cwc3]

cool wifes from kimmage !!! were in western mass usa half way between nyc and boston

 

[KXTDIreland]

It's a small world!

How's business? Are you selling many systems over there?

We've noticed things picking up a little bit here. The new NCP500X/V has helped a lot.

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[cwc3]

our version of the 500/1000 don't come with any cards in the!

 

[PJA]

(I'll carry on updating this thread on progress if people want to know???)


All things considered, the SIP gateway is the easier way to do this.

I added a new virtual SIP gateway & it seems to be working just fine, (I thought it needed a license?).

I'll build my Asterisk server & then try to connect the two & let you know.

Paul Adams

 

[KXTDIreland]

The DSP card comes with licenses on board.

Thanks for the update. I'm very interested to see how it works out.

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[PJA]

Hmm - I'm hitting a roadblock...

The systems seem to register OK with each other.

Place a call from Asterisk to the panasonic - I get SIP response 486 (all are busy here).


On the Panasonic, in the port settings of the SIP Gateway, my single IP trunk says OUS, (the card is INS). When I try to change it to INS, I get error E033102 Card obstacle.

I cannot seem to find the fault codes for the Panasonic to trace E033102.


In the Minor error log on the Panasonic, I get "IP Extension or Trunk limitation over"

Is this a licensing issue?


Any help welocme,


Paul

 

[PJA]

OK - forget the last post...

It does work if I edit the activation keys & drop the number of activated IP-GW's to 3 of (from 4).

But - then my inter-branch calling to other TDE's stops working.


Change the licensing back to 4, the inter-branch calls work but the IP trunk goes to OUS.

We have 3 locations. I believe we only need 2 IP-GW's per TDE, (to connect to the other two).


Any advice welcome...

Paul

 

[KXTDIreland]

You need a 4 SIP Trunk license.

You should be able to get it for less than $200.

http://www.systemnet.ie/telephone-systems.htm

 

[PJA]

Update - I tried using the IP-GW (H323) instead of the SIP-GW - and it's *almost* working.

Calls from the Panasonic to Asterisk work fine.

Calls to the Panasonic from Asterisk route & connect fine. The call lasts approx 6 seconds & is cut off. Debugging on the Asterisk server shows the Panasonic is ending the call.


Any tips or advice on how to diagnose or fix welcome...


Regards

Paul

 

[cwc3]

surprised ip gw works with the * at all !!