fax polling server using isdnlog -> mgetty analog/isdn TA ?

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

hi !

i would like to build a fax polling server that can handle multiple connections
and multiple documents (using a voice/dtmf menu or, better, isdn subadressing),
using one one or two isdn basic accesses. no other connections as data/voice.

(without spending millions, or using w... _and_ spending millions)

i searched the archive, seems rather difficult (especially for me as linux/isdn
newbie). 

is there a chance that the following configuration could work ? (i cannot test it,
because i don`t have the hardware yet, and so i have no idea if i`m a jerk or a
genius :-).

- call detection is done by one or two isdn cards, fax is done by two or four
analog modems or isdn (serial) terminal adapters.

- isdnlog logs the incoming calls

- on an incoming call, isdnlog starts a shell or perl script that "extracts" the
subadressing information (e.g. 999) from the MSN (i suppose it`s attached ?)

- the script starts mgetty with the parameter -s and defines document 999 to send

- mgetty answers the call using the first serial port, sends the document and
terminates

- if mgetty is currently running on the first serial port, the script calls mgetty
to answer the call at the second etc.

if that works, it could even be expanded (if subadressing works as i suppose, but
i will verify that) : maybe the caller could attach the subadress for the document,
and a pin, devided by "#". recognizing and veryfing it, the script could call mgetty
to receive the document instead of sending one and store it as document 999;
in this way i could even do "remote upload" using any fax.

i have no idea what happens when two callers call exactly in the same moment,
requesting different documents... that means, how to tell an analog modem which call
to answer, sending the right document ?

maybe using isdn terminal adaptors instead of modems one could use some additional
isdn information reading the adaptor`s registers (like caller id or something) and
tell it via mgetty (using an at command with the -m parameter) to answer the right
one of the two calls ?

any hints/opinions ? (hints preferred :-)

btw :

for the hardware, it seems to be rather hard to support active fax polling...

did anyone try active faxpolling (mgetty -s) with

- elsa microlink tlv 34 (isdn)
- dr. neuhaus smarty 33.6 (analog)

if zyxels do it better, which one ? 1496 seems to be hard to get (and there are
several versions and the eg version  does not work, as i remember form the archive),
and (even one) 2864 is hard to pay... (which one would be better, isdn or analog ?)

thanks in advance,

h.p. stroebel
germany/italy
hpstr@operamail.com