2Point FAXserve Routing Options
Automatic Inbound Routing
Today there is a great interest in network fax solutions, and one question that is
frequently asked is, "how can I automatically route incoming faxes to the correct
user?" There are a number of possible answers to this question. This document
describes the methods to achieve automatic inbound routing using FAXserve’s Inbound
Routing Capabilities. These methods include:
Automatic Printing to a Network Printer
This method speaks for itself. All faxes that are received by FAXserve, whether
via one single channel or through many channels (limited only by the number
of ports in your system), will be printed on a network printer that is
specified by the FAXserve administrator.
Manual Routing
All faxes that are received by FAXserve will automatically be
stored in a default directory.
The FAXserve Administrator then looks at the fax, by using FAXserve’s Administrator
tool, and routes it to the correct user.
Line/Channel Routing
So what if one does not require the FAXserve Administrator to have access to
those confidential faxes directed to the Personnel Department?
The illustration below shows one possible setup for Line/ Channel Routing. In this
example, FAXserve is configured for eight fax channels attached to a multi-port
board (Note that FAXserve can support as many as 32 channels on FAXserve for
NetWare and 120 channels on FAXserve for Windows). The FAXserve Administrator can configure
the FAXserve Inbound Routing
Database which will enable FAXserve to automatically route the incoming fax to either a
single user, or to a group of users such as the Personnel Department. In this example, the
person sending the fax will dial one fax number, which is received on Channel 4. FAXserve
will recognize which channel the fax is being received on, and then consult its database.
The fax is then routed automatically to the FAXserve user, Patrick, without any human
intervention.
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
We have all heard about DTMF, which stands for Dual Tone Multi-Frequency, but
what is it exactly? This is a method of signalling, in which two frequencies are combined,
one high and one low, to indicate a digit value to the switching system, like a ‘touch-tone’
telephone.
So how does this work with FAXserve? The following illustration shows a DTMF
setup with FAXserve. The hardware requirement is an Intelligent Fax Board which can decode DTMF codes. The person sending the
fax dials the fax number for FAXserve, and then waits until the board picks up. The sender
then dials in the DTMF code, which could be considered as a fax extension number. The
Intelligent Fax card decodes the DTMF code and passes that number to FAXserve (in this
case it is 1234). FAXserve will then look up this number in its database and route the fax
to the correct recipient. This is an effective way of automatically routing a fax to a
recipient. However, because DTMF is not supported in all countries, this method might lead
to confusion. This is made transparent to the sender by using Direct Inward Dialing.
Direct Inward Dialing
Direct Inward Dialing (DID), also known as Direct Dialing Inwards (DDI) allows
the sender to dial a direct fax number, thereby by-passing the need to enter a DTMF
code once FAXserve accepts the fax call. This means that the sender dials
one phone number and does not need to worry about the ‘fax extension number’
since the rest of the work is accomplished by FAXserve and a DID capable
Intelligent Fax board. The digital equivalent to DID services is often
referred to as DNIS. Example of DNIS services are available on ISDN
BRI/PRI and T1/E1 digital lines.
Example of a Direct Inward Dialing Setup:
An intelligent fax card which is connected to an ISDN connection to the telephone network. It is possible to ask for
several ‘direct numbers’ from the telephone company, for example 20 numbers
ranging from 12341230 to 12341249. This means that one has 20 direct telephone numbers
coming in on one ISDN connection. The fax card can be configured to pass on the
last four digits of the telephone number, which are all unique, to FAXserve. The
Intelligent Fax board converts this digital information into a 3 or 4 digit
parameter and passes it to FAXserve, via the use of an intelligent fax card.
FAXserve will then consult its Inbound Routing Database and automatically
forwards the fax to the correct mailbox, printer, etc.
Summary
There are a number of different methods that one can adopt to set up FAXserve
with inbound routing. Depending on the requirements, you can have a system with
many
different fax channels. This can enable as many different fax numbers as
there are ports. Or you can set up
a system with a fax router that utilizes one physical connection but can adopt a
large amount of direct dial fax numbers.
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