Re: [hylafax-users] Error/Quality Testing?

[Ron Pettis <rspettis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Eriks,

Also confirm with the field reps that they are not using digital voice lines (analog to digital voip) for their fax machines.

We had run into this with some of our folks.

If they are, some providers offer an upsell remedy that may or may not work.  I say have them try it.  Even reducing the speed of the fax sender usually is not enough to get a fax through voip. 

You specifically asked for every possible test...
When I was in your scenario and before wide deployment, I went through diagnosing success/failure conditions with:

* Each type of fax sender (Ours = HP1240 vs. HP1250 & we discovered a firmware bug in the 1250's)
* Color (ECM required) vs. B&W (& ECM off)
* Different Class definitions in the modem's Hylafax config files
* V.34 vs. no v.34
* Different sending speeds.
* Testing users with digital voice vs. without.
* Then for fun I tested some in-house JBIG senders and was impressed with JBIG's impact on transmission times.

I recall using faxinfo/tiffinfo a lot and studying the differences in the c000* fax logs.  We needed color which means I was forced to use ECM for those.

It's a full day dedicated to diagnostics, but it was worth it to determine how our setup best fared without errors.  We only got voip users to work (better but not perfectly) by having them contacting their providers.

Also, we do not run our fax lines through a PBX.  Instead the copper lines come directly in from the phone company and go right to the modems.  "Centrex modem pool" I think it's called.

You might have frames slipping on the PRI, also.  Check clock-syncing.

Hope this helps.
Ron

Eriks Goodwin-Pfister wrote:

What is the best way to test a Hylafax based system to determine why some inbound faxes are failing to come through?  One telecom consultant recommended making the carrier test the PRI circuits, but we'd like to do more than that.

I know that faxing is never 100% perfect-- so I am looking for every possible test to show maximum operation.

Of course, it's a little difficult when multiple field reps are claiming to not be able to fax their reports in--yet can always get them faxed in when using an online hosted fax service.

We've seen where for sending faxes, needed to turn off error correction to make faxes work reliably.  But, can this be forced by Hylafax in the act of receiving a fax?  Or, is this not the solution?

I'm guessing here, but I'll sure appreciate any tips....

--Eriks