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I'm not sure this is the right forum for this, but it's not Stackoverflow so...

I'm trying to figure out an architecture to solve the following problem, maybe someone here can help:

I have a T1 with 23 fax lines coming into the building. I have a computer (Macintosh XServe) running Hylafax. If I had one POTS line, I'd be done. However, I have no idea how to get the T1 into the Mac...

Options I've considered:

  • some sort of PCI T1-modem (Does that exist?)
  • Splitting the T1 into 23 POTS lines and then connecting 23 analog modems to the mac, either via an external modem bank (Do they still make those?) or via some sort of external PCI bank, which will allow me to use more than 2 4-port modem cards.
  • Either the T1 or the split POTS lines going into some intermediate device and then transfering the images over IP, or USB to the mac.
  • Really, any other option I can come up with

This has GOT to be a problem that someone has already solved, right?

2 Answers 2

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One of the issues you are going to run into is I don't think that there are any T1 modem cards for MacOS. Dialogic is the company for these types of cards, and they don't seem to have Mac OS listed as supported. However a quick google search found macclub selling a Dialogic board.

Now, as far as a solutions go. If you can get a T1 board that works for MacOS and presents the DS0's as serial interfaces, you should be good to go at that point.

From the Hylafax manual:

The Eicon Diva Server is known to work well. The Patton 2977 using recent firmware from Patton also works well. As for others, some work, some don't, and some work better than others. Again, traditional compatibility requires the hardware to be accessible by a terminal-like program. Please consult the hylafax-users mailing list (and archives) for user experience with HylaFAX using digital modems.

Another option that works is to setup an asterisk box as your fax server, and user IAXModem to send faxes. This we have done in our testing lab with an asterisk server and it works well.

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I would recommend Brooktrout Fax boards from Dialogic, but it doesn't appear that they support Apple products. It might be worth a call to them however. Specifially you want to look at a TR1034 Fax Board as this will allow you to bring your T-1 right into the server without having to split it. Be warned that these boards are pricey. I got the 8 channel version last summer for ~$7,000. Also we are running Esker Fax on Windows, so everything is supported 100%.

What you are doing is very common from what I know, with the exception of the Apple products.

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