How to use multiple or multiport fax modems to send multiple faxes?

[HamzaFassi]

I want to send many faxes at the same time.. whats the best way to do it? fax servers is not an option.. I might consider a third party component.. and special hardware..

any help is greatly apreciated

[Aimee Bailey]

Depends on your operating system, what are you planning to do this on?

[HamzaFassi]

from windows XP to Windows 7.. the easy way is as many fax modems as lines as desktops.. which is really not practical.. multiple fax modems on a single pc or a multiport fax modem .. but I have no idea on how it works.. I mean do I need to go with AT commands to access them or is there any API that manage the lines available?

thanks

[Aimee Bailey]

If your intention was an ISDN connection, then Windows has a multi-link feature that allows multiple modems to syncronise, but in terms of fax, Windows XP only supports 2 fax modems. FAXCOMEXLib is the library you will most likeley use as this is the API for sending faxes via API.

May I ask, do you really require more than two fax modems? I work at a large company, and they require only two. The emphasis in my honest opinion should be making sure you pick the right hardware, and that the computer you intend to host the modems is upto the job.

All the best!

Aimee.

[HamzaFassi]

hi Aimee,

thanks for your answer, I really appreciate :)

how about Vista, did they changed that limitation in vista? how do you get two fax modems to work together? is FAXCOMLIB able to manage that?
actually you are right, I think pinking up the right hardware might save a lot of troubles. so I was thinking about a multiport fax modem.. they can go up to 8 or 16 linesand since I can manage two devices, so I might go up to 16 or 32 telephone lines.. but I m not sure if FAXCOMLib supports fax broadcast.. I didn t found any reference concerning this specific problem..
actually, my client want to achieve a goal of.. 5.000 to 10.000 faxes a day.. and later on, he wants to be able to achieve around 20.000 fax a day (a day is from 9am to 9pm.. 12 hours..) but after a while.. it takes around one minute per fax so most probably we're talking about 720 fax/12h/modem.. so around 30 phonelines..

I found an sdk that says it manage multiport fax modem.. it's called faxman.. I don't know if you ever dealed with it or if the FAXCOMLib might do the job..

thank you for your help, I really appreciate :)

Hamza

[Aimee Bailey]

FAXCOMEXLib is the API provided to interact with the Windows Fax Console. If you can find a multiport fax, you should easily be able to still use the API. However a tip id give is try Windows7 (atleast pro). They seem to have tightened up the API.

[HamzaFassi]

ok then I'll go with a windows 7 pro.. :)

from what I know, the thing with Windows Fax Console is, when it receives faxes (sent I mean), it queue them till the fax modem is available.. this is what happens with a single device..

what I'm afraid of, is to have to deal with AT Commands.. I already had to in the past, and it's not the part I'm fan of :p

I ll try first with FAXCOMLib then if it's of no use, then I'll go with the faxman SDK solution.. costs money.. but it'll do the job..

do you have any sample code on how to deal with two modems? I can t find any googling it.. is there a devices pool or..?

thanks a lot :)

[Aimee Bailey]

FAXCOMLib is the easiest and most straight forward, though if your after more advanced features like sending pdf's, you need to explore FAXCOMEXLib (notice the EX). Here is an example with FAXCOMLib anyway (in windows 7, this is fxcomlib.dll).. .

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            FaxServer server = new FaxServer();
            string serverName = "";
            string faxNumber = "01011000111";
            string recipientName = "Someone";
            string filename = @"D:\temp.txt";
            string message = "hello there!";

            try
            {
                File.WriteAllText(filename, message);
                server.Connect(serverName);

                FaxDoc doc = server.CreateDocument(filename);
                doc.FaxNumber = faxNumber;
                doc.RecipientName = recipientName;
                doc.Send();
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }
        }

[HamzaFassi]

yeah I've seen this before, I mean, I'm already able to send a fax using a single fax modem.. but you said your company require only two.. I was thinking you were using it through C#..
I can't find any sample code or description of how to manage multiple fax modems.. the only SDK who claim to do it is faxman.. but it costs about 800$ for a single developer license..

[Aimee Bailey]

the serverName is the address of the fax modem, in my case, we use a shared fax driver on a sbs server. If you had two fax modems, you would simply just name them, and use their name addresses as the server name. that way you could send via more than one.

Its pretty streight forward.

[HamzaFassi]

yeah right.. :p sounds cool :p can't wait to try that :p

you've been of a great help :p thanks a lot :p

Hamza

[Aimee Bailey]

No worries :)