softphone and fax software

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richms

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#16581 17-Oct-2007 18:44

Is there any software that will install a fake printer, and connect to a voip service to send a fax?

I could use an old copy of winfax, and plug in an analog modem, and plug that back into a skype adaptor and then use a normal softphone, but that just seems far too ghetto to me, and has several more points of failure.

I dont want any email to fax services, since my experiance with them is that they suck at rendering the pdf before sending, and the resultant pdf file is usually a hell of a lot bigger then the data a fax would use. Plus I want to have proper caller ID sent with the fax since thats a common anti faxspam measure.

Richard rich.ms

chris021

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#91569 18-Oct-2007 19:06

Due to the codecs that are in use, you are unable to Fax via Skype or Skype out.

What countrys are you wanting to fax to?

Just NZ?

Chris021

richms

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#91571 18-Oct-2007 19:15

I wouldn't use skype, just the adapter so that I can get a fax into the softphone. I have used a real fax machine via the adaptor just fine, only having to dial it on the softphone myself since xten doesnt seem to detect dtmfs.

Sending mainly to auckland, some other national numbers too.

Richard rich.ms

chris021

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#91572 18-Oct-2007 19:21

Interesting use for a skype adapter!

Unfortunately I don’t think there is any standalone software out there that does what you want. I use 2talk’s fax to email service, but as you say the rendering of the PDF is not all that great.

Your best bet would be to use a SPA2102 with WxC. WxC is going to be shortly supporting T38 via the SP2102, which will give you the most reliable faxing via IP.

As T38 picks up a bit more traction I hope we see software / print driver sip faxes. It sure would make things easy!

Chris021

richms

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#92326 25-Oct-2007 00:32

Not only the rendering, its the fact that the pdf is huge, and takes longer to email then a fax does to send most times. There didnt seem to be any fonts available on the one I tried and embedding them didnt work, so it all had to be made outlines and yeah, that was crap.

Richard rich.ms