If you need to send/receive faxes from a Fax machine, we recommend using Instant Fax ATA's as a part of your fax solution. An Instant Fax ATA is a propriety piece of hardware that plugs into ethernet and RJ11 from the fax machine to send Fax Over IP. To place an order, Please Contact Us support@sipntalk.net.
What is an Instant Fax ATA?
Also known as a Store-and-Forward device, an Instant Fax ATA increases the overall success rate of faxing dramatically by; allowing faxes to be buffered before being transmitted to and from an analog fax machine.
- For Inbound (DID) calls, faxes are received in the Sip N' Talk data center (where last-mile latency and jitter issues are not a concern) by a Store-and-Forward fax server. After receipt, they are transmitted to the ATA using a file transfer protocol that is not susceptible to latency and jitter concerns. Once the ATA receives the files, they are relayed to a local fax machine that is connected to the ATA with standard RJ-11 cabling.
- For Outbound (Termination) calls, faxes from a local fax machine are intercepted and stored by the ATA and then transferred to a Store-and-Forward fax server in the Sip N' Talk data center using a file transfer protocol that is not susceptible to latency and jitter concerns. From the fax server, they are relayed to the PSTN using dedicated fax carriers. There is also failover routing, so if the first carrier fails to deliver the Fax, there are three or more dedicated fax carriers in place to attempt the Fax.
Instant Fax ATAs differ from a SIP ATA that uses SIP and .t38/G.711 to transmit the Fax. The Instant FAX ATA converts fax tones to a file locally, then sends it securely to a server. The server handles the routing and delivery for inbound and outbound faxes with dedicated routing.
It is technically possible to send faxes through a SIP ATA that is registered to our PBX with T.38 or G.711, but there are several reasons that we recommend against that solution.
- T.38 and G.711 are submitted over UDP and are highly susceptible to Jitter and Packet loss. Small issues that don't impact a voice call can be devastating to a Fax.
- Our normal SIP call routing does not include dedicated Fax routes, meaning the carriers may not allow or handle T.38, resulting in lower success rates.
- Many carriers (and SIP ATAs) do not negotiate T.38 properly resulting in the faxes failing seconds after they start.
For the reasons stated above, we do not support the sending of Faxes from SIP ATAs and they should be used at your own risk.
Instant FAX ATA transmission is TLS encrypted and is considered as HIPAA compliant for sending or receiving faxes. HIPAA compliance requires policies & procedures. A technology solution alone is simply not enough to be HIPAA compliant. Please see our HIPAA documentation for more information.
Hardware Information and Connection Guide
This procedure applies to the white (3001R) ATA units only.
Use the following steps to connect your ATA to the service.
- Connect the ATA WAN port to your network using a standard ethernet cable.
- Connect the ATA FAX port to your fax machine using the included RJ11 Cable.
- Connect the ATA to the power using the included Power Adapter.
- Power it on and wait at least 10-15 minutes. It is often necessary for the device to download new firmware.
- After waiting for the 10-15 minutes, you should see POWER, ONLINE, and WAN lights on and green.
- Pick up the handset of your fax machine (or analog phone for testing). You should see FAX light on and green, and also hear the dial tone.
- Hang up the handset, and the FAX light should turn off. At this point, the Instant Fax ATA should be ready to go!
- We recommend turning off Fax completion messages from the local Fax Machine because the Fax machine will always think the faxes were delivered properly. If you are wanting confirmation messages, they can be set up in the Manage DID Portal.
Troubleshooting
Instant Fax ATA won't power on
You can try another power adapter if you have one on hand. Instant Fax ATA's use a 5-volt/0.3 amp power adapter. Otherwise, the device may require an RMA.
Recipients take a long time to receive Faxes
There are several possibilities for delays, which can be best avoided by using plain black and white faxes without dark areas or images. The fax machine must convert the scanned pages as a Fax signal and send them over the Fax Tone at a fairly slow data rate compared to today's standards. Faxes with images or a lot of dark colors will take a longer time to send because more data needs to be transmitted. Long faxes will add to delays because more data needs to be transmitted.
Other possibilities have to do with failures on the recipient fax machine which may result in attempts from different carriers. If the recipient fax machine is busy the service will retry to send the fax.
Overall delays depend on file sizes and reachability, but most faxes should be delivered in just a few minutes.
Returns and RMAs
If you've gone through the troubleshooting steps and still think you have a bad unit, please open a Support ticket. We find that almost all devices that power on will actually work, we want to help you!
FAQs
What are the recommended Fax Machine Settings?
14,400 baud rate, ECM Enabled, no Super G3.
Is it possible to use a single DID for voice and faxing on Sip N' Talk?
- It is not possible to utilize a single DID for Voice and Fax on our platform.
Can we set Multiple Fax ATAs to Use the Same Outbound Caller ID?
Yes. Multiple Instant Fax ATA's can be configured to use a single Caller ID. However, only one Instant Fax ATA can receive inbound Faxes in this scenario. Follow the steps below to get set up.
Contact the Sip N' Talk stating your request and provide the MAC addresses of the other Fax ATAs as well as the Caller ID to be used.
What IP address does the Instant Fax ATA use to connect?
The IP address is subject to change, port forwarding is typically NOT necessary but can be depending on the Firewall and local network policies. Please see the IP addresses and ports article for more information.
Can POE power the device?
No. The units do require a power supply.
What are the dimensions of the Unit?
4.3" wide, 2.9" deep, x 1" tall
What comes in the Box?
- Instant Fax ATA
- Power Adapter
- 5ft Ethernet Cord
- 5ft RJ11 Cord
Can faxes be re-sent to the Instant Fax ATA from the server if there was an issue?
Yes, but only for a limited time. Please include information about the ATA and the faxes in a Support ticket (Mac Address, To and From Numbers, Time frames).
Can Nomo Robo be used with Instant Fax ATA DID's?
Yes.
Is it possible to Block Inbound Faxes from a particular DID?
Not at this time.
Can the outbound number for a Fax ATA be spoofed?
Yes, however, we will only do this if the number is in the process of being ported in or already in your inventory. You will need to submit a ticket to have this request fulfilled.
Can we send an outbound fax with a Fax ATA and receive inbound faxes via the fax portal?
Yes, you will need to submit a ticket to have this request fulfilled.
Can we assign a static IP address to the Instant Fax ATA?
Yes, you will need to locate the DHCP address assigned by our Network then login to the web UI. The web UI's options are limited, but you can set a static IP here. The default credentials are admin/admin.
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