Managing Faxes

Switchvox lets you send and receive faxes. Here we describe how to install your free Fax License, and tell you how faxing works in Switchvox.

Faxing is only supported over an analog or PRI channel, otherwise incoming fax detection and fax quality will be compromised. We have worked hard to make Switchvox fully compatible with the T.38 fax protocol; however, some VOIP Providers and equipment vendors may not be compatible with the Switchvox T.38 implementation. So if you want to handle faxes using T.38 over a SIP provider, we recommend you work with your provider to test for compatibility and set up dedicated extensions for incoming and outgoing faxes. Handling faxes over G.711 is not supported.

 

For outgoing faxes, you can send a fax from your fax machine or send a file from your computer to a fax machine.

For incoming faxes, Switchvox creates a PDF and sends it to the Mailbox of the appropriate Switchvox extension. Incoming faxes are not received on a fax machine. (However, it is possible to receive faxes on an analog fax machine plugged into a Digium FXS card. In this situation, you must disable fax detection on the entire channel group, which means you can't use one telephone number to receive voice and fax calls.)

Switchvox only sends and receives one fax at a time under the included Fax License, but it handles the faxes in such a way that you should not notice. If you need to handle a large number of faxes daily, you may want to speak to a Switchvox sales specialist for recommended solutions.

To enable faxing capabilities, you must first install your Fax License and the related fax software.

  • To do this:
  1. Go to Tools > PBX Features > Digium Addon Products in the web suite.
  2. Click the link to Switchvox Product Addons. This opens a new page on www.switchvox.com.
  3. Enter your Switchvox Registration Code. This can be found on your Switchvox installation media.
  4. Copy the Fax Addon License Key shown on the resulting page.
  5. In Switchvox, select Fax and paste your Fax License in to the Register Additional Addon Products section.
  6. Click Submit.

Incoming Faxes

You can enter a Default Fax extension for each Channel Group (or SIP provider). When a fax comes in, the fax is routed to this extension.

You can set up an Incoming Call Route so one phone number (DID) can handle someone’s voice calls and faxes. This sends incoming faxes to the extension’s Fax folder and incoming voice calls to the extension’s phone.

You can also set up an Incoming Call Route so all activity on a phone number (DID) is treated as a fax and sent to the same extension. This is useful if you want a dedicated incoming fax extension.

Outgoing Faxes

If you want to use a fax machine, you can dedicate its extension to just sending faxes. In that case, Switchvox handles all outgoing activity as a fax (prints a fax file, puts it in the Fax.Outbox folder in that extension’s Mailbox, and sends the fax). You can also set up a Feature Code extension that lets you send a fax from your fax machine and put the fax into another extension’s Outbox.

If you want to fax files from your computer, you need to set up a printer driver on your computer. Each Switchvox user can set up a printer driver for a dedicated outgoing fax extension, for their own extension, or both. For a dedicated extension, outgoing faxes are found in the dedicated extension’s Mailbox. For someone's own extension, outgoing faxes are found in the user’s Mailbox. For more information, see Faxing From Your Desktop