Ok IT heads here's my situation. I've deployed a fax over IP solution using a cisco router. Looking at wireshark traces and cisco debugs I can see that the cisco is passing the data correctly between the fax server and the fax machine. the fax server app doesn't see the data from the fax machine. I can see that the data makes it to the fax server but it appears it's not making it up the stack to the app.
which OS tools or apps can I use to look at how the server is processing the fax data as it makes its' way up the stack?
Right now this is a lab machine so most of the security has already been disabled on the 2008 server.

I'm a wanna be windows admin so please be verbose in your replies.

 

So everything else works but the app. Must be a problem with the app, check it's settings and what not. Call them for customer service. Doesn't seem like a Windows server problem but a third party app problem.

 

fax?

 

What model is the fax?

 

stunna, tech support was engaged from the beginning. They've verified that the app is properly configured and that the fax app is working properly. the call is setup properly end to end. once the session is established the app isn't receiving the data back from the fax machine. Same question are there any tools available for looking into the data stream on the server?



doop - yup fax...have to support legacy products with contractual obligations



ken - not sure about the fax. we're using net satisfaxtion from fax back

 

Inbound firewall issue?

It works outbound but not inbound. Check the advanced firewall in server 2008.

 

I'm not a phone line expert by any means so this is just a shot in the dark but do phone lines work on the basis that certain wires send signal and others receive signal. maybe only half the wires are working so you can go one direction but not the other. I think that's how ethernet works, certain wires send and others receive and others are ground (cat 5), then cat 6 is two pairs send and the other two pairs receive.

 

do you see the incoming packets on the wireshark trace? i'm assuming wireshark is sitting on the same server as the app.

 

stunna, it's on the same lan in the lab so no routing or firewalls.
it's not a layer 1 issue.
rayden,yes & yes

 

i would check to make sure the network drivers are up to date and working properly. i would also research how wireshark is capturing the trace, like which level of the driver stack is it monitoring from, what API is being used and then call support for your fax app to see what the difference is.

keep support engaged and don't close the issue no matter how much they say it's not their problem. interoperability IS THEIR PROBLEM. if they can't resolve it i'd demand a refund.

 

So I spent a little time with the manual for this last night to put me to sleep. The documentation around getting the cisco to work is not very good.

Can you give me a little more information about how the cisco is connected to the fax server? Does the cisco device receive faxes from the outside world and then relay them to the fax server? Faxes come in via ip to the cisco or via pots lines?

Why not just install a couple of fax boards into the fax server and attach pots lines?

 

thanks guys.
it's a cisco 5350 and the faxes are out bound only via an isdn pri to the pstn. the fax server initiates the fax, the cisco acts as a gateway and passes the comm to the fax machine.
fax server w/fax boards is our current config but it's older than dirt so i was tasked w/deploying this config.